Improve your understanding and ability to use Japanese with this extra practice of the sentence patterns you met in the fourth dialogue.
In English
Have you ever...? 1A: Have you ever eaten sushi? 2A: Have you ever played baseball? 3A: have you ever read a Japanese book? 4A: Have you ever seen a fox? Which... did you...? 1A: Which movie did you watch? 2A: Which horse did you ride? 3A: Which student did you speak to? 4A: Which newspaper did you read? Why did you ...? 1A: Why did you go to Takasaki? 2A: Why did you listen to that song? 3A: Why did you choose that book? 4A: Why did you drink tea? |
In Romaji
...koto ga arimasu ka? 1A: Sushi o tabeta koto ga arimasu ka? 2A: Yakyuu o shita koto ga arimasu ka? 3A: Nihongo no hon o yonda koto ga arimasu ka? 4A: Kitsune o mita koto ga arimasu ka? Dono... ...ta ka? 1A: Dono eiga o mimashita ka? 2A: Dono uma ni norimashita ka? 3A: Dono gakusei ni hanashi- -mashita ka? 4A: Dono shinbun o yomi- -mashita ka? Doushite... ...ta ka? 1A: Doushite Takasaki ni ikimashita ka? 2A: Doushite sono kyoku o kikimashita ka? 3A: Doushite sono hon o erabimashita ka? 4A: Doushite o-cha o nomimashita ka? |
EnglishHave you ever...? 1A: Have you ever eaten sushi? 2A: Have you ever played baseball? 3A: have you ever read a Japanese book? 4A: Have you ever seen a fox? Which... did you...? 1A: Which movie did you watch? 2A: Which horse did you ride? 3A: Which student did you speak to? 4A: Which newspaper did you read? Why did you ...? 1A: Why did you go to Takasaki? 2A: Why did you listen to that song? 3A: Why did you choose that book? 4A: Why did you drink tea? |
Japanese...koto ga arimasu ka? 1A: Sushi o tabeta koto ga arimasu ka? 2A: Yakyuu o shita koto ga arimasu ka? 3A: Nihongo no hon o yonda koto ga arimasu ka? 4A: Kitsune o mita koto ga arimasu ka? Dono... ta ka? 1A: Dono eiga o mimashita ka? 2A: Dono uma ni norimashita ka? 3A: Dono gakusei ni hanashimashita ka? 4A: Dono shinbun o yomimashita ka? Doushite... ta ka? 1A: Doushite Takasaki ni ikimashita ka? 2A: Doushite sono kyoku o kikimashita ka? 3A: Doushite sono hon o erabimashita ka? 4A: Doushite o-cha o nomimashita ka? |
There are two versions of the simple past, when it comes to verbs.
One is where the verbs usually end in "...ta" or "da." This is the more informal version or when used in constructions like "... koto ga arimasu."
The other is when the verbs end in "...mashita." This is the more formal version.
Remember that at the beginning I said that the Japanese, in their speech, use different constructions, depending on who they are talking to. Well, if they want to be polite, they would use the ...mashita form.
"Dono" is "which," when there is choice of two or more.
Say tabeta, which means "ate," as though the syllables were separate words: ta-beh-ta.
Say nihongo, which means "the Japanese language:" nee-hon-goh.
Say kitsune, which means "fox:" kee-tsoo-neh.
Say doushite, which means "why:" doh-oo-shee-teh.
Say erabimashita, which means "chose:" eh-ra-bee-ma-shee-ta.
Say shinbun, which means "newspaper:" sheen-bun.
As you can see, it's just a matter of putting the number of the month before "gatsu."
January: ichigatsu = pronunciation: eechee-ga-tsoo.
February: nigatsu = pronunciation: nee-ga-tsoo.
March: sangatsu = pronunciation: san-ga-tsoo.
April: shigatsu = pronunciation: shee-ga-tsoo.
May: gogatsu = pronunciation: goh-ga-tsoo.
June: rokugatsu = pronunciation: roh-koo-ga-tsoo.
July: shichigatsu = pronunciation: shee-chee-ga-tsoo.
August: hachigatsu = pronunciation: ha-chee-ga-tsoo.
September: kugatsu = pronunciation: koo-ga-tsoo.
October: juugatsu = pronunciation: joo-oo-ga-tsoo.
November: juuichigatsu = pronunciation: joo-oo-ichee-ga-tsoo.
December: juunigatsu = pronunciation: joo-oo-nee-ga-tsoo.