Sample post:
Hello everyone,
This month, we are going to do chapter 3 (Genki I p. 84-101)
Chapter 3 covers:
1. Verb Conjugation (p. 88)
– Ru-verbs and U-verbs conjugate differently.
– There are 2 irregular verbs (する,くる) (p. 89)
2. Verb Types and the “Present Tense” (p. 90)
– Present tense describes habitual action and future action.
3. Particles (p. 90-91)
Particle を indicates the direct object.
Ex) コーヒーを飲みます。(I drink a coffee.) The coffee is the object.
Ex) ペンを使います。(I use a pen.) The pen is the object.
Particle で indicates where the action/event described by the verb takes place.
Ex) ここで食事を食べましょう。(Let’s have meal here.) Here is the place.
Ex) 映画館で映画を見ます。(I watch a movie at the movie theater.) The movie theater is the place.
に can be either the goal toward which things move, or the time at which an event takes place.
Ex) 今から学校に行きます。(I’m going to go to school.) The school is the goal.
Ex) 3時に学校に行きます。(3時 is the time and 学校 is the goal.)
へ is similar to に (denotes a goal).
〇 今から学校へ行きます。
× 3時へ学校へ行きます。(You cannot use へ as a time particle.)
4. Time Reference (p. 91)
– You can use particle に with the days of the week like “on Sunday” or numerical time expressions, like “at 10:00,” “in June.”
Ex) 月曜日に帰ります。
Ex) 3時に行きます。
Ex) 6月に会います。
5. ~ませんか (p. 92)
– ませんか means, “Shall we____?” If you use affirmative form, “ますか” it’s just a question. ”ませんか” is used as an invitation and it’s somewhat formal.
Ex) 明日買い物に行きませんか?(Shall we go shopping tomorrow?”)
Ex) 6時に学校で会いませんか? (Shall we meet at school at 6?”)
6. Word Order (p. 92)
– Word order is pretty flexible in Japanese. Look at the sentences below. These three sentences word orders are different, but the meanings are the same.
・私は今日友達に会います。
・今日私は友達に会います。
・私は友達に今日会います。
7. Frequency Adverbs (p. 93)
– You can add frequency adverbs to a sentence to describe how often you do something.
The variety of the frequency adverbs are:
毎日 :every day(100%)
よく :often (90%)
たいてい:sometimes(80%)
ときどき:sometimes(50-60%)
たまに :sometimes(30-40%)
あまり :not often(10-15%)
ぜんぜん:not at all(0%)
8. The Topic Particle は (p. 93)
は is used as a topic particle. Check the general forum “助詞の問題 -jyoshi – は and が”
9. 表現ノート(行く/来る) (p. 94)