Unit 2: は じ め ま し て

1. Key Phrases: Greetings and Requests

これからお世話になります (Kore kara o-sewa ni narimasu)

This is a crucial cultural phrase used when you are joining a new group (e.g., company, neighborhood, long-term class) and will be interacting with people over a period of time.

• Literal Breakdown:
  • これから (kore kara): from now on, from this point forward
  • お世話 (o-sewa): care, assistance, help
  • に なります (ni narimasu): to become, to receive
• Meaning: "I look forward to being in your care," or "Thank you in advance for your help and support."
• Context: It expresses gratitude for future help and establishes a cooperative relationship. It is often said after your initial self-introduction (はじめまして).

これをください (Kore o kudasai)

This is a fundamental and highly useful phrase for shopping or ordering.

• Literal Breakdown:
  • これ (kore): this
  • を (o): the direct object particle (marks "this" as the thing being requested)
  • ください (kudasai): please give me
• Meaning: "Please give me this," or "I'll take this."
• Usage: You can point to an item and say これをください. You can also replace これ with a specific noun.
  • Example: みずをください。 (Mizu o kudasai.) - "Please give me water."

2. Basic Sentence Structure: Noun は Noun です

This is the most fundamental sentence pattern in Japanese for stating facts. It equates one noun with another.

Formula: Noun 1 は Noun 2 です。

• Noun 1: The topic of the sentence.
• は (wa): The topic particle. Pronounced "wa," not "ha," when used as a particle. It indicates what the sentence is about. Think of it as "As for..." or "Speaking of..."
• Noun 2: Information about the topic.
• です (desu): The copula. It's like "am," "is," or "are" and makes the sentence polite. It always comes at the end.

Examples:

• わたしはがくせいです。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu.) - I am a student.
• たなかさんはせんせいです。 (Tanaka-san wa sensei desu.) - Mr. Tanaka is a teacher.
• これはほんです。 (Kore wa hon desu.) - This is a book.

Negative Form: 〜じゃありません / 〜ではありません

To say that Noun 1 is not Noun 2, you replace です with じゃありません (ja arimasen) or the more formal ではありません (dewa arimasen).

Formula: Noun 1 は Noun 2 じゃありません。

• Examples:
  • わたしはせんせいじゃありません。 (Watashi wa sensei ja arimasen.) - I am not a teacher.
  • それはくるまではありません。 (Sore wa kuruma dewa arimasen.) - That is not a car.

Question Form: 〜ですか

To turn a statement into a question, you simply add the question particle か (ka) to the end of the sentence. No change in word order is needed.

Formula: Noun 1 は Noun 2 ですか。

• Examples:
  • あなたはがくせいですか。 (Anata wa gakusei desu ka?) - Are you a student?
  • あれはびょういんですか。 (Are wa byōin desu ka?) - Is that a hospital over there?
• Answering:
  • Yes: はい、そうです。 (Hai, sō desu.) - Yes, that's right.
  • No: いいえ、ちがいます。 (Iie, chigaimasu.) - No, that's wrong.
  • No (with correction): いいえ、がくせいじゃありません。 (Iie, gakusei ja arimasen.) - No, I am not a student.

3. Particles (じょし - 助詞)

Particles are short words that follow nouns, verbs, or phrases to indicate their grammatical function in a sentence.

• は (wa): Topic Marker

  • Marks the topic or main theme of the sentence.
  • わたし**は**アメリカじんです。 (Watashi wa amerika-jin desu.) - As for me, I am an American.

• か (ka): Question Marker

  • Placed at the end of a sentence to make it a question.
  • これはあなたのかさです**か**。 (Kore wa anata no kasa desu ka?) - Is this your umbrella?

• の (no): Possessive Marker

  • Shows possession or attribution. It connects two nouns, working like an apostrophe 's' or "of" in English. The order is [Owner] の [Item].
  • わたし**の**なまえ (watashi no namae) - my name
  • にほんご**の**せんせい (nihongo no sensei) - teacher of Japanese (Japanese language teacher)
  • これはやまださん**の**ほんです。 (Kore wa Yamada-san no hon desu.) - This is Ms. Yamada's book.

• を (o): Direct Object Marker

  • Pronounced "o". It marks the noun that is directly receiving the action of a verb.
  • みず**を**のみます。 (Mizu o nomimasu.) - I drink water. (Water is the object being drunk).
  • これ**を**ください。 (Kore o kudasai.) - Please give me this. (This is the object being requested).

• が (ga): Subject Marker

  • Marks the grammatical subject of a sentence. While は marks the topic ("speaking of..."), が pinpoints the subject, often providing new or specific information.
  • Key Use 1: With あります and います (verbs of existence).
    • ねこ**が**います。 (Neko ga imasu.) - There is a cat.
    • つくえ**が**あります。 (Tsukue ga arimasu.) - There is a desk.
  • Key Use 2: Answering a question word (who, what, where).
    • Q: だれ**が**せんせいですか。 (Dare ga sensei desu ka?) - Who is the teacher?
    • A: すずきさん**が**せんせいです。 (Suzuki-san ga sensei desu.) - Ms. Suzuki is the teacher. (Specifies who).

• も (mo): "Also," "Too"

  • Replaces は, が, or を to mean "also" or "too."
  • A: わたしはがくせいです。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu.) - I am a student.
  • B: わたし**も**がくせいです。 (Watashi mo gakusei desu.) - I am also a student.
  • A: りんごをたべます。 (Ringo o tabemasu.) - I eat an apple.
  • B: オレンジ**も**たべます。 (Orenji mo tabemasu.) - I eat an orange, too.

4. Demonstratives: The こそあど (ko-so-a-do) System

This system of words is used to point out things, people, and places based on their proximity to the speaker and the listener.

これ・それ・あれ vs. この・その・あの

A common point of confusion.

• これ, それ, あれ are pronouns. They stand alone and replace a noun.
  • **これ**はほんです。 (Kore wa hon desu.) - This is a book. (Correct)
  • ~~これはほんはほんです。~~ (Kore wa hon wa hon desu.) - (Incorrect)
• この, その, あの are adjectives. They must be followed by a noun they are describing.
  • **この**ほんはわたしのです。 (Kono hon wa watashi no desu.) - This book is mine. (Correct)
  • ~~このはわたしのです。~~ (Kono wa watashi no desu.) - (Incorrect)

ここ・そこ・あそこ vs. こちら・そちら・あちら

• ここ, そこ, あそこ are the standard words for places.
• こちら, そちら, あちら are more polite. They can mean "this way" or "this direction," but are often used as the polite equivalent of "here," "there," and "over there." When asking "Where is the bathroom?" you would more politely use どちら than どこ.
  • Casual: トイレは**どこ**ですか。 (Toire wa doko desu ka?)
  • Polite: おてあらいは**どちら**ですか。 (Otearai wa dochira desu ka?)

5. Verbs of Existence: あります (arimasu) & います (imasu)

Both verbs mean "to be," "to exist," or "there is/are." The one you use depends entirely on whether the subject is animate or inanimate.

あります (arimasu)

• Used for inanimate objects (e.g., books, desks, cars, money) and plants.
• Can also mean "to have" for inanimate objects.
• Example: つくえのうえにほん**があります**。 (Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu.) - There is a book on the desk.
• Example: おかね**があります**。 (Okane ga arimasu.) - I have money.

います (imasu)

• Used for animate beings (e.g., people, animals, insects).
• Example: へやにねこ**がいます**。 (Heya ni neko ga imasu.) - There is a cat in the room.
• Example: こうえんにこども**がいます**。 (Kōen ni kodomo ga imasu.) - There are children in the park.

Sentence Structure:
[Place] に [Thing/Person] が あります / います。

• に (ni): Location particle, marks where something exists.
• が (ga): Subject particle, marks the thing that exists.

6. Expressions of Agreement & Inquiry

そうです (Sō desu)

• Meaning: "That's right," "That is so."
• Usage: It's a simple, polite way to confirm that a statement someone else has made is correct.
  • A: これはえんぴつですか。 (Kore wa enpitsu desu ka?) - Is this a pencil?
  • B: はい、**そうです**。 (Hai, sō desu.) - Yes, that's right.

そうですか (Sō desu ka)

• Meaning: "Is that so?", "Oh, really?", "I see."
• Usage: The meaning changes based on intonation.
  • Rising Intonation (そうですか↗): Expresses surprise or asks for confirmation. "Oh, really?!"
    • A: わたしはブラジルからきました。 (Watashi wa Burajiru kara kimashita.) - I came from Brazil.
    • B: へえ、**そうですか**！ (Hee, sō desu ka!) - Wow, is that so!
  • Falling Intonation (そうですか↘): Expresses acknowledgement or understanding. It shows you are listening and have received the information. "I see."
    • A: あしたのかいぎはごぜん9じからです。 (Ashita no kaigi wa gozen ku-ji kara desu.) - Tomorrow's meeting is from 9 AM.
    • B: ああ、**そうですか**。わかりました。 (Aa, sō desu ka. Wakarimashita.) - Ah, I see. I understand.