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
Two ways to say it — lexical word vs grammatical inflection
English speakers reach for a separate word — if, want, must, can. Japanese has those words too, and they make a useful scaffold while you're learning. But native speakers usually drop the lexical word once the verb inflection carries the meaning. Both are listed below; the grammar form is the one to aim for.
If something happens
もし / 〜ば・たら・ならmoshi / -ba, -tara, -nara
▶
もし雨が降ったら、家にいます。
moshi ame ga futtara, ie ni imasu.
If it rains, I'll stay home. (lexical scaffold + たら)
雨が降ったら、家にいます。
ame ga futtara, ie ni imasu.
If it rains, I'll stay home. (natural — もし dropped)
もし is grammatically optional and natives drop it most of the time. Keep it for emphasis or when the conditional is hypothetical/unlikely (もしも even more so). The four conditionals (〜ば, 〜たら, 〜なら, 〜と) each have their own flavour — see the verbs page for the full breakdown.
I want (a thing / to do something)
欲しい / 〜たいhoshii / -tai
▶
水が欲しい。
mizu ga hoshii.
I want water. (lexical: a thing)
水を飲みたい。
mizu wo nomitai.
I want to drink water. (inflected: an action)
Not interchangeable: 欲しい takes a noun (X が欲しい), 〜たい attaches to a verb stem (Vたい). They split the work. If you can rephrase "want X" as "want to drink/eat/have X" then 〜たい is more natural and shifts the focus to the action.
First do this, then that
まず・そのあと / 〜てmazu, sono ato / -te
▶
まず手を洗います。そのあとごはんを食べます。
mazu te wo araimasu. sono ato gohan wo tabemasu.
First I wash my hands. Then I eat. (two sentences glued by adverbs)
手を洗ってごはんを食べます。
te wo aratte gohan wo tabemasu.
I wash my hands and eat. (one sentence, 〜て chain)
The 〜て form chains actions in sequence inside one sentence — the default move once you have it. まず…そのあと is for explicit step-by-step explanation (recipes, instructions, story-telling), where you genuinely want to call out the order.
I have to / must do it
必要 / 〜なければならないhitsuyou / -nakereba naranai
▶
パスポートが必要です。
pasupooto ga hitsuyou desu.
A passport is necessary. (lexical: noun + です)
パスポートを持っていかなければなりません。
pasupooto wo motte ikanakereba narimasen.
I have to bring a passport. (inflected: ない-form + ければならない)
必要 is a noun ("necessity"); use it when the focus is the thing required ("a passport is needed"). The verbal forms 〜なければならない / 〜ないといけない / casual 〜なきゃ shift the focus to the obligation on the speaker. In speech, 〜なきゃ is by far the most common.
You should / it's better to
〜べき / 〜ほうがいい-beki / -hou ga ii
▶
早く寝るべきです。
hayaku neru beki desu.
You should go to bed early. (formal/written, moral weight)
早く寝たほうがいいよ。
hayaku neta hou ga ii yo.
You'd better go to bed early. (everyday advice)
〜べき carries the weight of moral obligation or strong opinion — closer to "ought to" than English "should." For everyday advice between friends, 〜たほうがいい (past-form + ほうがいい) is the natural choice. Note the past-form ahead of ほうがいい — it makes the recommendation sound a fraction more decided.
I can do it
できる / 〜られるdekiru / -(r)areru
▶
日本語ができる。
nihongo ga dekiru.
I can do Japanese. / I speak Japanese. (lexical: takes a noun)
日本語を話せる。
nihongo wo hanaseru.
I can speak Japanese. (potential form of 話す)
できる is a verb in its own right that takes a noun (X が できる). The potential form (〜られる for ru-verbs, 〜える for u-verbs) attaches to a specific verb. They split the work the same way 欲しい / 〜たい do. In speech, ら-抜き forms (見られる → 見れる, 食べられる → 食べれる) are extremely common but still not strictly correct in writing.
It's OK / you may
いい / 〜てもいいii / -temo ii
▶
これでいいですか？
kore de ii desu ka?
Is this OK? (lexical: about a thing/state)
入ってもいいですか？
haittemo ii desu ka?
May I come in? (inflected: about an action)
いい applied to a noun/state asks "is this acceptable?" 〜てもいい applied to a verb asks "may I do this?" The form is literally "even if I do X, it's fine" — the polite indirection is the point.
Don't / you mustn't
だめ / 〜てはいけないdame / -te wa ikenai
▶
それはだめだよ。
sore wa dame da yo.
That's no good. / Don't do that. (lexical: blunt, casual)
ここで写真を撮ってはいけません。
koko de shashin wo totte wa ikemasen.
You may not take photos here. (inflected: rule-stating)
だめ is short, blunt, conversational — what you say to a child reaching for a hot stove. 〜てはいけない (or 〜ちゃいけない / 〜ちゃだめ in casual speech) states a rule or prohibition. Public signs use the formal 〜てはいけません or 〜ないでください.
Because / since
なぜなら / 〜から・〜のでnaze nara / -kara, -node
▶
なぜなら、雨が降っていたからです。
naze nara, ame ga futteita kara desu.
The reason is, it was raining. (formal/written, sentence-initial)
雨が降っていたから、行かなかった。
ame ga futteita kara, ikanakatta.
I didn't go because it was raining. (everyday)
なぜなら is a discourse connector for written/formal speech — think "the reason is…" introducing a clause that ends in からです. Day-to-day, just attach 〜から or 〜ので to the cause clause and put it before the result. 〜ので is softer and more polite; 〜から is direct and slightly assertive.
Already (it's done)
もう / 〜た・〜てしまうmou / -ta, -te shimau
▶
もう食べた。
mou tabeta.
I already ate. (adverb + plain past)
食べてしまった。
tabete shimatta.
I (went and) ate it all up. (〜てしまう: completion + nuance)
もう pairs naturally with the past form to mean "already." 〜てしまう (casual 〜ちゃう) does double duty: it stresses completion ("ate the whole thing") and adds a flicker of regret or finality ("oh no, I ate it"). Useful when the action's completeness — or its consequences — are the point, not just that it happened.
Rule of thumb: if the lexical word and the inflection are both grammatical, drop the lexical word. Speakers reserve the standalone form for emphasis, contrast, or formal/written register.
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 → them |
友達にプレゼントをあげた = I gave a friend a present |
| もらう | morau I ← them |
友達にプレゼントをもらった = I received a present from a friend |
| くれる | kureru they → 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 |