Let's look at the Japanese grammar concerning the third of our dialogues, along with the Japanese kanji and kana.
The Japanese translation of each of the Japanese words will give you a better understanding of the Japanese language.
I will not repeat the definitions of words we have already defined in any of the previous Japanese grammar pages.
Tokoro de ところで means "By the way."
Namae 名前 means "name."
Yonde 呼んで is a form of the verb yobu, which means "to name."
This "de" form or in other verbs, the "te" form turns, in this case, a verb into a request. As you met in the previous dialogue, it does have different meanings. Remember "o-ai dekite," where it had a different meaning?
Kudasai ください means "please" and makes the "te" form more polite.
Verbs don't change much in Japanese. There are just a few simple rules.
It is said that there are basically three types of verb:
irregular; the verbs that end in "u" and those that end in "ru."
Forms of verb
Plain simple past "te" polite
present/past
There are only two irregular verbs:
Kuru kita kite kimasu/kimashita
Suru shita shite shimasu/shimashita
Verbs that end in "ru:"
Miru mita mite mimasu/mimashita
Taberu tabeta tabete tabemasu/tabemashita
Verbs that end in "u:"
Katsu katta katte kachimasu/kachimashita
Yomu yonda yonde yomimasu/yomimashita
Modoru modotta modotte modorimasu/...mashita
Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular. However, the way they change in the simple past and "te" form is sometimes not what you would expect.
Verbs don't change much in Japanese. There are just a few simple rules.
It is said that there are basically three types of verb:
irregular; the verbs that end in "u" and those that end in "ru."
Forms of verb
Plain simple past "te" polite
present/past
There are only two irregular verbs:
Kuru kita kite kimasu/kimashita
Suru shita shite shimasu/shimashita
Verbs that end in "ru:"
Miru mita mite mimasu/mimashita
Taberu tabeta tabete tabemasu/tabemashita
Verbs that end in "u:"
Katsu katta katte kachimasu/kachimashita
Yomu yonda yonde yomimasu/yomimashita
Modoru modotta modotte modorimasu/...mashita
Beware
of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular. However, the
way they change in the simple past and "te" form is sometimes not what
you would expect.
Douzo どうぞ means "please" and can be used in most all of the scenarios you might use it in English.
Yoroshiku よろしく gives the idea of "regards" or "feelings" towards someone.
Douzou yoroshiku どうぞよろしく is one of these stock Japanese phrases you can use and means "pleased to meet you."
Doko どこ means "where."
The particle ni に. Here it can be translated as "in."
The -masu form of the verb iku 行きます, which means "to go."
Totemo とても means "very."
Notice the da だ. This is the familiar present tense of desu. It is used in the middle of polite sentences too.
Sou そう. Another use of Sou. This time it indicates reported speech and can be translated as "I hear..."
Itsu いつ means "when."
Made まで means "until."
Itsu いつ means "when."
Nihon 日本 means "Japan."
kaerimasu 帰ります is the polite form of kaeru, which means to return.
No ato de の後で means "after."
Mou もう means "another."
Futsu ka kan 二日間 means "a period of two days." Notice the other readings for 二 and 日.
Sugoshimasu 過ごします is the polite form of sugosu, which means to "spend."
Sore kara それから means "after that."
Hi kou ki 飛行機 means "airplane."
Tou kyou 東京 means "Tokyo."
Ganbatte kudasai 頑張って下さい means "Do your best!"
Remember to practice writing the kanji you have met so far and add them to your notebook for further practice when you have nothing to do.
You should be getting quite good at basic Japanese now, as well as knowing a fair amount of words in Japanese.
Well done! Stick at it and you'll be perfect before you know it.
頑張って下さい。
Let's take a look at the final section of our basic Japanese dialogue. When you feel you are ready, click here.