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Cheatography

Beginners Japanese Basics Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

A sheet for people just beginning to learn japanese. Includes numbers, days, particles, colors, etc

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Colors

Red
Aka
Orange
Daidaiiro / Orenji
Yellow
Kiiro
Green
Midori
Blue
Ao
Purple
Murasaki
Pink
Pinku/­Momoiro
Grey
Haiiro
Black
Kuro
White
Shiro
Brown
Chaiiro
Colors
Iro
Colors require the suffix -no when being put before a noun.

Basic Phrases

Good morning
Ohayoo
Good afternoon
Konnichi wa
Good evening
Komban wa
Goodbye
Sayonara
Hello (for the telephone)
Moshi moshi
Yes
Hai
No
Iie
Excuse me
Sumimasen / gomen nasai
Please
Doozo
Thank you
Arigatoo

Numbers

One
Ichi
Two
Ni
Three
San
Four
Yon
Five
Go
Six
Roku
Seven
Nana/S­hichi
Eight
Hachi
Nine
Kyu
Ten
Ju
One Hundred
Hyaku
Three Hundred
Sam-Byaku
Six Hundred
Rop-Pyaku
Eight Hundred
Hap-Pyaku
One Thousand
Sen
Three Thousand
San-Zen
Ten Thousand
Ichi-Man
One Million
Hyaku-Man
Number
Bango
To create the desired month, simply add -gatsu to the number. Ex: November is Juu-Ic­hi-­Gatsu.

Hiragana Chart

Days of the Week

Monday
Getsu-
Tuesday
Ka-
Wednesday
Sui-
Thursday
Moku-
Friday
Kin-
Saturday
Do-
Sunday
Nichi-
All days end with the suffix -youbi

Body Parts

karada
body
atama
head
kami
hair
kao
face
hitai
forehead
me
eye
mayu
eyebrown
mabuta
eyelid
matusge
eyelash
hana
nose
mimi
ear
kuchi
mouth
kuchibiru
lip
ha
teeth
shita
tongue
nodo
throat
ago
jaw
kubi
neck
kata
shoulder
ude
arm
hiji
elbow
te
hand
yubi
finger
tsumi
nail
mune
chest
senaka
back
onaka
stomach
hiza
knee
ashikubi
ankle
kakato
heel
tsumasaki
toe
 

Particles: ga

-Subject marker (newly introd­uced)

Mukashi mukashi, ojii-san ga sunde imashita.
Once upon a time, there lived an old man.

-With question words "­Who­" or "­wha­t". Always used in question and response.

Dare ga kimasu ka.
Who is coming?

Yoko ga kimasu.
Yoko is coming.

-Emphasis Distin­guishes the subject as the most important part of the sentance.

Taro ga gakkou ni ikimas­hita.
Taro is the one who went to school. (With particle wa would be 'Taro went to school.'

-Instead of 'o' Some verbs and adjectives (expre­ssing like/d­islike, desire, potential, necessity, fear, envy etc.) take "­ga" instead of "­o."

Kuruma ga hoshii desu.
I want a car.

-In subord­inate clauses Marks a secondary subject.

Watashi wa Mika ga kekkon shita koto o shiran­akatta.
I didn't know that Mika got married.

Particles: de

-Place of action

Umi de oyoida.
I swam in the ocean.

-Means By, with, in, of.

Basu de gakkou ni ikimasu.
I go to school by bus.

-Totalizing

Zenbu de sen-en desu.
They cost 1,000 yen together.

-Scope In, among, within.

Kore wa sekai de ichiban ookii desu.
This is the biggest in the world.

-Time limit

Isshuukan de deki masu.
I can do it in a week.

-Material or compos­ition

Toufu wa daizude tsukur­imasu.
Tofu is made from soybeans.

-Required cost

Kono hon o juu-doru de katta.
I bought this book for ten dollars.

-Cause Because of, due to, owing to.

Fuchuui de kaidan kara ochita.
I fell down the stairs due to carele­ssness.

Particles: ni

-Indirect object marker

Eki de tomodachi ni atta.
I met my friend at the station.

-Location of existance

Isu no ue ni neko ga imasu.
There is a cat on the chair.

-Direct contact Used when an action or motion is directed to an object or place.

Koko ni namae o kaite kudasai.
Please write your name here.

-Direction Indicates destin­ation.

Kinou ginkou ni ikimas­hita.
I went to the bank yesterday.

-Purpose

Eiga o mi ni itta.
I went to see a movie.

-Specific time Indicates a specific point in time.

Gogatsu mikka ni umarem­ashita.
I was born on May 3rd.

-Source 'By' or 'from'

Haha ni shikar­areta.
I was scolded by my mother.

-Notion of per Per hour, per gallon, etc.

Isshukan ni sanjuu­-jikan hatara­kimasu.
I work 30 hours per week.

Particles: no

-Possessive marker Used as an apostraphe is in English.

Kore wa watashi no hon desu
This is my book.

-*Indicates position or location As related to the first noun.

...isu no shita.
...under the chair

-Noun modifier The noun before "­no" modifies the noun after "­no". It is seen more with compound nouns or noun phrases.

Nihongo no jugyou wa tanoshii desu.
The Japanese class is intere­sting.

-Apposition Indicates the relati­onship between two nouns.

Bengoshi no Tanaka-san wa itsumo isogas­hisou da.
The lawyer, Mr. Tanaka seems to be busy all the time.
 

Particles: o

-Object marker Indicates the noun is the direct object.

Kutsu o kaimas­hita.
I bought shoes.

-Route of motion

Tsugi no kado o magatte kudasai.
Please take the next corner

-Point of departure

Hachi-ji ni ie o demasu.
I leave home at eight o'clock.

- Occupation or Position Usually followed by "shitei­ru" or "shitei­mas­u".

Watashi no ane wa kangofu o shitei­masu.
My sister is a nurse.

Particles: to

-Complete listing Like 'and' for linking nouns and pronouns, but never clauses or phrases.

Eigo to nihongo o hana shimasu.
I speak English and Japanese.

-Comparison and contrast. Or.

Neko to inu to dochira ga suki desu ka.
Which do you like better, cats or dogs?

-Accomp­animent With, together.

Yuki wa raigetsu Ichiro to kekkon shimasu.
Yuki is going to marry Ichiro next month.

-Change or result X reaches a new goal or state. Commonly used with '-to naru.

Bokin wa zenbude hyakum­an-en to natta.
*The total amount of donations reached one million yen.

-Quotation Typically used before -iu, -omou and -kiku

Kare wa asu kuru to itta.
He said that he will come tomorrow.

-Condit­ional As soon as, if, when.

Shigoto ga owaru to sugu ochi ni kaetta.
I went home as soon as work was over.

-Sound symbolism Used after onomat­opoeic adverbs. (Words used to imitate sounds)

Kodomo­tachi was bata bata to hashiri ma watta.
The children ran around making lots of noise.

Particles: wa

-Topic marker (already introd­uced)
"as for", "­spe­aking of"

Watashi wa gakusei desu.
I am a student.

-Contrast

Direct: Biiru wa nomimasu ga, wain was nomimasen.
I drink beer, but I don't drink wine.
Indirect: Ano hon wa yomimasen deshita.
I didn't read that book

Particles: Sentance Ending

-ka Turns sentance into a question.

Nihon-jin desu ka.
Are you Japanese?

-kana/k­ashira Used when you are unsure of something. Kashira is only used by women.

Ano hito wa dare kana/k­ashira.
I wonder who that person is.

-na a.) Casual emphasis on decision or opinion. b.) Prohib­ition emphasis used only by men in informal situat­ions.

a.) Sore wa machig­atteiru to omou na.
I think that is wrong.
b.) Sonna koto o suru na.
Don't do such a thing!

-naa Used to show emotion or wishful thinking.

Sugoi naa.
How great it is.

-ne/nee Confir­mation. Isn't it?, right?, don't you think so?

Mou nakanaide ne.
Please don't cry anymore, okay?

-no a.) Explai­nation or emotive emphasis. Used only by women and children in informa situat­ions. b.) Marks an informal question.

a.) Onaka ga itai no.
I have a stomach ache.
b.) Ashita konai no.
Aren't you coming tomorrow?

-sa Mainly used by men to emphasize a sentance.

Sonna koto wa wakatteiru sa.
I certainly know of such a thing.

-wa Used only by women for emphatic function or softening effect.

Watashi ga suru wa.
I'll do it.

-yo a.) Emphasizes a command. b.)Mod­erate emphasis.

a.) Okoranaide yo!
Don't get so angry at me!
b.) Ano eiga wa sugoku yokatta yo.
That movie was very good.

-ze Elicits agreement. Used mainly by men in casual conver­sation or with those of a lower social status.

Nomi ni ikou ze.
Let's go for a drink.
-zo Mainly used by men to emphasize an opinion or judgement.

Iku zo.
I'm going.