Japanese Particles Four

With Japanese Particles Four, in our Learn Japanese series, we will look at "kara" "made" and "to."

Let's start off with "kara." In hiragana, this is から.

It can often be loosely translated as "from."


After the word list are a few examples:

English = イギリス Mr Suzuki = 鈴木さん = すずきさん to hear = 聞く 

Kana = カナ always = いつも to be late 遅れる = お

to telephone = 電話する  = でんわする  

It indicates the source, origin or starting point of someome or something.

I come from England. 

   イギリスからきました。

I heard (about it) from Mr Suzuki. 

    鈴木さんから聞きました。

When it's attached to the plain form of the verb it can have the meaning of "because, since,"  when giving reasons for something.

Kana is always late, so I'll call her. 

    カナはいつも遅れるから電話します。


  The particle made

It basically means "until."

After the below word list are a few examples:

Three = 三 = さん page = ページ six = 六 = ろく 

10 o'clock =十時 = じゅうじ to get up = 起きる = おきる Keiko = ケイコ

to come = 来る =  くる TV = テレビ to watch = 見る = みる 

can = ことができる Peter= ピーター

to telephone = 電話する = でんわする 

to study = 勉強する = べんきょうする must... = 。。。なければならない 

I read from page 3 to page 6.

  三ページから六ページまで読みました。

I stayed up until 10 pm. 

    十時まで起きていきました。

When used with the plain form of the verb it also means "until."

Until Keiko arrives we cannot watch TV.. 

    ケイコガ来るまでテレビを見ることができません。

We have to study until Peter calls. 

    ピーターが電話するまで勉強しなければなりません。


The particle "to"

After the below word list are a few examples:

Milk = ミルク coffee = コーヒー beer = ビール to drink = 飲む = のむ 

to eat out = 外食したい = がいしょくした to say = 言う = いう I = 私 = わたし 

tempura = 天ぷら = てんぷら to eat = 食べる = たべる sick = 病気 = びょうき 

to become  = なる

It is used to list out items:

I drink milk, coffee and beer

   ミルクとコーヒーとビールを飲みます。 

It also indicates direct or indirect quotes and thoughts and can often be translated as "that".

Peter said(that), he wants to eat out tonight.

 ピーターは外食したいと言いました。

When used after verbs, it often means "if" or "when."

I get sick, whenever I eat tempura. 

   私は天ぷらを食べると病気になります。


Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then kanji and finally hiragana:

This = この book = 本 = ほん Italy = イタリアから 

to bring = 持ってくる = もってくる Peter = ピーターさん now = 今 いま 

to leave = 出る = でる park = 公園 = こうえん to run = 走る = はしる 

what time = 何時 = なんじ 6 o'clock = 六時 ろくじ

homework = 宿題 = しゅくだい to finish = 終わる = おわる movie = 映画 = えいが

summer vaction = 夏休み = なつやすみ  later = あと three = 三 さん 

week = 週間 = しゅうかん next week = 来週 = らいしゅう 

Saturday = 土曜日 = どようび  sweater = セーター 

athletic shoes = 運動靴 = うんどうぐつ train = 電車 = でんしゃ bus =バス 

to collide = ぶつかる older sister = 姉 = あね younger sister = 妹 = いもうと 

to resemble = 似る = にる plan = 計画 = けいかん plain form os desu = だ 

to think = 思う = おもう who = 誰  = だれ to go = 行く = いく 

happy = 元気 = げんき


Try to translate English to Japanese for the below sentences, using the above list of words.

1. I brought this book from Italy.

2. Peter is coming, so I cannot go out. 

3. I ran to the post office.

4. Until what time are you staying?  

5. You cannot watch a movie until your homework is finished.

6. It's 3 weeks until summer vacation.

7. Bring a sweater and atheletic shoes next Saturday.

8. A train collided with a bus. 

9. My older sister resembles my younger sister.

10. I don’t think that's a very good plan. 

11. Who are you going with to the park? 

12. When she saw him she became happy.


Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

The only way to remember all this in Japanese Particles Four is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

  1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 12 Japanese phrases.
  2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
  3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.

Back to the Japanese words page