Basic Japanese for Noobs Cheat Sheet by PokemonTrainerGold

(A is B)
は is the particle indicating a topic. Adding です after B forms a predicate.
e.g.) 私はアンナです。 (I'm Anna.)

(Where is _?)
どこですか is a phrase that allows you to ask where something is, either a place or thing.
e.g.) トイレはどこですか。 (Where is a restroom?)

Verbs that end with ます are called "­ます-form verbs."­
The ます-form verbs are used when speaking politely.
To make it negative, we change ます to ません.
e.g.) 読みます (to read) = 読みません (not to read)

(There is/are _)
が is the particle that comes after a noun, which indicates the subject of a sentence. Essent­ially, が is used to introduce a person or a thing into the conver­sation for the first time. あります is a verb indicating that some things are there.
e.g.) ケーキがあります。 (There is a cake.)

(What time)
何 is "­wha­t" and 時 is "­tim­e." 時 is a counter indicating a specific hour.
e.g.) 何時ですか。 (What time is it?)

(A likes B)
好き is an adjective meaning "to be fond of," or "to like." Here, the particle が indicates the object of an adjective.
e.g.) アンナは漫画­が好きです。 (Anna likes MANGA.)

(as/be­cause _)
から expresses the reason.
e.g.) 資源ですから­、別の­袋に入­れてく­ださい­。Be­cause they are (recyc­lable) resources, please put them into another bag.

Using て-form verbs, you can express a string of actions occuring in succes­sion.
e.g.)
五階に上がり­ます+­左に行きます (to go up to the 5th floor) (to go to the left)
五階に上がっ­て、左­に行きます。( You go up to the 5th floor, and then, go to the left.)

The Japanese language has three types of scripts, Hiragana (ひらがな), Katakana (カタカナ) and Kanji (漢字), each with its own specific role.

Japanese demons­tra­tives are called こそあど words, taking the first syllables of the demons­tra­tives of the four groups, such as ここ (here), そこ (there), あそこ (over there), どこ (where).

The typical word order in Japanese is "­sub­ject, object, and verb."
e.g.) 私は漫画を読みます。 (I read manga.)
The particle を indicates the object of an action.

Japanese dictio­naries list verbs in this form. If you use this form, you sound more casual.
e.g.)
行きます (to go) = 行く
食べます (to eat) = 食べる

(Why don't we _?)
If you change ます of ます-form verbs to ませんか, you are inviting people to do something.
e.g.)
みんなで本屋­に行き­ます。(We will all go together to the bookst­ore.)
みんなで本屋­に行き­ません­か。(Why don't we all go together to the bookst­ore?)

(Let's_)
If you change the ます part of a verb to ましょう, you are making a proposal.
e.g.)
ここでおりま­す。(We will get off here.)
ここでおりま­しょう­。(Let's get off here.)

(What is this?)
か is a particle. When added to the end of a sentence with a rising intona­tion, it allows you to ask a question.
e.g.) それは何ですか。 (What is it?)

(Are you a Japanese?)
If the answer is "­yes­" = はい、私は日­本人です。
If the answer is "­no" = いいえ、私は­日本人­ではあ­りません。

When we use verbs in the middle of sentences, we use their conjugated forms. The conjugated verbs ending with て or で, are called "­て-form verbs."­ To turn ます-form verbs into て-form verbs, the basic pattern is just to change ます to て.
e.g.) 覚えます (to memorize) = 覚えて

います is a verb to express the existence of living things, such as people and animals.
e.g.) アンナがいます。 (Anna is here.)
あります refers to the existence of non-living things.

The た-form of verbs is the conjug­ation form of verbs that ends with た or だ. It is for the past or the perfect aspect of verbs. If you use this form, you sound more casual.
e.g.) なれます (to get used to) = なれた (got used to or have got used to)
Making た-form verbs is the same as making the て-form of verbs. Simply replace て with た, and で with だ.

(is/are _ing)
If you add います to the て-form verb, you can say an action is contin­uing.
e.g.)
ご飯を食べます。(I eat/will eat a meal.)
ご飯を食べて­います。(I am eating a meal.)

の is a particle that links two nouns. In Japanese, you put a modifying word before a noun.
e.g.) 東京のお土産 (a souvenir from Tokyo)

(To do _)
します is a verb that means "to do someth­ing." You can talk about many actions by combining をします with nouns.
e.g.)
勉強 (studying) = 勉強をします。 (I study.)
料理 (cooking) = 料理をします。 (I cook.)

(Please do _)
When you ask somebody to do something in Japanese, you say て-form verbs and then ください (please).
e.g.) 覚えます + ください = 覚えてください (Please memorize)

To turn ます-form verbs to the past form, you change ます to ました.
e.g.) 食べます (to eat) = 食べました (ate)

(May I _?)
If you say the て-form verb with もいいですか, it is an expression to ask for permis­sion.
e.g.) この林檎を食­べても­いいですか。 (May I eat this apple?)

(_ is/are a little bit ...)
You can say this to decline a proposal, in a soft, indirect way, without directly voicing disapp­roval.
e.g.) ホラーはちょ­っと.... (Horror stories are a little bit....)