Japanese Verbs Eighteen

Japanese Verbs Eighteen, in our Learn Japanese series, deals with how to convey to someone that they can't do something and also that "all that someone ever does is ..."

For this "they can't do something" we can use the construction:

     ...te wa ikenai.

Again use the "...tte" form with this constrution.

For example, if you wanted to say, "Don't be late."

To be late =okureru.

This becomes: okurete.

Now add "wa ikemasen":

  okurete wa ikemasen.

Plain Form    "te" form       +tte ikemasen              Kanji/Kana

Suru             shite             shite wa ikemasen         してはいけません

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru              mite              mite wa ikemasen        見てはいけません

Taberu          tabete           tabete wa ikemasen      食べてはいけません

Verbs that end in "u:"

Matsu           matte            matte wa ikemasen      待ってはいけません

Yomu           yonde            yonde wa ikemasen      読んではいけません

Modoru        modotte          modotte wa ikemasen   戻ってはいけません

After the word list are a few examples:

Here = ここ　at = で　photograph = 写真　= しゃしん　to take = とる　work = 仕事　 = しごと

particle that indicates the subject within a larger topic = 　が　

to get behind = 遅れる　=  おくれる  computer = パソコン　to touch = 触る　= さわる　

You can’t take photos here.

　  ここで写真をとってはいけません。

Don't get behind in your work.　

    仕事が遅れてはいけません

Don't touch my PC!　

    私のパソコンを触ってはいけません。

Ikemasen on its own also means "Don't do that!"

Ikemasen/ikenai also convey irritation

Wallet = 財布  = さいふ  to forget = 忘れる = わすれる

Oh no! I forgot my wallet! 　

    いけない！財布を忘れてしまいました！

Instead of ...te wa ikenai, you can also use ...te wa dame/ …te wa naranai.

You can’t take photos here.

　  ここで写真をとってはいけません。

     ここで写真をとってはだめです。

      ここで写真をとってはなりません。

Let's look at the "…te" form, plus bakkari 

This translates to "the only thing (someone)ever does is…"

After the word list are a few examples:

cake = ケーキ　that(over there) = あの　child = 子　= こ　TV = テレビ　

she = 彼女　= かのじょ　romantic  = ロマンチックな  novel = 本　= ほん

 All you ever do is eat cake.　

     ケーキを食べてばっかりです。　

All that child ever does is watch the TV.　

  あの子はテレビを見てばっかりです。

All she ever reads are romantic novels.　

    彼女はロマンチックな本を読んでばっかりです。

Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

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

He = 彼　= かれ　possessive particle = の　guitar = ギター　lesson = 授業　= じゅぎょう

during　= 中　= ちゅう　friend= 友達　= ともだち　with = と to speak = 話す　= はなす

to smoke = 　タバコを吸う　= タバコをすう　wallet = 財布　= さいふ　

to forget = 忘れる　= わすれる　indicates something unexpected happened = しまう

ticket　= 乗車券　= じょうしゃけん 　passport = パスポート

computer game =  コンピュータゲーム　to do = やる　after = 後で　=  あとで　

to play mahjong = マージャンをする　sport = スポツ among = 中　= なか　

sumu = 相撲　 = すもう　abroad = 海外　= かいがい　trip = 旅行　= りょこう　

when = とき England = イギリス　

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 Verbs Eighteen 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 10 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.
   

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