Japanese 2 Lesson 2 Grammar Notes

1. 文法 LESSON 2 GRAMMAR NOTES
G1. THE PARTICLE にににに
The particle に has quite a few functions. In Japanese 1, you used に to:
• Talk about where something is, like "in"
れいぞうこ が だいどころ に あります。
• To indicate were we are going "to"
がっこう に いきます。
• To say what we are doing "for" an occasion (like breakfast!)
あさごはん に すし を たべます
We can also use に to indicate at a specific time.
For example:
だいちさんは、まいあさ、なんじににににおきますか。
At what time do you wake up every morning, Daichi?
ぼくは、まいあさ、ごぜんしちじににににおきます。
I wake up at 7:00 AM every morning.

2. に is also used in front of a location followed by “movement” verbs to indicate
movement toward or away from the location.
For example:
うちににににかえりますかえりますかえりますかえります。
I return (to) home.
いつにほんににににきますきますきますきますか。
When are you coming to Japan?
* なんじににににがっこうににににいきますいきますいきますいきますか。
What time do you go to school?
* In this sentence, this にににに indicates the specific time, while this にににに indicates the
movement toward the location (school).
G2. THE PARTICLE でででで
で is another particle used after a location like に. However, the particle でででで
indicates the location where an action occurs, rather than movement to or
away from a location.
For example:
うち でででで ばんごはん を たべます。
I will eat dinner at home.
だいちさん は がっこう でででで おみず を のみます。
Daichi will drink water at school.

3. わたしはとしょかんででででべんきょうします。
I study at the library.
G3. THE PARTICLE をををを
The most important thing you need to know about を is that:
The particle をををを does not translate to anything.
(ﾟﾟﾟﾟ ﾟ；ﾟ；ﾟ；ﾟ；) whaaaa?
Don’t worry!! It doesn’t have a translation, but it does have a FUNCTION!
(゜゜゜゜o゜゜゜゜) tell me more…
The particle を lets us know that the verb has a direct object. In other words:
the particle を connects objects directly to verbs.
For example:
にほんごにほんごにほんごにほんご を はなしますはなしますはなしますはなします
I speak Japanese.
In this sentence, を tells us that the direct object of the verb はなしますはなしますはなしますはなします, is the
noun, にほんごにほんごにほんごにほんご.
せんせい は おんがく を ききます。
The teacher will listen to music.
だいち は しゅくだい を します。
Daichi will do homework.

4. ともだち は テレビゲーム を します。
My friend will play videogames.
わたしはあさごはんをたべません。
I do not eat breakfast.
REMEMBER:
• The particle を lets us know that the verb has a direct object.
• When we type を using the IME, we type in the letters “wo” to differentiate it
from お o.
SO, DON’T EVER TYPE THIS:
にほんご お はなします。
Because it will be incorrect ( ﾟ皿ﾟ)ｷｰｯ!!
• を, used as a particle, is never pronounced “wo” it is always pronounced “o.”
G4. THE TOPIC MARKER PARTICLE はははは (WA)
You learned in Japanese 1 about the topic marker, は (wa). It marks the topic of
a sentence.
For example:
さくらさんさくらさんさくらさんさくらさんははははごぜんろくじにおきます。
Sakura wakes up at 6 in the morning.
Because the particle はははは follows the noun さくらさんさくらさんさくらさんさくらさん, this tells us that Sakura
san is the topic of the sentence.

5. Keep in mind that は
w a
marks the topic of the sentence, while が marks the subject.
Sentence “topics” are not a grammatical feature that exists in English.
In English, our sentences may have a subject or subjects, which are in reference
to an overall “topic” which we do not reference in every sentence. This is
another reason why, in Japanese, “watashi wa” is usually omitted from the
sentence.
For example:
Topic
Predicate1
Subject Predicate2
わたしわたしわたしわたし はははは えんぴつえんぴつえんぴつえんぴつ がががが ありますありますありますあります。。。。
I have a pencil. (If we were to translate this literally, it would say “Talking about
myself, pencil exists.”)
If we were to omit “Watashi wa” from this sentence:
えんぴつえんぴつえんぴつえんぴつ がががが あります。あります。あります。あります。(I have a pencil)
It is still grammatically correct.
REMEMBER:
は is written with the Hiragana character for “ha,” but when it is used as the topic
marker, it is pronounced “wa.”
We never type わ for the topic marker. If you type this, it is incorrect.
For example:
Right: わたし は さくら です。
WRONG: わたしわさくらです。

6. G5. FILLERS
In Japanese we use various kinds of fillers, to fill in the space between phrases
to avoid uncomfortable silences. (~_~メメメメ)
Just like how we use phrases like: “let me see,” “umm,” “let’s see,” “and then,” or
“I see,” in English.
• そして – and then, and so…
• それから – and then…
• そうですか – Is that so? / let me see…
• えーと – umm…
• そうですね －That’s so, isn’t it? / Well, let me see…
For example:
Q: だいちさんだいちさんだいちさんだいちさん はははは なんじなんじなんじなんじ ごろごろごろごろ うちうちうちうち にににに かえりますかえりますかえりますかえります かかかか。。。。
Daichi, around what time do you return (to) home?
A: そうですねそうですねそうですねそうですね、わたし、わたし、わたし、わたし はははは いつもいつもいつもいつも 7 じじじじごろごろごろごろ うちうちうちうち にににに かえりますかえりますかえりますかえります。。。。
Well, let me see, I always return (to) home around 7:00.