Essential Japanese Grammar: a Comprehensive Guide To Contemporary Usage

419 Pages·2013·4.687 MB·English

by  Recorded Books, Inc.;Sato, Eriko;Tanimori, Masahiro

Essential
Japanese

Grammar
A Comprehensive Guide
to Contemporary Usage
MASAHIRO TANIMORI
ERIKO SATO
TUTTLE Publishing
Tokyo Rutland, Vermont Singapore
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The Tuttle Story: “Books to Span the East and West”
Most people are surprised to learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its
beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles E. Tuttle,
belonged to a New England family steeped in publishing. And his first love was naturally
books—especially old and rare editions.
Immediately after WW II, serving in Tokyo under General Douglas MacArthur, Tuttle was
tasked with reviving the Japanese publishing industry, and founded the Charles E. Tuttle Publish-
ing Company, which thrives today as one of the world’s leading independent publishers.
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tive today than at any time in its past—inspired by Charles’
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Data
Asia Pacific
Tanimori, Masahiro, 1958– Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd.
Essential Japanese grammar : a comprehensive 61 Tai Seng Avenue #02-12, Singapore 534167
guide to contemporary usage / Masahiro Tani- Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
mori, Eriko Sato. Email: [email protected]
p. cm. Web: www.periplus.com
1. Japanese language—Grammar. 2. Japanese First edition
language—Textbooks for foreign speakers— 16 15 14 13 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
English. 3. Japanese language—Self-instruc- 1111MP
tion. I. Sato, Eriko, 1962– II. Title.
PL685.T365 2011 Printed in Singapore
495.6’82421—dc23
2011019340 TUTTLE PUBLISHING® is a registered trademark
of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Edi-
tions (HK) Ltd.
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CONTENTS
PREFACE ........................................................................................................12
PART ONE
JAPANESE GRAMMAR: AN OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION ..............................16 ADVERBS ........................................36
Word order and particles ...........16 1. Adjective root + ku ...............37
Verb morphology .......................17 2. (Adjectival) nouns ................37
Counters .....................................17 3. Adjectival nouns + ni ...........37
Honorifics ...................................18 4. Mimetic words and
onomatopoeias ...................38
ACCENTS ........................................19 5. Additional types of
adverbs ...............................38
1. High-Low pattern .................20
2. Low-High pattern .................21
AUXILIARY VERBS & ADJECTIVES ...39
3. Low-High-Low pattern .........21
1. Auxiliary verbs .....................39
2. Auxiliary adjectives ..............39
ADJECTIVAL NOUNS .......................23
1. Used as noun modifiers .......23
CLAUSES ........................................41
2. Used as predicates ................24
I. ADJECTIVAL CLAUSES ...........41
3. Followed by a predicative
phrase .................................24 1. Relative clauses ...............42
4. Used as nouns ......................25 2. Noun complement
clauses ..........................46
5. Used as adverbs ....................26
II. ADVERBIAL CLAUSES .............47
6. Used as a complement .........26
III. QUOTATION CLAUSES ...........49
7. Additional types of
adjectival nouns .................27 1. Declarative quotation
clauses ..........................50
2. Interrogative quotation
ADJECTIVES ...................................28
clauses ..........................50
1. Dictionary form ...................28
IV. NOMINALIZED CLAUSES .......51
2. Ku-form ................................29
3. Nai-form ...............................31
COMPARISONS ................................53
4. Ta-form .................................32
1. Comparatives .......................53
5. Te-form .................................32
2. Superlatives ..........................53
6. Ba-form .................................33
3. Equivalent degree
7. Tara-form ..............................34
comparison.........................54
8. Root ......................................34

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4 CONTENTS
CONDITIONALS ..............................55 1. Interrogative + ka
(some/any) ...................74
1. To ..........................................55
2. Interrogative + mo +
2. Tara .......................................55
. . . nai (no) ...................74
3. Ba ..........................................56
3. Interrogative + mo
4. Nara ......................................57
(every/all) .....................75
4. Interrogative + demo
CONJOINING ..................................58
(free-choice ‘any’) .........75
1. Conjunctional particles for
nouns and nominalized
LINKING VERB (DA/DESU) .............76
verbs ...................................58
2. Te-forms ................................58
NUMBERS & COUNTERS...................78
3. Combining forms .................59
4. Conjunctional particles
NOUNS ...........................................81
for clauses ...........................60
1. Proper nouns ........................81
5. Sentence-conjunctional
2. Common nouns ...................81
words ..................................61
3. Nouns created from verbs .....81
4. Nouns created from
DEMONSTRATIVES ...........................63
adjectives ............................82
5. Compound nouns ................82
HONORIFICS ...................................65
6. Personal pronouns ...............83
I. FOR NOUNS ..........................65
7. Demonstrative pronouns
1. The prefixes o and go ......65
(→ See Demonstratives.) .....83
2. Honorific suffixes san
and sama ......................67
PARTICLES .....................................84
3. Honorific pronouns
and interrogatives ........67 I. PARTICLE TYPES ....................84
1. Case particles ..................84
II. FOR ADJECTIVAL NOUNS
AND ADJECTIVES ................68 2. Focus particles ................84
III. FOR VERBS .............................68 3. Conjunctional
particles ........................84
1. (R)areru (respectful) ........69
4. Sentence-final
2. O/go . . . suru (humble) ...69
particles ........................85
3. O/go . . . nasaru/ni naru/
desu (respectful) ............70 II. ENGLISH PREPOSITION
EQUIVALENTS .....................85
4. Honorific verbs ...............71
1. About ..............................86
2. Above ..............................86
INTERROGATIVES ............................73
3. Across .............................87
I. INTERROGATIVES USED IN
4. After ................................87
CONTENT QUESTIONS ........73
5. Along ..............................87
II. INTERROGATIVES USED IN
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS ......74 6. Among ............................88
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CONTENTS 5
7. Around ...........................88 REQUESTS ....................................104
8. At ....................................88
9. Before .............................89 VERBS ..........................................106
10. Behind ............................89 I. CONJUGATION CLASSES .....106
11. Below ..............................89 1. Ru -Verbs .......................106
12. Beside..............................90 2. U-Verbs .........................106
13. Besides ............................90 3. Irregular Verbs ..............107
14. Between ..........................90 II. VERB FORMS .......................108
15. By ....................................90 1. Dictionary form ...........108
16. During ............................91 2. Nai-form .......................109
17. Except .............................91 3. Combining form
18. For ..................................91 (Pre-masu form) ..........110
19. From ...............................92 4. Masu-form ....................111
20. In ....................................93 5. Te-form .........................111
21. Into .................................94 6. Ta-form .........................112
22. Near ................................94 7. Ba-form .........................113
23. Of ....................................95 8. Tara-form ......................114
24. On ...................................95 9. Potential form ..............115
25. Onto ...............................96 10. Passive form .................116
26. Over ................................96 11. Respectful form ............117
27. Since ...............................97 12. Command form ...........117
28. Through ..........................97 13. Volitional form .............118
29. Throughout ....................97 14. Causative form .............119
30. To ....................................98 15. Causative passive
form ............................120
31. Toward ............................98
III. VERB TYPES .........................121
32. Under..............................98
1. Transitive and
33. Until ...............................98
intransitive verbs ........121
34. With ...............................99
2. Verbs of giving and
35. Within ............................99
receiving .....................122
36. Without ........................100
3. Spontaneous-Potential
verbs ...........................124
PREDICATIVE PHRASES .................101
4. Suru-verbs .....................124
IV. VERB TENSE .........................126
QUESTIONS ..................................102
1. Yes-no questions.................102
2. Content questions ..............102
3. Embedded questions ..........103
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6 CONTENTS
PART TWO
DICTIONARY OF USAGE
achira あちら → See are. ...............130 cha ちゃ(ja じゃ) [CONTRACTION] ..146
ageru あげる [AUXILIARY VERB] ......130 chau ちゃう(jau じゃう)
ageru あげる [VERB] ......................130 [CONTRACTION] ............................147
aida 間 [NOUN] ..............................131 chittomo ちっとも [ADVERB] .........147
aikawarazu あいかわらず cho¯ 超 [PREFIX] ..............................147
[ADVERB] .......................................131 cho¯dai ちょうだい(頂戴) [VERB] .....148
amari あまり [ADJECTIVAL NOUN] ..132 cho¯do ちょうど [ADVERB] ...............148
amari あまり [ADVERB] ..................132 chokugo 直後 [NOUN] ...................149
angai 案外 [ADVERB] .....................133 chokuzen 直前 [NOUN] .................149
an no jo¯ 案の定 [ADVERB] ..............134 chotto ちょっと [ADVERB] ..............150
ano あの → See are. ......................134 chu¯ ni 中に [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ....151
arakajime あらかじめ [ADVERB] ....134
are あれ [DEMONSTRATIVE] ............134 da だ [LINKING VERB ] ....................151
arimasen ありません daga だが [CONJUNCTION] ............153
[POLITE NEGATIVE VERB] ................136 dakara だから [CONJUNCTION] .....154
arimasu あります → See aru dake だけ [PARTICLE] .....................155
[VERB]. ..........................................136 dakedo だけど [CONJUNCTION] .....157
aru ある [AUXILIARY VERB] .............136 dare だれ [INTERROGATIVE] ............158
aru ある(或る) [PREFIX] ...................137 daro¯ だろう
aru ある [VERB] ..............................137 [LINKING VERB OF CONJECTURE] ....159
aruiwa あるいは(或いは) dasu 出す [AUXILIARY VERB] ...........160
[CONJUNCTION/ADVERB] ...............138 datte だって [CONJUNCTION] .........161
asoko あそこ → See are. ................139
datte だって [PARTICLE] ..................162
ato 後 [NOUN] ................................139 de で [PARTICLE]............................ 162
au 合う [AUXILIARY VERB] ...............140 de aru である [(WRITTEN STYLE)
LINKING VERB] ..............................165
ba ば [PARTICLE] ............................140 dekiru できる [VERB] .....................166
ba . . . hodo ば . . . ほど demo でも [CONJUNCTION] ...........167
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................141 demo でも [PARTICLE ] ...................167
b¯ai 場合 [NOUN] ............................142 desho¯ でしょう → See dar¯o. ..........168
bakari ばかり [PARTICLE] ...............143 desu です → See da. .....................168
ban 番 [NOUN]...............................144 dewa では [CONJUNCTION] ............169
ban 番 [SUFFIX] ..............................144 dewa では [DOUBLE PARTICLE] .......169
beki da べきだ
do¯ どう [INTERROGATIVE] ...............170
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................145
dochira どちら [INTERROGATIVE] ...171
bun 分 [NOUN] ..............................146
doko どこ [INTERROGATIVE] ...........171
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CONTENTS 7
dokoro de(wa) nai どころで(は) hoshii 欲しい
ない [PRED. PHR.] ..........................172 [AUXILIARY ADJECTIVE] ..................196
dokoro ka どころか [PHRASE] ........172 hotondo ほとんど [ADVERB] ..........197
do¯mo どうも [ADVERB] ..................173
donna どんな [INTERROGATIVE] .....174 ichiban いちばん [ADVERB] ...........197
dono どの → See dore. ..................174 igai 以外 [NOUN]...........................198
dono kurai どのくらい igo 以後 [NOUN] ............................199
[INTERROGATIVE] ..........................174 ijo¯ 以上 [NOUN] .............................199
dore どれ [INTERROGATIVE] ...........175 ikenai いけない [ADJECTIVE] .........200
do¯shite どうして [INTERROGATIVE] ..176 iko¯ 以降 [NOUN] ............................201
do¯shitemo どうしても [ADVERB] ....176 iku いく [AUXILIARY VERB] .............201
do¯zo どうぞ [ADVERB] ....................177 ikura . . . temo/demo
いくら…ても/でも [ADV.P] ............202
e へ [ PARTICLE] ..............................177 inai 以内 [NOUN] ...........................202
irai 以来 [CONJUNCTION] ...............203
fu 不 [PREFIX] .................................178 irassharu いらっしゃる
[AUXILIARY VERB] ..........................203
ga が [PARTICLE] .............................178 irassharu いらっしゃる [VERB] .......203
garu がる [ADJECTIVE SUFFIX] .........186 iru いる [AUXILIARY VERB] ..............204
go ご(御) [PREFIX] ..........................187 iru いる [VERB] ..............................205
goro 頃 [SUFFIX] .............................188 isshoni 一緒に [ADVERB] ...............205
gurai ぐらい → See kurai. .............188 itadaku いただく
[AUXILIARY VERB] ..........................206
hajimeru 始める itadaku いただく [VERB] ................206
[AUXILIARY VERB] ..........................188 itsu いつ [INTERROGATIVE] .............207
hajimete はじめて [ADVERB] ..........188 ittan いったん [ADVERB] ................207
han 半 [NOUN] ..............................189
han 反 [PREFIX] ..............................190 ja (j¯a) じゃ（じゃあ）[CONJ.]
→ See dewa. ................................208
hazu da はずだ
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................190 ja じゃ [CONTRACTION] ..................208
hazu ga nai はずがない [PRED. P.] ju¯ 中 [NOUN] ..................................208
→ See hazu da. ............................192
h o¯ 方 [NOUN] ................................192 ka か [PARTICLE] ............................209
hodo ほど [PARTICLE] .....................193 kagiri 限り [NOUN] ........................211
h o¯ ga ii 方がいい [PRED. P.] ...........194 kakeru かける [AUXILIARY VERB] ....212
hoka ほか [NOUN] .........................195 kamawanai かまわない
hoka nai ほかない [ADJECTIVE] ..................................213
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................196 kamoshirenai かもしれない
hoshii 欲しい [ADJECTIVE] .............196 [PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................213
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8 CONTENTS
kana かな [PARTICLE] .....................214 made ni までに [DOUBLE PARTICLE] .239
kanarazushimo 必ずしも mae 前 [NOUN] ..............................239
[ADVERB] ......................................215 maru まる [ADJECTIVE SUFFIX] .......240
kara から [PARTICLE] ......................215 marude まるで [ADVERB] ...............241
kashira かしら → See kana. ..........219 masen ません → See masu. ..........242
kata 方 [NOUN] ..............................219 masen ka ませんか → See masu. ..242
kawari ni 代わりに masho¯ ましょう → See masu. ........242
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................220 masu ます [VERB SUFFIX] ................242
kekka 結果 [NOUN/CONJUNCTION] .221 mattaku まったく [ADVERB] ...........244
kekko¯ 結構 [ADJECTIVAL NOUN] ....222 mawaru まわる [AUXILIARY VERB] ..245
keredo(mo) けれど(も)
me 目 [SUFFIX] ...............................245
[CONJUNCTION] ............................223
mettani めったに [ADVERB] ...........245
kesshite 決して [ADVERB] ...............224
miru みる [AUXILIARY VERB] ..........246
koko ここ → See kore. ...................224
mitai da みたいだ
komu 込む [AUXILIARY VERB].........224
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................246
kore これ [DEMONSTRATIVE] ..........225 mo も [PARTICLE] ...........................247
koso こそ [PARTICLE] ......................226 mo¯ もう [ADVERB] ..........................249
koto こと
mono もの(物，者) [NOUN] ............250
[NOUN and NOMINALIZER] ............227
mono da ものだ
koto ga aru ことがある
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................251
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................228
morau もらう [AUXILIARY VERB] .....251
koto ga dekiru ことができる
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................229 morau もらう [VERB] ......................252
koto ni naru ことになる moshi もし [ADVERB] .....................253
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................229 mottomo もっとも [ADVERB] .........253
koto ni suru ことにする
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................230 n ん [NEGATIVE VERB SUFFIX] ..........254
kudasai ください [AUXILIARY VERB] .231 na な [ PARTICLE] ...........................254
kudasaru くださる nado など [PARTICLE] .....................255
[AUXILIARY VERB] ..........................232 nagara ながら [PARTICLE] ..............256
kudasaru くださる [VERB] ..............232 nai ない
kurai くらい [PARTICLE] .................232 [ADJ.; VERB/ADJECTIVE SUFFIX] .......257
kureru くれる [AUXILIARY VERB] ....234 nai de ないで [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ..258
kureru くれる [VERB] .....................235 nai uchi ni ないうちに
kuru くる [AUXILIARY VERB] ...........235 [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................260
kuse ni くせに nakereba ikenai /nakereba
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................236 naranai なければいけない /
なければならない ........................260
mada まだ [ADVERB] ......................237 nakute なくて
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................261
made まで [PARTICLE] ....................237
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CONTENTS 9
nakutemo ii なくてもいい ni yoreba によれば
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................262 [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................285
nakutewa ikenai なくてはいけない ni yotte によって
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................262 [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................285
nan なん [INTERROGATIVE] ............263 ni wa には [DOUBLE PARTICLE] .......285
nani 何 [INTERROGATIVE] ...............264 no の [PARTICLE] ............................286
naosu 直す [AUXILIARY VERB] .........265 no da のだ
nara なら [PARTICLE] ......................266 [EXTENDED PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...290
naru なる [VERB] ............................267 node ので [PARTICLE] .....................292
nasai なさい [AUXILIARY VERB] .......268 no desu のです → See no da. ........293
naze なぜ [INTERROGATIVE] ...........269 nogasu 逃す [AUXILIARY VERB] .......293
nazenaraba なぜならば noni のに [PARTICLE] .....................294
[CONJUNCTION] ............................269
n da んだ → See no da. .................270 o を [PARTICLE] ..............................296
n desu んです → See no da. ..........270 o お(御) [PREFIX] ............................297
ne ね [PARTICLE] ............................270 okage de おかげで
neba naranai ねばならない [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................298
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................270 oki ni おきに [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ..299
ni に [PARTICLE] .............................271 oku おく [AUXILIARY VERB] ............300
ni chigai nai に違いない o motte をもって
[PREDICATIVE PHRASE] ...................278 [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................300
ni kakete にかけて oru おる [(AUXILIARY) VERB]...........301
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................279 o to¯shite を通して
ni kanshite に関して [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................301
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................279 o tsu¯jite を通じて
nikui にくい [ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................301
[AUXILIARY ADJECTIVE] ..................279 owaru 終わる [AUXILIARY VERB] ....302
nimo kakawarazu にもかかわらず owaru 終わる [VERB] .....................302
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................280
ni oite において
ppoi っぽい
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................281
[NOUN/VERB/ADJECTIVE SUFFIX] ....302
ni sotte に沿って
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................282
ni taishite に対して rareru [VERB SUFFIX] .......................303
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................282 rashii らしい
ni totte にとって [PRED. P. (CONJECTURE)] ................305
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................283 rashii らしい
ni tsuite について [PRED. P. (TYPICALITY)] ...................306
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................284 ro ろ [VERB SUFFIX] ........................306
ni tsurete につれて ru る [VERB SUFFIX] ........................307
[ADVERBIAL PHRASE] ......................284
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