Minna no Nihongo - Lesson 2 Grammar Explanation

Let's learn grammar!

I have had to split the post up due to them becoming rather long. The explanations have a lot of information - which is important as it is all sentence structure and as to why things are used in certain ways.

1: これ ／ それ ／ あれ
They work as nouns. これ refers to a thing near the speaker. それ refers to a thing near the listener. あれ refers to a thing far from the speaker and the listener.

         e.g  それ は 辞(じ)書(しょ) ですか。         Is that a dictionary?
                これ を ください。                 I'll take this. (lit, please give this to me.)

2: この N ／ その N ／  あの N
These modify nouns. 'この N' refers to a thing or a person near the speaker. 'その N' refers to a thing or a person near the listener.  'あの N' refers to a thing or a person far from both the speaker and the listener.

          e.g  この 本 は わたし の です。        This book is mine.
                 あの 方は どなた ですか。         Who is that [person]?

3: そうです ／  そうじゃ ありません
In the case of a noun sentence, the word そう is often used to answer a question requiring an affirmative or negative answer. はい、 そうです。is the affirmative answer and いいえ、 そうじゃ ありません。 is the negative answer.

         e.g   それは テレホンカード ですか。         Is that a telephone card?
                 ・・・はい、そうです。                            ・・・Yes, it is. (lit. Yes, it's so.)

                 それは テレホンカード ですか。         Is that a telephone card?
                 ・・・ いいえ、 そうじゃ ありません。    ・・・No, it isn't. (lit. No, it's not so.)

The verb ちがいます (lit, to differ) can be used to mean そうじゃ ありません.
     
         e.g    それは テレホンカード ですか。       Is that a telephone card?
                  ・・・いいえ、 違(ちが)います。                    ・・・No, it isn't.

4: (S1) か、 ／  (S2) か
This is a question asking the listener to choose between alternatives, (S1) and (S2) for the answer. As an answer to this type of question, the chosen sentence is stated. Neither はい nor いいえ is used.

          e.g    これは  「9」 ですか、 「7」 ですか。        Is this a 9 or a 7?
                   ・・・ 「9」 です。                                        ・・・it's a 9.

5: (N1) の (N2)
In lesson 1 we learned that の is used to connect two nouns when N1 modifies N2. In lesson 2 you learn two other uses.

    1) N1 explains what N2 is about
        これは  コンピューターの 本（ほん）です。        This is a book on computers.

    2) N1 explains who owns N2
         これは  わたし の 本(ほん）です。                    This is my book.

N2 is sometimes omitted when it is obvious. When N2 means a person, however, you cannot omit.

    1) あれは  だれの かぼんですか。                        Whose bag is that?
         ・・・佐(さ)籐(とう)さん のです。                          ・・・ It's Ms. Sato's.

    2) この かぼんは あなたの ですか。                      Is this bag yours?
        ・・・いいえ、 わたしの じゃ ありません。             ・・・ No, it's not mine.

    3) ミラーさん は IMC の 社(しゃ)員(いん) ですか。                  Is Mr Miller an Employee of IMC?
        ・・・はい、 IMC の 社(しゃ)員(いん) です。                           ・・・Yes, he is.

6: そうですか
This expression is used when the speaker receives new information and shows that he or she understands it.

       e.g  この 傘(かさ)は  あなたの ですか。        Is this umbrella yours?
              ・・・いいえ、 違(ちが)います。 シュミッドさん の です。   ・・・No, it's Mr Schmidt's.
              そうですか。                                             I see.

That is it for this lesson's grammar explanation! Hope it all makes sense!

Next post will be the answers for last weeks activity!