Beginners Japanese Basics Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by akett

-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.

-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.

-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.

-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.

-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.

-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.

-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

-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.