University
How Japanese works. Not lessons — a reference. Click any row to expand.
あかさたなはまやらわん
いきしちにひみり
うくすつぬふむゆる
えけせてねへめれ
おこそとのほもよろを
月火水木金土日
Connecting ideas
Do A, then B
食べて、行くtabete, iku
▶
te-form chains actions in sequence.
シャワーを浴びて、出かけた。
shawaa wo abite, dekaketa.
I showered and went out.
A, but B
食べたけどtabeta kedo
▶
Clause + けど/が = but, although.
高いけど、おいしい。
takai kedo, oishii.
It's expensive, but delicious.
けど = casual. が = polite. でも at the start of a sentence = "but" (different usage).
Because A, therefore B
食べたからtabeta kara
▶
Clause + から = because. Reason comes first in Japanese.
お腹がいっぱいだから、もう食べない。
onaka ga ippai dakara, mou tabenai.
I'm full, so I won't eat any more.
から = reason (I did X because Y). ので (node) = softer, more polite version of から.
If A, then B
食べたら / 食べればtabetara / tabereba
▶
Two conditional forms. たら = "when/if (and then)." ば = "if (in general)."
京都に行ったら、金閣寺を見てね。
Kyouto ni ittara, Kinkakuji wo mite ne.
If you go to Kyoto, see Kinkakuji.
たら = specific situation, "when you do." ば = general truth, "if you do." と = automatic result, "whenever." なら = "if we're talking about..." Four conditionals. たら is the safest to start with.
Even though A, still B
食べてもtabetemo
▶
te-form + も = even if.
たくさん食べても太らない。
takusan tabetemo futoranai.
Even if I eat a lot, I don't gain weight.
Describing things
It's [quality]
高い / きれいなtakai / kirei na
▶
i-adjectives end in い and attach directly. na-adjectives need な before nouns.
高い建物。きれいな庭。
takai tatemono. kirei na niwa.
A tall building. A beautiful garden.
Trap: きれい looks like an i-adjective but is na. 嫌い (kirai, hate) too. And don't confuse them — きれい (beautiful) vs きらい (hate)!
It was [quality]
高かった / きれいだったtakakatta / kirei datta
▶
i-adj: drop い, add かった. na-adj: add だった.
昨日の夕焼けはきれいだった。
kinou no yuuyake wa kirei datta.
Yesterday's sunset was beautiful.
[quality] and [quality]
高くて、おいしいtakakute, oishii
▶
i-adj: drop い, add くて. na-adj: add で. Chain any number of qualities.
軽くて使いやすい。
karukute tsukaiyasui.
Light and easy to use.
Comparing
A is more [quality] than B
Aのほうが〜A no hou ga ~
▶
A のほうが + adjective. ほう = direction/side.
北口のほうが近い。
kitaguchi no hou ga chikai.
The north exit is closer.
ほう literally means "direction." Comparing IS choosing a direction. This is why it pairs naturally with こちら/どちら.
A is the most [quality]
Aが一番〜A ga ichiban ~
▶
A が一番 + adjective. 一番 = number one.
京都が一番好き。
Kyouto ga ichiban suki.
I like Kyoto the most.
Becoming & changing
It becomes... / I become...
〜くなる / 〜になる~ku naru / ~ni naru
▶
i-adj: drop い, add くなる. na-adj/noun: add になる.
日本語がうまくなった。
nihongo ga umaku natta.
My Japanese got better.
なる = natural change. する = intentional change. 静かになった (became quiet, naturally) vs 静かにした (made it quiet, on purpose).
I made it... / I chose...
〜くする / 〜にする~ku suru / ~ni suru
▶
Same pattern as なる but with する = intentional.
すすだけにします。
susudake ni shimasu.
I'll go with the susudake.
にする for decisions is everywhere: これにする (I'll take this), コーヒーにする (I'll have coffee).
Explaining & reasoning
The thing is... / Actually...
〜んです~n desu
▶
Verb/adjective + んです = I'm explaining why / seeking understanding.
お箸を探しているんですが…
ohashi wo sagashiteiru n desu ga...
I'm looking for chopsticks... (and I'd like your help)
んです softens and invites. Without it: 探しています (I'm looking — flat statement). With it: 探しているんです (I'm looking — and there's a reason I'm telling you). The trailing が invites the listener to help.
I heard that... / Apparently...
〜らしい / 〜そうだ~rashii / ~sou da
▶
Adjective/verb + らしい = apparently. 〜そうだ = I heard that.
竹林がすごいらしいよ。
chikurin ga sugoi rashii yo.
The bamboo grove is apparently amazing.
らしい = vague hearsay, rumour. そうだ = reported speech, someone told me. Different nuance.
It seems like... / It looks like...
〜みたい / 〜よう~mitai / ~you
▶
Verb/noun + みたい = it seems, it's like. よう = same but slightly formal.
雨が降りそうだ。
ame ga furisou da.
It looks like it's going to rain.
〜そう (verb stem + sou) = looks like it will. 〜みたい = seems like (based on evidence). 〜よう = same as みたい but written/formal.
Particles — the small words that hold it all together
は
Topic. "As for..."
私は学生だ
が
Subject. What does the action.
雨が降っている
を
Object. What receives the action.
寿司を食べる
に
Target, time, location of existence.
京都に行く
で
Location of action. Means/method.
電車で行く
へ
Direction. Toward.
駅へ歩く
の
Possession. Of. Connects nouns.
北斎の本
と
And. With. Quotation.
友達と行く
も
Also. Too. Even.
これも北斎です
から
From. Because.
駅から歩く
まで
Until. As far as.
九時まで
より
Than (comparison).
桜より先に咲く
Pointing at things — the ko-so-a-do system
Japanese has four sets of pointing words. Ko = near me. So = near you. A = far from both. Do = question. The same logic runs through every row.
| Near me (ko) | Near you (so) | Over there (a) | Which? (do) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thing | これ kore this one |
それ sore that one |
あれ are that one (far) |
どれ dore which one? |
| Before a noun | この kono この本 |
その sono その店 |
あの ano あの山 |
どの dono どの電車？ |
| Place | ここ koko here |
そこ soko there |
あそこ asoko over there |
どこ doko where? |
| Direction (polite) | こちら kochira this way |
そちら sochira that way |
あちら achira that way (far) |
どちら dochira which way? |
| Direction (casual) | こっち kocchi |
そっち socchi |
あっち acchi |
どっち docchi |
| Kind of | こんな konna like this |
そんな sonna like that |
あんな anna like that (far) |
どんな donna what kind? |
| Way/manner | こう kou like this |
そう sou like that |
ああ aa like that (far) |
どう dou how? |
こちら/どちら are also used for comparisons (\u306e\u307b\u3046\u304c) and introductions (\u3053\u3061\u3089\u304c\u30b8\u30e7\u30fc\u3055\u3093). Same spatial intuition, extended to social situations.
How much / how often — degree & frequency
Degree: none ↔ all
noneall
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 全然 | zenzen | not at all | + negative. 全然わからない = I don't understand at all |
| 全く | mattaku | completely not / utterly | + negative. Stronger than 全然. 全く違う = completely different |
| あまり | amari | not very much | + negative. あまり好きじゃない = don't like much |
| それほど | sorehodo | not that much | + negative. それほど高くない = not that expensive |
| 少し / ちょっと | sukoshi / chotto | a little | ちょっと is more casual. 少し待って = wait a moment |
| まあまあ | maamaa | so-so, moderately | まあまあおいしい = it's decent |
| けっこう | kekkou | quite, fairly | けっこう難しい = quite difficult. Also means "no thanks"! |
| かなり | kanari | considerably, pretty | かなり高い = pretty expensive |
| たくさん | takusan | a lot, many | たくさん食べた = ate a lot |
| すごく / めちゃくちゃ | sugoku / mechakucha | extremely / ridiculously | めちゃくちゃ is casual/male. すごく is neutral. |
| 全部 | zenbu | all, everything | 全部食べた = ate everything |
Frequency: never ↔ always
neveralways
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 全然 | zenzen | never | + negative. 全然行かない = never go |
| めったに | mettani | rarely, seldom | + negative. めったに会わない = rarely meet |
| あまり | amari | not often | + negative. あまり飲まない = don't drink much |
| たまに | tamani | occasionally | たまに映画を見る = watch movies occasionally |
| 時々 | tokidoki | sometimes | 時々走る = run sometimes |
| よく | yoku | often, well | よく行く店 = a shop I go to often |
| たいてい | taitei | usually, mostly | たいてい電車で行く = usually go by train |
| だいたい | daitai | roughly, about, mostly | だいたい同じ = roughly the same |
| いつも | itsumo | always | いつもここで食べる = always eat here |
| 毎日 / 毎回 | mainichi / maikai | every day / every time | 毎 + counter = every [unit]. 毎週, 毎月, 毎年 |
| 必ず | kanarazu | without fail, certainly | 必ず来る = will definitely come |
Time — the 先/今/来 pattern
Japanese time words follow a pattern: 先 (previous), 今 (this), 来 (next). Learn the pattern, get the whole grid.
| Before last | Last | This | Next | After next | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | 一昨日 ototoi |
昨日 kinou |
今日 kyou |
明日 ashita |
明後日 asatte |
| Week | 先週 senshuu |
今週 konshuu |
来週 raishuu |
再来週 saraishuu |
|
| Month | 先月 sengetsu |
今月 kongetsu |
来月 raigetsu |
||
| Year | 一昨年 ototoshi |
去年 kyonen |
今年 kotoshi |
来年 rainen |
再来年 sarainen |
| Morning | 今朝 kesa |
||||
| Evening | 昨夜 yuube |
今晩 konban |
Note the irregular readings: 今日 (kyou, not konbi), 昨日 (kinou, not sakujitsu), 明日 (ashita, not myounichi). The kanji have formal readings too, but nobody uses them in speech.
Counting people
The first two are irregular. From three onwards, it's regular: number + 人 (nin).
| # | Japanese | Reading | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一人 | hitori | Irregular. 一人で = alone |
| 2 | 二人 | futari | Irregular. 二人で = the two of us |
| 3 | 三人 | sannin | Regular from here |
| 4 | 四人 | yonin | よにん not しにん (し = death) |
| 5 | 五人 | gonin | |
| ? | 何人 | nannin | How many people? |
Giving & receiving — the trio
Japanese tracks the direction of giving relative to the speaker. Three verbs, three directions. This is one of the hardest things to get right.
| Verb | Reading | Direction | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| あげる | ageru | I give → someone | 友達にプレゼントをあげた = I gave a friend a present |
| もらう | morau | I receive ← someone | 友達にプレゼントをもらった = I received a present from a friend |
| くれる | kureru | Someone gives → me | 友達がプレゼントをくれた = A friend gave me a present |
あげる and くれる both mean "give" but from different viewpoints. くれる implies the giving benefits me. When someone does something for you: 〜てくれた (they did it for me). When you do for someone: 〜てあげた (I did it for them).
Recommended: Kaname has an excellent lesson on あげる vs. くれる Watch on YouTube ▶
Seems like / apparently — four ways
Japanese has four different ways to say "seems like." Each one implies different evidence and certainty.
| Form | Reading | Meaning | Evidence | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜そう | ~sou | looks like it will | Visual impression | 雨が降りそう = looks like rain |
| 〜みたい | ~mitai | seems like, appears | Evidence/observation | 寝てるみたい = seems to be sleeping |
| 〜らしい | ~rashii | apparently, I hear | Hearsay/rumour | すごいらしいよ = apparently it's amazing |
| 〜そうだ | ~sou da | I heard that | Reported speech | 明日は雨だそうだ = I heard it'll rain tomorrow |
Trap: 〜そう has two meanings depending on what it attaches to. Verb stem + そう = "looks like it will" (おいしそう = looks delicious). Plain form + そうだ = "I heard that" (おいしいそうだ = I heard it's delicious). One syllable difference, completely different meaning.
Days of the week
Each day is named after a natural element + 曜日 (youbi, day of the week).
| Day | Japanese | Reading | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 月曜日 | getsuyoubi | 月 moon |
| Tuesday | 火曜日 | kayoubi | 火 fire |
| Wednesday | 水曜日 | suiyoubi | 水 water |
| Thursday | 木曜日 | mokuyoubi | 木 wood |
| Friday | 金曜日 | kinyoubi | 金 gold |
| Saturday | 土曜日 | doyoubi | 土 earth |
| Sunday | 日曜日 | nichiyoubi | 日 sun |
Relationships — who people are to you
Japanese distinguishes how you refer to people based on closeness. Some terms change depending on whether you're talking about your own or someone else's.
| Relationship | Japanese | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Acquaintance | 知り合い shiriai | Someone you've met. Not a friend. |
| Colleague | 同僚 douryou | Same level. 先輩/後輩 if senior/junior. |
| Senior | 先輩 senpai | Senior at work or school. |
| Junior | 後輩 kouhai | Junior at work or school. |
| Friend | 友達 tomodachi | Same for own and others'. |
| Close friend | 親友 shin'yuu | Best friend. 親 = intimate. |
Family & partners — own vs others'
When talking about YOUR family to outsiders, use the plain form. When talking about THEIR family, use the polite form. Same in-group principle as さん.
| Relation | Your own | Someone else's |
|---|---|---|
| Wife | 妻 tsuma | 奥さん / 奥様 okusan / okusama |
| Husband | 夫 otto | ご主人 goshujin |
| Mother | 母 haha | お母さん okaasan |
| Father | 父 chichi | お父さん otousan |
| Older sister | 姉 ane | お姉さん oneesan |
| Older brother | 兄 ani | お兄さん oniisan |
| Younger sister | 妹 imouto | 妹さん imoutosan |
| Younger brother | 弟 otouto | 弟さん otoutosan |
| Partner | パートナー paatonaa | パートナーさん |
| Girlfriend | 彼女 kanojo | also means "she" |
| Boyfriend | 彼氏 kareshi |
Sound-alikes — words that trip you up
つく / つける family
Multiple unrelated verbs that all sound like "tsuku" or "tsukeru." Context is your only guide.
| Kanji | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 着く tsuku | to arrive | 駅に着いた |
| 付く tsuku | to attach, stick | 汚れが付いた |
| 点く tsuku | to turn on (light) | 電気が点いた |
| 突く tsuku | to poke, thrust | 杖を突く |
| 就く tsuku | to take up (job) | 仕事に就く |
つかう / つかれる / つくる
| Kanji | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 使う tsukau | to use | 箸を使う |
| 疲れる tsukareru | to get tired | 疲れた |
| 作る tsukuru | to make | カレーを作る |
| 捕まる tsukamaru | to be caught | タクシーを捕まえる |
かえる family
Four common verbs, all かえる. Already appeared in Jo's chopstick lesson.
| Kanji | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 買える kaeru | can buy | ここで買える |
| 帰る kaeru | to go home | 家に帰る |
| 変える kaeru | to change | 予定を変える |
| 換える kaeru | to exchange | お金を換える |
いそぐ / いそがしい
Sound similar, share the concept of urgency, but different words.
| Kanji | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 急ぐ isogu | to rush, hurry | 急がないほうがいい |
| 忙しい isogashii | busy | 今日は忙しい |