Minna no Nihongo - Lesson 4 Grammar

Good Afternoon!

It is time for the grammar for this lesson. The vocabulary is in the previous post.

1: 今(いま) ー 時(じ) ー 分（ふん) です
     To express time, the counter suffixes 時(じ) (o'Clock) and 分（ふん) (minutes) are used. The numbers are put before them. 分（ふん) is read ふん after 2, 5, 7 or 9 and ぷん after 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 or 10. 1, 6, 8 and 10 are read いっ, ろっ, はっ, じゅっ(じっ) before ぷん.
     The interrogative なん is used with a counter suffix to ask questions concerning number or amounts. Therefore, the word なんじ (or sometimes なんぷん) is used to ask the time.

       e.g    今(いま) 何(なん) 時(じ) ですか。        What time is it now?
                 ・・・ 7 時(じ) 10分(ぷん) です。         ・・・It's seven ten.

  [Note] は marks the topic of a sentence, which you leaned in Lesson 1. A geographical location can also be used as the topic as can be seen in the below example.

      e.g.     ニューヨーク は 今(いま) 何(なん) 時(じ) ですか。     In New York what time is it now?
                ・・・午(ご) 前(ぜん)     4時(じ)です。                            ・・・It's 4 a.m.


2:  V ます
      1) A verb with ます works as a predicate.
      2) ます makes a sentence polite.
       
          e.g わたし は 毎(まい)日(にち) 勉(べん)強(きょう) します。      I study every day.

3:  Vます ／ Vません ／ Vました ／ Vませんでした
      1) ます is used when a sentence expresses a habitual thing or a truth. It is also used when a sentence expressed a thing that will occur in the future. The negative forms and the past tense are shown in the table below

	Non-past (future/present)	Past
Affirmative	(おき) ます	(おき) ました
Negative	(おき) ません	(おき) ませんした

      e.g 毎(まい)朝(あさ) 6時(じ) に 起(お)き ます。            I get up at six every morning.
            あした  6時(じ) に 起(お)き ます。                     I'll get up at six tomorrow morning.
            けさ 6時(じ) に 起(お)き ました。                       I got up at six this morning.

     2) Question forms of verb sentences are made in the same way as those of noun sentences; e.g the word order remains the same and the か is added to the end of the sentence.
          In answering such questions, the verbs in the questions are repeated. 
          そうです or そうじゃ ありません cannot be used.

         e.g. きのう  勉(べん)強(きょう) しましたか。                       Did you study yesterday?
                ・・・はい、 勉(べん)強(きょう) しました。                     ・・・Yes, I did.
                ・・・いいえ、 勉(べん)強(きょう)しませんでした。       ・・・No, I didn't.
                毎(まい)朝(あさ) 何(なん)時(じ) 起(お)き ますか。           What time do you get up every morning?
                ・・・6時(じ) に 起(お)き ます。                                  ・・・I get up at six.

4: N(time) に  V
    When a verb denotes a momentary action or movement, the time when it occurs is marked with the particle に. に is added when the noun before it uses a numeral. It can also be added to the days of the week, though it is not essential. When the noun does not use a numeral, に is not used.

       e.g  6時(じ)半(ばん) に 起(お)きます。                                  I get up at six thirty.
              7月(がつ) 2日(ふつか) に 日本へ 来(き)ました。             I came to Japan on July 2nd. (L.5)
              日(にち)曜(よう)日(び) 「に」 奈(な)良(ら)へ 行(い)きます。 I'm going to Nara on Sunday. (L.5)
               きのう 勉(べん)強(きょう） しました。                             I studied yesterday.

5: N1 から  N2 まで
    1) から indicates the starting time or place, and まで indicates the finishing time or place.

       e.g 9時(じ)から 5時(じ)まで 働(はたら)き ます。     I work from nine to five.
             大(おお)阪(さか) から 東京(とうきょう)まで 3時(じ)間(かん) かかり ます。      It takes three hours from Osaka to Tokyo. (L.11)

    2) から and まで are not always used together.
 
         e.g 9時(じ)から 働(はたら)きます。              I work from nine.

    3) ~から, ~まで or ~から ~まで is sometimes used with です added directly after either.

         e.g  銀(ぎん)行(こう)は  9時(じ)から  3時(じ)まで です。     The bank is open from nine to three.
                昼(ひる)休(やす)み は 12時(じ)から です。       Lunchtime starts at twelve.

6: N1 と N2
    The particle と connects two nouns in coordinate relation.

    e.g. 銀(ぎん)行(こう)の 休(やす)みは 土(ど)曜(よう)日(び) と 日(にち)曜(よう)日(び) です。   The bank is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

7: S ね
    ね is attached to the end of a sentence to add feeling to what the speaker says. It shows the speaker's sympathy or the speaker's expectation that the listener will agree. In the latter usage, it is often used to confirm something.

    e.g. 毎(まい)日(にち)  10時(じ)ごろまで 勉(べん)強(きょう) します。   I study till about ten everyday.
           ・・・大(たい)変(へん) ですね。                                              ・・・That must be hard.
          
           山(やま)田(だ)さん の 電(でん)話(わ)番(ばん)号(ごう)は 871の 6813です。
           ・・・ 871の 6813 ですね。
           Mr. Yamada's telephone number is 871-6813.
           ・・・ 871-6813, right?


That is it for this lesson! It confused me in some places, but I think I have got the hang of it now.

I shall be updating during the week with more kanji!