particles for perfection
Learn grammar rules on Japanese Particles Master. The detailed breakdowns and in-depth explanations of the example sentences will help you to improve your Japanese skills.
Confusing verbs: "suru" and "yaru" I know that Japanese learners quite often confuse the two widely-used verbs: "suru" and "yaru". Both are very similar and, in fact, can be used interchangeably in many cases. Yet, they are not the same. So, in this blog post, I will explain their differences with examples. Honestly …
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What does "da" mean in Japanese? Honestly speaking, the Japanese auxiliary verb, "da", doesn't have any big impact on a meaning of a sentence. Certainly, we can use it to make a declarative sentence. Often, however, a sentence with this auxiliary verb has the same meaning as a sentence without it. So, Japanese …
[Read more...] about Da in Japanese: the key to conjugating na-adjectives
What does "kono" mean in Japanese? Native speakers often use "kono" as a determiner to add the meaning of 'this' in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail together with its kanji …
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What does "ano" mean in Japanese? Native speakers often use "ano" as a determiner to add the meaning of 'that' in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail together with its kanji …
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What is "o" in Japanese? Japanese native speakers often use "o" as a prefix to make its following word polite. This prefix can precede a noun, verb, adjective, or even phrase. In this blog post, I will explain this prefix in detail together with example sentences. Let's get started! For the case particle, …
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What does "kudasai" mean in Japanese? Japanese native speakers use "kudasai" mainly in two different ways: as a verb to mean 'please give [someone] [something]'; as an auxiliary verb to add the meaning of 'please' to its preceding verb. Perhaps, many Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese …
[Read more...] about Kudasai in Japanese: what does it mean & how does it work?
What does "hon" mean in Japanese? Native speakers often say "hon" to mean 'book' or 'books' in Japanese. Very simple, I think. When it follows a numeral, however, it works as a counter suffix for cylindrical-shaped things. In this blog post, I will explain this word and its usages through example sentences. My …
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What does "doko" mean in Japanese? Native speakers say “doko” normally to mean ‘where’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how …
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What does "itsu" mean in Japanese? Native speakers say "itsu" normally to mean 'when' in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how …
[Read more...] about Itsu: we can use it to make when questions in Japanese
What is "plain form" in Japanese? The plain form is one of the most widely-used conjugation forms in Japanese. As its name suggests, verbs, adjectives, and auxiliary verbs in this form are plain, namely not conjugated. In this blog post, I will explain the very basics of plain-formed words and also how to use them …
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