Foreign Language

(Equipping Learners with knowledge about the

Japanese language for cohesive communication)

OUTCOME BASED TRAINEE MANUAL

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Unit Descriptor
Foreign Language

(Equip and asses learners with the knowledge and better understanding of
another country’s language for better communication)

Unit Code: FL-121/HM-226/TM-226

This unit provides a concise and basic introduction to the Japanese language necessary in
communication with Japanese nationals. This module also provides guiding principles in the construction
of basic sentences as well as vocabulary and sentence patterns used in everyday conversations. This
module also includes scenarios, skits and literary works to better enhance the learners understanding.

Nominal Hours: 54 hours

Element 1: Understanding the basic concepts of the Japanese language.
Performance Criteria
1.1. Introduction to the Japanese culture
1.2. Getting your feet wet: Phraseology and the basics of the Japanese language.
1.3. Understanding the basic concept of sentence forming.

Element 2: describing things, person places and their location and numbers.
Performance Criteria
2.1. Directing focus
2.2. Describing objects
2.3. Numbers: an arithmetical value, expressed, by word, are figure, representing a particular
quantity used in in counting.

Element 3:Conjugation and utilizing their use in patterns.

Performance Criteria
3.1. Getting to know your self
3.2. Conjugation: Verb forms
3.3. Verb form patterns

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Assessment Matrix
Oral Written Work
questions questions Projects

Element 1: Understanding the basic concepts of the

Japanese language

Perform and discuss Japanese culture; customs and

1.1 1 1–5 1
traditions.

Discuss phraseology and the basics of the Japanese

1.2 2 6 – 10 2
language.

1.3 Understanding the basic concepts of sentence forming. 3–9 11 – 15 3

Element 2: Describing things, persons, places location

and their Numbers

Direct focus of attention to an object in a certain

2.1 10 – 17 16 – 20 4
location.

Describe the object using adjectives in different tenses

2.2 18 – 25 21 – 25 5
and polarities.

Express numbers in its various uses; Time, Date,

2.3 26 – 31 26 – 30 6
Counting, etc.

Element 3: Verb forms and their patterns

Identify the parts of the body as well as common

3.1 32 – 37 31 – 35 7
illnesses. Identify his/hers kin.

3.2 Conjugate Verbs into its various verb forms 38 – 44 36 – 40 8

3.3 Use the different verb forms together with its pattern 45 – 50 40 – 45 9

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Glossary
Term Explanation

Arimasu To have / to exist / to be present (Non Living)

Bowing A form of respect shown by bowing. It is said to be a sign of respect as

one shows that he/she is not worthy or shy at the person being bowed
to..

Casual form Manner of speaking that shows equality with the person being talked to.

Command A manner of speaking ordering another person to do something

Conjugation The act of changing the spelling of a word to express the same word in a
different tense, number or person.

Counter Unit of measurement used in counting different objects

Demonstratives Words that are used to put attention or focus on a certain object.

Finite list A list that has a limitation

Hiragana The Japanese writing system used for Japanese words

Imasu To have / to exist / to be present (Non Living)

Infinite list A list that has no limitation, may or may not include everything in the list

Japanese native number The Japanese’s own numbers that ranges from 1 to 10

JLPT Japanese Language Proficiency Test

Conducted every July and December
Has 4 levels of expertise

Kanji The Japanese writing system derived from the Chinese writing system

Katakana The Japanese writing system used for foreign words

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Kunyomi Kunyomi is what’s known as the fully Japanese version of the kanji
reading. It’s the way that the Japanese culture managed to merge the
kanji with the existing spoken language they had prior to the written
one.

Onyomi translates roughly to “sound reading.” It means that the kanji is read the
same way that it would in the Chinese language

Particle Words that are used to put words together

These are also called conjunctions in English

Pattern A template in forming a sentence

Phraseology a pre-arranged sets of words that are commonly used in daily life

Point of reference A word used as a basis to point to an object, person or place

Polarity this indicates whether a word is Positive/true or Negative/False

Polite form Manner of speaking that shows respect toward others

Request A manner of speaking asking for a favor from another person

Romanji Writing system adopted by the Japanese from the west

Root form this is also the Dictionary form

SOV Subject / Object / Verb (Japanese word order)

Stem form verb form extracted from the masu form without "masu"

Subject the sub category related to the topic

SVO Subject / Verb / Object (English word order)

Tense Indicates whether a verb is happening/will happen or has already

happened

Topic the main or central idea of a sentence

Verbs of existence Verbs that indicate the presence of something or someone

Word Order pertains to the arrangement of words to form a sentence

The English language is arranged in SVO while Japanese is SOV

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Element 1: Understanding the basic concepts of the Japanese language.

Element 1.1 Introduction to the Japanese culture

1. Introduction to the Japanese customs and traditions.
A. Why Japanese - You might ask, why we should we study Nihongo (Japanese)?
with a lot of languages out there why? Even though the English language is
considered by many as the international business language, most Japanese are
reluctant in speaking it. The objective of this module is to equip you the student
with common Japanese conversational skills, culture's and tradition for you to
better facilitate any Japanese national who might have any inquiries or is hesitant to
do so because of the language barrier. With the students well versed with a few
Japanese phrases, Japanese clients would feel the extra effort that the students are
exerting and would feel "more at home", in turn building a better experience
between the client and the student during the duration of guests stay.
B.Topography – Just like the Philippines, Japan is an archipelago consisting of 3000
small islands having an area of 144,000 square miles (372,000 square kilometers).
Japan is grouped into 4 main islands;
 Hokkaido (Northern part)
 Honshu (Center part)
 Shikoku (Smallest part).
 Kyushu (Southern part)
Japan is located just above the equator giving it 2 distinct climates, the “Sub-arctic
to Sub-tropical” where it is often cold and covered with snow like Hokkaido the
“Tropical” where it is Hot and humid through the year like Okinawa. Most of the
Country lies between the 2 Later climates.
C. Writing – The Japanese language is one the most interesting language one may
learn, one of the toughest part of the initial learning curve is the writing system. Not
like in other countries Japanese students are required to learn 4 different writing
styles starting from elementary up to college; Roman ji (Roman letters / alphabet),
Katakana (Used to write foreign words), Hiragana (Used on its own or with
combination with Kanji to write Japanese words) and Kanji (Chinese Letters that
may represent a word or a syllable).
D. Customs – The culture contains a lot of desirable traits that where done long
time ago that are still practiced today, the reason maybe the fact that Japan closed
its doors to the world 2 and half centuries leaving their customs untainted by other
cultures.
E. Country of Respect & Courtesy – One of the most noticeable traits of the Japanese
that has been proven to lead to success. One of the fundamental customs that the
Japanese display in everyday living ranging from the meek to the very important
occasion is showing concern for the rights of people. Here are a couple of occasions
where the Japanese showcase their respect for others:

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 F. Meeting People – When meeting people the Japanese will always “Bow” and rarely
do the Japanese shake hands though it is increasingly common for the younger
generation of Japanese.
G. Giving & Receiving – the Japanese are fond of giving and receiving gifts though
they don’t expect anything in return, when receiving or giving gifts they will use
both of their hands when accepting it (Note that Foreigners should also do the same
thing).
H. Safety – Japan is one of the world’s safest countries, crime rate in japan has
been so low that there are cities that only have 1 to 2 police officers patrolling the
streets. Common traffic violations like speeding and beating the red light rarely
needs a police officer to be present as there are numerous cameras posted in japans
streets. there was also a social test conducted in japan testing the Japanese’s
reaction to seeing a person dropping their wallet where 8 out 10 did not hesitate to
return the wallet.
I. Driving & Crossing the street – One of the things that isn’t present or rare in japan
is “Traffic” thought japan is an over populated country and most have cars, traffic
rarely happens, but when cars will pass through pedestrian crossings and there are
people about to cross drivers will often stop to allow them to cross even if they
were in a hurry. The pedestrians show appreciation by thanking the drivers by
bowing.
J. Dinning – The Japanese perform a lot of ceremonies and eating has no exception.
From Drinking tea to serving a full set meal to their most famous Tabemono (Food)
“Sushi and Sashimi”, Tempura, Sukiyaki to Uzumaki Naruto’s favorite “Ramen” there
are customs to show respect.
I. Slurping – When indulging Ramen or the likes slurping shows that you are
enjoying the food.
II. Chopsticks – It is a taboo to stick’s chopsticks and leaving it in a bowl
because this is only done when offering food to the departed.
III. Obento – A type of Food Presentation aimed for eating outside. Respect is
expressed by both the person preparing the food and the person eating it.
The person preparing the food shows respect by preparing food in the most
presentable way, while the person eating it shows respect to the person
who prepared it by finishing the meal and thanking the person who
prepared it.
K. Commuting – There are several ways you can get around japan that may suit your
needs and preference. The Japanese have public utility vehicles just like any other
country but they have something different to offer.
I. The taxis in Japan boast a clean and sleek interior and exterior, doors open
automatically, there is a receipt for every trip and most remarkable is the
drivers are very accommodating and are versed in talking to foreigners.
II. Buses in Japan are like a well-oiled machine, buses come and go in a
schedule where they are either late or early less than 2 min. just like taxis,

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 they offer the daily commuter a clean and spacious interior. The bus fare is
paid upon entry via Bus pass or cash placed in a slot or coin counter. Buses
in japan only stop on designated bus stops.
III. Trains are one of the more scenic way of traveling in japan. Trains often cut
through bustling cities or laid-back barrios filled with breath taking
landscapes. One of the most famous line of trains in japan from the JRS
(Japan Railway System) with its Iconic “Shinkansen” A.K.A. Bullet trains that
travels an average of 200 kilometers per hour.
L. Work ethics - The following will not just be a list of things you may observe while
studying Japanese but you may also want apply them to any aspect of your life. The
Japanese work ethics is one of the most important factors in the success of Japanese
companies. Amongst the employees there is an unspoken rule of “70 hours” of work
rendered, meaning that employees are required to render 70 hours of work in a
week. If you thing that is a too much on the employees, there is also an unspoken
rule of napping during work. This is allowed to employees that have rendered much
through the workday.
M. The “Five S” is said to be one of the things/systems done by Japanese
companies the resulted in their success.
I. SEIRI – Organization/Sort out
II. SEITON – Orderliness/Systemize
III. SEIKETSU – Standardize
IV. SEISO – The Cleaning/Sweep
V. SHITSUKE - Discipline /Sustain
N. Religion – The Japanese were heavily influenced by the Chinese in many ways,
one of which is religion. Buddhism and Shintoism are examples of religion
influenced by the Chinese, While Catholicism and Christianism were influenced by
westerners where the latter is gaining more than 40 percent of followers.
O. Seasons – Being situated just above the equator experience 4 seasons.
I. Spring (Haru) occurs when the last few inches of snow thaws out. It is a
season bursting with life lasting from March to May.
II. Summer (Natsu) one of the most romantic season of japan. This where the
famous “Cherry blossoms” bloom, this also the time where families and
friends share a sake (Rice wine) or two under the cherry blossoms. Summer
(Natsu) last from Mid of July until august.
III. Fall (Aki) is Season where life prepares for the harsh cold ahead where
leaves fall from trees. The time where the cold winds come. Fall (Aki) last
from September to November.
IV. Winter (Fuyu) the season of snow and ice, the season where a few people
start to appreciate summer. Winter last from December to February. Note
that not all of japan experiences all four seasons like Hokkaido and Okinawa
which are directly opposite to each other.

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 P.Touring – Japan is rich country in terms of culture and customs and the best way to
experience them is to tour the following places.
I. Tokyo - Tokyo is the financial, political and commerce heart of Japan. Tokyo
has an incredible variety of museums, galleries, shrines and temples to keep
you preoccupied for many days. In the city of Tokyo there is a wide
spectrum of places to visit, from the very distinguished Imperial Palace,
home of the Emperor and past shogunates, the legendary Tokyo Tower, and
Tokyo Sky Tree, the new landmark of Tokyo.
II. Osaka – Osaka was the city of the merchant class. Osakans take pride in
shedding the conservatism found elsewhere in Japan, and this spirited city –
Japan's third-largest – is a place where people are a bit brasher and
interactions are peppered with playful jabs.
III. Nagoya - Birthplace of Toyota and pachinko (a pinball-style game), is a
manufacturing powerhouse. But its manufacturing roots don't mean that
Nagoya is a city of factories: well-maintained parks and green spaces prevail
in the inner wards. Nagoya has cosmopolitan aspects, including some
fantastic museums, significant temples and excellent shopping, and
Nagoyans are vivacious and unpretentious. It's an easy place to make
friends.
IV. Kyoto - Kyoto is old Japan writ large: atmospheric temples, sublime gardens,
traditional teahouses and geisha scurrying to secret liaisons.

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Element 1.2 Getting your feet wet: Phraseology and the basics of Japanese language.
1. Jiko-shokai (Self Introduction). Upon meeting a Japanese national or rather let’s call them
“Nihon Jin” from the words Nihon meaning Japan and Jin meaning nationality. One
Would/should get to know them, the most common way of building a good rapport is by
performing the “Jiko-Shokai” which literally means self-introduction. Below is a short
phraseology in doing a jiko-shokai.
Everybody Hi/Hello
Minnasan, Konichiwa,
How do you do
Hajimemashite
I
Watashi wa _____Your name_____ desu.
Yr old
(Watashi wa) ____Age_____ sai desu,
Residence To exist
(Watashi wa) ____Address_____ ni sunde imasu,
Come from
(Watashi wa) ____Province_____ karakimashita
My Profession
(Watashi no) Senmonshouku wa ____Profession_____ desu
My Hobby
(Watashi no) Shumi wa____Hobby_____ desu
Pleased/Nice to meet you
Dozo yorosihku onegaishimasu
Please take note that this doesn’t mean that you just need to say this there are also a couple of
things that you need to do together with the Jiko-shokai, namely the Ojigi.

Dialogue 1
(Shoukai-introduction)
Tanaka: konochiwa hi, hello
Yamada: konichiwa hi, hello
Tanaka: kochira wa arleen san desu this person here is ms. Yuki
Arleen: (watashi wa) arleen desu, (dozou)yoroshiku i’m yuki, pleased to meet you
Yamada: yamada desu, yoroshiku, i’m yamada, glad to meet you
o kuni wa? What country are you from
Arleen: firipin desu philippines
firipin karakimashita i came from the philippines

Dialogue 2
(asking one’s name)
Yamada: o namae wa? What is your name?
Johnny: johnny desu Its johnny
Yamada: sammy desu ka? Was that sammy
Johnny: iie, sammy jya arimasen No it isn’t sammy
johnny desu Its Johnny

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  Ojigi – or simply the “Bow” is one of the gesture done by the Japanese, but if you think
of it, it is not just the Japanese who are doing this. Almost all countries in Asia do a bow
or a similar gesture to express respect.
i. Steps in doing a proper Ojigi
1. Attain eye to eye contact with the receiver of the ojigi
2. Smile and greet with a pleasant voice
3. Inhale (one breath)
4. Bow and pause for a few seconds
5. Stand straight and again resume eye to eye contact

ii. Types of Ojigi

1. Casual (15-degree bow)
2. General (30-degree bow)
3. Deep respect (45-degree bow)

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 B. Aisatsu (Greetings) – Another very important customs not only to the Japanese not also other
countries is the greetings or what that Japanese call the “Aisatsu”. There are a lot of greetings
that we can study but for now let’s limit ourselves to the most common aisatsu’s.
 Time of day
i. Ohayou(gozaimasu) – As you greet you greet your boss or teacher or customers,
use the formal — Ohayou gozaimasu, and don't forget to do the Ojigi as you say
it. In the morning, as you greet your family, friends and colleague, say Ohayou",
—the informal version of good morning.
ii. Konichiwa – This means “Good afternoon” or “good day”. say this to anyone
regardless of their position or status. this greeting also means “hi or hello!”. This
is a very good greeting to remember as this phrase can be used at any time of
the day.
iii. Konbanwa – When you see the stars or the moon in the sky, say this greeting,
regardless of who you 'greet. it means good evening,
iv. Oyasumi(nasai) - if you leave from one place in the evening, you'd better say
Oyasumi nasai which means good night. sometimes This expression is used
together with “Sayonara, Oyasumi(nasai)”.
 Arriving/Leaving
i. Yokoso/Irasshaimase - Both Yokoso and Irasshaimase mean Welcome.
Shopkeepers, store attendants, front office personnel and the like, usually say
Irasshaimase when they are welcoming a customer inside their establishments.
Often times, the ' shortened form irasshai could be heard. If you are welcoming
somebody who is not a previous customer, then you should use Yokoso.

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 ii. Sayonara – This expression can be used when you make your farewell to
somebody who is about to go abroad. As a daily expression you cannot use this.
Whenever you leave a place and won't return for a long time you say sayonara.
iii. Jya – this is a word used in place of sayonara, this word rather means “See you”
and can be followed by “Ne” to give more assertiveness as in “isn’t it”, Mata
meaning again followed by any time expressions like Ashita(tomorrow) or
Raishu (Next week).
 Excusing yourself
i. Shitsurei-shimasu or Sumimasen - both these expressions mean “excuse me
“and is used to express an apology when you interrupt someone like in a person
engaged in a conversation. also, when you want to excuse yourself from a
gathering, you say this to people who will stay behind as an apology for leaving
ahead of them. you may also use them both one after the other to be politer.
 Asking for an apology
i. Gomen(nasai) - This expression means “I’m sorry”. this is used to express an
apology when you ask for someone's pardon for breaking his camera or
stepping on his foot. You might also hear the word “gomen ne” which is also I’m
sorry but only used by person speaking is senior than the person to whom the
apology is meant.
ii. Sumimasen deshita – a politer way of saying “I’m sorry” which is basically the
past tense of excuse me.
iii. Kochirakoso - Meaning, “it is I who should say that”. so if you beg a Japanese to
be friendly, they beg you right back. after all that begging, your friends!
 Showing appreciation
i. (Domo) Arigato (gozaimasu) - Even though we are engaged in the service
providing industry you are still expected to give due respect to our guest for
patronizing our hotel or restaurant. That is why “Arigatou gozaimasu” which
means “thank you very much” should not be forgotten. From time to time
you might hear someone simply saying “Arigato or Domo” which is perfectly ok.
ii. Doitashimashite - When somebody says thank you its it a sign of humbleness to
reply with simply “your welcome” or “don’t mention it” or in Japanese
“Doitashimashite”. Even though the phrase actually means “why do you say
such things” it is still understood as your welcome.
 Other useful greetings
i. ~ Kudasai/Onegaishimasu - This is placed after a thing you are requesting from
Water
another person Like “ Mizu o onegaishimasu” which means please get me some
water.
ii. Gomen kudasai - This expression is equivalent to "TAO PO?!" in Filipino. This is
used when visiting someone's house, room or shop and seeing nobody is around.
After getting the response from someone inside the house or room, you show
introduce yourself

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 iii. Hajimemashite – This is the first word you should as you introduce yourself to
someone for the first time. this word literally means beginning, and it clarifies
the fact that you are meeting the person for the first time. after saying
hajimemashite, say your name and then say the next greeting below.
iv. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu - This is a set phrase that shows your modest
attitude and asks the other party to be friendly and nice to you. English speakers
just say "pleased/glad to meet you" or "I’m happy/glad to meet you" when they
meet someone. They don't beg people to like them as the Japanese do. But
when speaking Japanese, do as the Japanese do and use this stock phrase along
with “Hajimemashite watashi wa ___________ desu, doozo yoroshiku
onegaishimasu”. The response to this phrase is simply “Yoroshiku
onegaishimasu”.
C. Tittles - A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It
may signify either veneration, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification.
 San - The simplest translation would be “Mr” or “Mrs” (so this is a unisex suffix), but it
signifies much more than that. “-San” is used with someone we respect and with whom
one is not especially close, for example a colleague or boss, customers or anyone you
don’t know very well. This is a kind of default honorific, which leaves little chance for
error (but watch out anyway). “-San” is used primarily with last names, but can be used
with first names, for example one of your students or someone new in your social circle.
 Sama - A mark of deference and huge respect for those high up in society or those with
a high status. This is the title used for God ("Kami-sama") or a princess ("Hime-sama")
for example.
 Kun - This is a less formal title with a lower level of politeness. In fact the symbol or kanji
is the same as that of “kimi”, like "you" in its familiar form or the French "tu" (especially
between couples). “Kun” is used with a friend, a classmate, a little brother or a younger
boy. Avoid using it when speaking to a girl because it is a masculine form, unless it is
someone you are very close to (for this reason, it gives interesting insights into
relationships in some manga animes or dramas).
 Chan - performs a function similar to "kun", except that it is used mainly with girls. It's
quite an affectionate word, which might be used with a friend, a classmate, a little sister,
a baby, a grandmother, a girl or a woman to let her know you think she is sweet. "-chan"
can also be used with little boys; though from adolescence, it becomes rather feminised.
 Sensei - You are unlikely to make any mistakes with "Sensei", which signifies a teacher,
doctor, martial arts master or a recognised artist of either sex. It can be used after a
surname or on its own.
 Senpai - This signifies that a person in a group has more experience such as a senior
colleague or a high school senior if you’re in a lower grade. Generally it refers to
someone older. As with "Sensei" is used interchangeably by sex, and does not
necessarily follows the name. You might find it transcribed as “sempai”.
 Kohai - The opposite is “Senpai” but it is rarely used when talking to someone.

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Element 1.3 Understanding the basic concepts of sentence forming in the Japanese language.
1. Basics of language – this is brief review of the parts of speech that are integral in learning a new
language.
A. Parts of speech
 Nouns – these are simply names of people, places, occupation, things or event.
There are several types of nouns.
 Pronoun – a word used in place of Noun, this commonly used to avoid
redundancy in sentence construction.
 Adjectives - these are words that are used to describe Nouns.
 Verbs – these are words that are used to indicate action.
 Adverbs – a set of words that are used to describe verbs.
 Preposition - a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and
expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, as in “the man
on the platform,” “she arrived after dinner,” “what did you do it for?”.
 Conjunctions - a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate
words in the same clause (e.g. and, but, if). In Japanese they are referred to as
Particles.
 Demonstratives – a set of words used to point out to a topic of a sentence.
 Interrogatives – words that are used to ask questions typicaly appearing in the
comment part of a Japanese sentence.
 Interjections - An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey an
emotion or a sentiment such as surprise, disgust, joy, excitement, or enthusiasm.
For example: No, go away. (No is the interjection.)
B. Word order – this refers to the placement of the parts of speech to form a complete
sentence and convey information.
A. The English language’s word order comes int the following format:
Subject Verb Object
a. John is eating an apple - Subject / Verb / Object
B.The Japanese language’s word order on the other hand is:
Subject Object Verb
a. John san wa Ringo o Tabemasu - Subject/ Object / Verb
There is quite a difference between the two, but there is also similarities among the
two. Besides the arrangement of the words, both still contain the necessary parts of
speech to be able to create a sentence that conveys a complete thought.
C. Omission of words – as with other languages the modes of speech in Japanese may
affect the way a sentence is formed. This may be also be the reason some say that
Japanese is a broken language but in fact it is just right. A great example of this is
when one is doing the jiko-shokai where one need not to say “I’m” repeatedly.
2. The default pattern – this is a template which one can use to form simple Japanese sentences.
This is the pattern used in the simplest sentence where additional information can be added.

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 But before we dive in to that we need to answer a perplexing question. What is topic? And what
is Subject? Why is it important to know the difference? In English, “Topic” is the “Subject” of the
sentence and vice versa. But in the Japanese language it is important know them because there
are particles(Conjunctions) that indicate them specifically. The particle “Wa” indicates the topic
of the sentence while the particle “Ga” marks the subject of the sentence. As we go along with
our lectures you’ll also learn the other uses of both particles since most of the Japanese particles
have more than just one use.
A. The basic pattern - One of the most essential patterns one needs to learn in
constructing a Japanese sentence. Most other sentences are derived by adding to this
pattern.
A. Topic wa Comment Ending
 The first blank is where we place the thing that we one to talk about hence
it is called the topic of the sentence.
 The second blank is where we place what we want to say about the topic,
for simplicity let’s call it the comment part (Predicate part).
 The above pattern is not yet complete as it needs an ending thus making it
an incomplete sentence. The ending is determined mostly by the word
placed in the comment part.
For now, let us use Nouns as our comment part. When using nouns as our
comment part we will end our sentence with “Desu” or “Is, Am, Are” in English.
B.Topic wa Comment (Noun) desu
For example:
Wa Gakusei Mr/Ms/Mrs Student is/am/are
John is a student = John san wa Gakusei desu
Vocabulary
Nouns
Things/Places Nationality
Cat Neko Filipino Firipin-jin
Dog Inu American American-Jin
Pencil Enpitsu Chinese Chugoku Jin
Car Kuruma Korean Kankoku Jin
Table Tsukue German Doitsu Jin
Cellphone Keitai Indonesian Indo Jin
Wallet Saifu Profession
Danchi Group of apartments Teacher Sensei
Baggage Nimotsu Student Gakusei
Bag Kaban Doctor Issha
Classroom/Living room Kyoshitsu Nurse Kangofu
House Uchi Lawyer Bengoshi
School Gaku Employee Shain
Park Koen Police Keisatsu

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 Library Toshokan Factory worker Kaishain

Personal pronouns
Singular Singular Possessive
Watashi Me Watashi no My/Mine
Anata You Anata no Yours
Kare He, him Kare no His
Kanojo Her, she Kanojo no Hers
Plural Plural Possessive
Watashi-tachi We Watashi-tachi no Ours
Anata-tachi You(group) Anata-tachi no Yours
Kare-tachi Them (Group of boys) Kare-tachi no Theirs (Male)
Kanojo-tachi Them (Group of girls) Kanojo-tachi no Theirs (Female)

Demonstratives
Things/Objects Specific Object/Person/Place
Kore This Kono Specific this
Sore That Sono Specific that
Are That over there Ano Specific that over there
Dore Which Dono Specific which
Person/Places
Polite Casual
Kochira This person/place Koko This person/place
Sochira That person/place Soko That person/place
Achira That person/place over there Asoko That person/place over there
Dochira Which person/place Doko Where

While we are in the topic of basic patterns, let’s also talk about tenses. The
Japanese language is a simplistic language; this is evident in the tenses of
sentences. There are only two tenses and two polarities in the Japanese
language.

Tenses of Nouns
Present/Future tense Past tense
Mr/Ms/Mrs Student Is Mr/Ms/Mrs Student Was
+ John san wa gakusei desu + John san wa gakusei deshita
Is/am/are Was
Student Is not Student Was not
- John san wa gakusei dewa arimasen - John san wa gakusei dewa arimasen deshita

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 Is not/am not/are not Was not
By simply changing the ending you are able to change the tense & polarity of
the sentence.
B. Asking a question - from the previous topic, we have learned the basic pattern used in
constructing a simple Japanese sentence. We have also learned that changing the
ending results in changing the sentences tense and polarity. But how about asking a
question, let say asking the same sentences from the previous topic but in an
interrogative manner? One may simply add the particle(conjunction) “Ka” at the end of
each sentence where “Ka” indicates that te sentence is in an interrogative form.

Student gakusei
 John san wa gakusei desu ka Is John a student?
 John san wa gakusei dewa arimasen ka Isn’t John a student?
 John san wa gakusei deshita ka Was john a student?
 John san wa gakusei dewa arimasen deshita ka Wasn’t John a student?

But what about the other words used to ask a question? What are the interrogatives in
Japanese and how do we use them? We will need to go bac to our basic pattern where
we will place the interrogative in the comment part of the sentence.

Interrogatives
What Nan/Nani Which Dochira
Where Doko How was Dou/Ikaga
Who Dare How to Nande
When Itsu How old Nansai/Oikutsu
Naze/Doshite/ How many Oikutsu
Why
Nande/Doyatte How long Dono gurai

Using the basic pattern and the vocabulary mentioned earlier let us use the
interrogatives and how they are answered.
Who Question mark
 John san wa dare desu ka = Who is John?
He
o John san wa Kare desu = He is john
That What Nan/Nani Sore
 Sore wa nan desu ka = What is that?
This Cellphone kore Keitai
o Kore wa Keitai desu = This is a cellphone
Your Birthday When Itsu Anata no Tanjobi
 (Anata no) Tanjobi wa itsu desu ka = When is your birthday?
December Is/am/are Juu Ni Gatsu
o (Watahshi no) Tanjobi wa Juu Ni gatsu desu = It’s on December
How old Nan sai/Oikutsu
 John san wa Oikutsu/Nansai desu ka = How old is john?
18 years old
o John san wa Juu hassai desu = John is 18 yrs old
Christmas How long Dono gurai Kurisumasu
 Kurisumasu wa dono gurai desu ka = How long is Christmas?

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 3 months
o San kagetsu gurai kakarimasu = it takes about 3 months
The rest of the interrogatives will be tackled in the succeeding lesson as they require a
different pattern in constructing.

 (Anata no) keitai wa Oikutsu desu ka = how many is your CP?

o (Watashi no) keitai wa Futatsu desu

Drills

1) Arleen san wa Sensei desu –Ms. Arleen is a teacher

a) Engineer – Enjyaneia
b) Hotel employee – Hoteru (Sha)in
c) Ambasador -Taishi
2) Tanaka san wa Firipin jin jya arimasen – Mr. tanaka is not a Filipino
a) Engineer – Enjyaneia
b) Hotel employee – Hoteru (Sha)in
c) Ambasador -Taishi
3) Yamada san wa shuji desu ka – is Mr. yamada a manager
a) Engineer – Enjyaneia
b) Hotel employee – Hoteru (Sha)in
c) Ambasador -Taishi
4) Takage san wa Kachou desu – mr. takage is a manager
Takage san wa kachou jya arimasen - mr takage is not a manager
a) Engineer – Enjyaneia
b) Hotel employee – Hoteru (Sha)in
c) Ambasador -Taishi
5) Sore wa dare no hon desu ka – whose book is that
Sore wa Sensei no hon desu – that is teachers book
a) Nakamura
b) Kimura
c) John
this sensei of dictionaryis/am/are
6) Korewasenseino jibiki desu–thisisteachersdictionary
a) That-sore, takage, camera-kamera
b) That over there-Are, Midori, pencil-empitsu
c) This-kore, ISHRM, Campus-gakuen
7) Taro san wa gakusei desu – taro is a student
Yuki san mo gakusei desu – yuki is also a student
a) Megumi san,waiter-Kyuuji / yaankumi san
b) Tako san, bellboy-beruboi / Keiho san
c) Iwakura san, Staff – kanbu / takeshi san

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 3. Verbs of existence – This is a set of words that are used to indicate that something or someone
is existing somewhere. This can also be referred to as “Mayroon” in Filipino. But we need to
understand that both in Filipino and English there is no need to use a different word for animate
and inanimate objects, this is not true in Japanese though, there is a different word for those
two things. Let’s talk about the pattern and the words for them.
A. When there is an inanimate object existing we use the verb “Arimasu”, and when there
is an object that is animate then we use the word “Imasu”.
Mayroon
A. wa ga Arimasu (Non-living)
I Cellphone Have
a. Watashi wa keitai ga arimasu = I have a cellphone
Mayroon
B. wa ga Imasu (Living)
I Cat Have ga Imasu Neko
a. Watashi wa Neko ga Imasu = I have a cat
B. How about if there is nothing existing, present tense nor past positive or negative tense.
Since we are dealing with verbs of existence, keyword being Verb we can simply
substitute the suffix of the verb, refer to the following table for the changes and
meaning:

Non living Living

Arimasu Has Imasu
Arimasen Does not have Imasen
Arimashita Had Imashita
Arimasen deshita Did not have Imasen deshita

Non living
Bag Doesn not have Arimasen Kaban
 John san wa kaban ga arimasen John does not have a Bag
Bag Had Arimashita Kaban
 John san wa kaban ga arimashita John had a Bag
Bag did not have arimsen deshita Kaban
 John san wa kaban ga arimasen deshita John did not have a Bag

Living
 John san wa tomadachi ga Imasen. John does not have a friend.
 John san wa tomadachi ga Imashita. John had a friend.
 John san wa tomadachi ga Imasen deshita. John did not have a friend.
4. Basic particles – we have already tackled some particles like wa and ga, but as said earlier, most
Japanese particles have more than one use which we will learn in later lessons. For the
meantime we will add a few more particles that we can use with the patterns that we have
discussed.
A. Mo - is a particle used when we want to add to a sentence. Basically the particle “Mo”
means “Also”.

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 Student Is Also Is
 John san wa gakusei desu, Smith san mo gakusei desu
gakusei Mo Gakusei
John is a student; Smith is also a student.
B. No – This is a familiar particle as we have already used this to show possession. We can
also think of this as the word that comes before no is the owner and the word that
follows no is the thing/place/person being owner/under jurisdiction.
My Friend Watashi no Tomodachi
 Watashi no tomadachi My friend
ISHRM's Student gakusei No
 ISHRM no gakusei Student of ISHRM
Japanese Car Nihon no Kuruma
 Nihon no kuruma Japanese car
Car about book Hon no Kuruma
 Kuruma no hon Book about Cars
C. NI – this particle is used in several ways, namely to indicate time, place and destination.
8 O'clock 30 at Meet Aimasu Ni Hachi Ji Han
 Hachi ji han ni aimasu meet at eight thirty
Car at Have/There is Arimasu Ni Kuruma
 Kuruma ni arimasu there is at the car
Restaurant the Enter hairimasu Ni Resutoran
 Resutoran ni hairimasu enter the Restaurant
D. To – is a conjunction that is used to enumerate a definite list meaning that there is
nothing more beyond the list stated.
Bag Pencil Cellphone Wallet there is
 Kaban ni enpitsu to keitai to saifu ga Arimasu
ga Arimasu enpitsu keitai to saifu Kaban
o There is a pencil, cellphone and wallet in the bag
E. Ya…Nado – Similar to the particle “To” except is used to enumerate an indefinite list
meaning that there is more beyond the list stated. This particle is also paired with the
particle “Nado” which means “Etc.” or “Among other things”.
bag Pencil and Cellphone and wallet Etc there is
 Kaban ni enpitsu ya keitai ya saifu nado ga arimasu
arimasu enpitsu keitai saifu Nado kaban
o There is a pencil, cellphone, wallet Etc in the bag

Drill
this red car
1. Kore wa akaikuruma desu – this is a red car
this car red is/am/are
konokurumawaakai desu - this car is red

that heavy book desu −

2. Sore wa omotaihondesu - that is a heavy book
______________________ - that book is heavy

that cute person is/am/are

3. Are wa kirei (na) hito desu - that over there is a cute person
______________________ - that person over there is cute

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