Basic sentence structure
Sentences typically follow a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order.
Subject (S) – Object (O) – Verb (V)
This means the sentence is built like a box:
- Subject (S): This is the who or what that is doing the action in the sentence. It can be a noun (person, place, thing), pronoun (I, you, he, etc.), or even a phrase.
- Object (O): This is the receiver of the action. It can also be a noun, pronoun, or phrase. (Note: Not all sentences will have an object.)
- Verb (V): This tells us what action is happening. Verbs in Japanese change their endings depending on tense (past, present, future) and politeness level (plain, polite).
Here are some examples to illustrate the meaning:
- Watashi wa ringo o tabemasu (私はりんごを食べます). (I eat an apple.)
- Watashi (I): Subject
- ringo (apple): Object
- tabemasu (eat): Verb (polite present tense)
- Hanako ga gakkou e ikimasu (花子が学校へ行きます). (Hanako goes to school.)
- Hanako (Hanako): Subject
- gakkou (school): Object
- ikimasu (go): Verb (polite present tense)
- Hon ga arimasu (本があります). (There is a book.) (Note: This sentence has no object)
- Hon (book): Subject (also functions as what exists)
- arimasu (exist): Verb (polite present tense)
Remember:
- Particles like “wa” (topic marker), “ga” (subject marker), and “o” (object marker) can be used before the subject and object, but they are not essential for basic sentence structure.
- Word order can be flexible in some cases, but the verb always comes at the end.
Verb conjugations
Verbs in Japanese are like chameleons – they change their form depending on the context! This change in form is called conjugation and it indicates things like tense (past, present, future) and politeness level (plain, polite). Here’s a breakdown of verb conjugations you’ll encounter at the JLPT N5 level:
Verb Conjugation Basics:
Most Japanese verbs end in either -u (る -ru) or -iru (いる -iru). These are the infinitive forms, like “to eat” (食べる – taberu). To conjugate a verb, you remove the ending (-u or -iru) and add a new ending that reflects the tense and politeness level.
Tense:
- Present Tense:
- Polite: Verbs end in -masu (ます). (e.g., taberu (to eat) becomes tabemasu (I/you/we eat – polite))
- Plain: Verbs end in -ru (る) for -u verbs and -iru (いる) for -iru verbs. (e.g., taberu (to eat) becomes taberu (I/you/we eat – plain))
- Negative: Verbs use the negative form “-nai” (ない) after the verb stem. (e.g., taberu (to eat) becomes tabemasen (I/you/we don’t eat – polite), tabenai (I/you/we don’t eat – plain))
Here’s a table summarizing some conjugations of the verb “食べる (taberu – to eat)”
| Tense | Politeness Level | Ending | Example | Meaning |
| Present | Polite | -masu (ます) | tabemasu (食べます) | I/you/we eat (polite) |
| Present | Plain | -ru (る) | taberu (食べる) | I/you/we eat (plain) |
| Negative | Polite | -nai (ない) | tabemasen (食べません) | I/you/we don’t eat (polite) |
| Negative | Plain | -nai (ない) | tabenai (食べない) | I/you/we don’t eat (plain) |
Particles
Particles like は (wa) – topic marker, が (ga) – subject marker, and を (o) – object marker, indicate the function of words in a sentence.
| Particle | Meaning | Example Sentence (Romaji) | English Translation |
| は (wa) | Topic marker | Hanako wa nihongo ga上手です (Hanako wa nihongo ga jouzu desu). | Hanako (topic) is good at Japanese. |
| が (ga) | Subject marker | Tanaka-san ga watashi no sensei desu (Tanaka-san ga watashi no sensei desu). | Mr./Ms. Tanaka (subject) is my teacher. |
| を (o) | Object marker | Kare wa ringo o tabemasu (Kare wa ringo o tabemasu). | He (subject) eats (verb) an apple (object). |
| の (no) | Possessive marker | Watashi no pen desu (Watashi no pen desu). | This is my pen (literally: My pen). |
| に (ni) | Location/direction marker | Nihon ni imasu (Nihon ni imasu). | I am in Japan (location). Watashi wa gakkou e ikimasu (Watashi wa gakkou e ikimasu). |
| で (de) | Location/manner marker | Watashi wa ie de benkyou shiteいます (Watashi wa ie de benkyou shite imasu). | I am studying at home (location). Gohan wa okashi de dekinai (Gohan wa okashi de dekinai). |
| から (kara) | Reason/source marker | Ame kara deteきません (Ame kara detekimasen). | I can’t go out because of the rain (reason). Kare wa sensei kara benkyou o oshiete moraimashita (Kare wa sensei kara benkyou o oshiete moraimashita). |
| まで (made) | Goal/duration marker | Gakkou wa goji made desu (Gakkou wa goji made desu). | School is until five o’clock (duration). Kyotto made ikimasu (Kyoto made ikimasu). |
| と (to) | Coordination marker | Kare wa ringo to banana o tabemashita (Kare wa ringo to banana o tabemashita). | He ate apple and banana (connects nouns). Benkyou shi terebi o mimasu (Benkyou shi terebi o mimasu). |
| や (ya) | Coordination marker (informal) | Nihongo ya Eigo o hanashimasu (Nihongo ya Eigo o hanashimasu). | I speak Japanese and English (informal). |
| へ (e) | Direction marker (movement) | Watashi wa gakkou e ikimasu (Watashi wa gakkou e ikimasu). | I go to school (direction). |
| ね (ne) | Confirmation/agreement particle | Samui ne (Samui ne). | It’s cold, isn’t it? (confirmation) |
| よ (yo) | Emphasis particle | Ganbatte! Kimyならできる よ (Ganbatte! Kimy nara dekiru yo). | Do your best! You can do it (emphasis). |
| など (nado) | Example particle | Ringo, mikan, banana nado noくだもの (Ringo, mikan, banana nado no kudamono). | Fruits such as apples, oranges, and bananas (example). |
| ばかり (bakari) | Limitation particle | Gokuraku bakari janaidesu (Gokuraku bakari janaidesu). | It’s not just heaven (limitation). |
Existence verbs
In Japanese, existence is indicated by special verbs depending on whether you’re talking about living things or non-living things. Here’s a breakdown of the most common existence verbs:
- あります (arimasu): This verb is used for non-living things. It means “to exist” or “to be in a place.”
- Example: 本があります (Hon ga arimasu) – There is a book (literally: Book exists).
- Example: ペンが机の上にあります (Pen ga tsukue no ue ni arimasu) – The pen is on the desk (literally: Pen on deskの上 (うえ – ue) exists).
- います (imasu): This verb is used for living things. It means “to be” or “to be in a place.”
- Example: 田中さんはここにいます (Tanaka-san wa koko ni imasu) – Mr./Ms. Tanaka is here (literally: Mr./Ms. Tanaka in this place exists).
- Example: 犬は外にいます ( Inu wa soto ni imasu) – The dog is outside (literally: Dog outside exists).
Simple politeness
In Japanese culture, politeness is highly valued. Here’s a look at some basic ways to make your sentences sound respectful at the JLPT N5 level:
1. Polite Verb Endings (ます – masu):
- The most common way to show politeness is by using the “-masu” (ます) ending attached to verbs. This applies to the present tense (polite form) and creates a respectful tone.
- Example: Watashi wa ringo o tabemasu (私はりんごを食べます). (I eat an apple – polite)
2. Polite Copula (です – desu):
- The copula “desu” (です) is like the verb “to be” in English but used in polite sentences. It connects the subject and adjective or noun describing it.
- Example: Tanaka-san wa sensei desu (田中さんは先生です). (Mr./Ms. Tanaka is a teacher – polite)
3. Honorific Titles (さん – san):
- Adding “-san” (さん) after someone’s name is a basic way to show respect. It’s equivalent to “Mr./Ms./Mrs.” in English.
- Example: Konnichiwa, Tanaka-san (こんにちは、田中さん). (Hello, Mr./Ms. Tanaka – polite)
4. Keigo (敬語) – A Note:
- While not required at the N5 level, you might encounter the term “Keigo” (敬語) which refers to the broader system of honorific speech in Japanese. Keigo has different levels of politeness to show respect for someone of higher status.
Remember:
- Using these simple forms demonstrates your effort to be polite in everyday communication.
- As you learn Japanese, you’ll gradually expand your understanding of politeness and Keigo.
