More Japanese Grammar

In this more Japanese grammar page, let's continue checking our basic Japanese dialogues as to their grammatical implications.

In this way, the number of Japanese words that you know will increase as well as your understanding of the Japanese language.


Let's look at the next sentence in our second dialogue: イギリスでは初めてですか?

Igirisu, in katakana: イギリス means the United Kingdom.

de or is a particle with a meaning of "at" or "in." It acts like a preposition, which shows where the specific action takes place.

Hajimete, in kanji and hiragana: 初めて means "for the first time."


私は十年前に新婚旅行できました。

juu nen 十年 means 10 years.

mae means "before." It can be translated as "ago" in this sentence.

ni is a particle and indicates that what follows refers to the period of ten years ago.

shin kon 新婚 means "newly married."

ryo kou 旅行 means "trip."

de is another particle and in this sentence can be translated as "because of" or "on." Again, it is showing where the specific action of the verb, which follows it, is directed.

kimashita きました is the past tense of the irregular verb kuru, meaning "to come."


いつまで滞在しましたか?

itsu いつ means "when."

tai zai shimashita 滞在しました is the past tense of taizai suru, which means "to pay a visit."

suru is the only other irregular Japanese verb. That's good to know, isn't it?

Suru basically means "to make, do." This is its "plain form."

For example: "To study" is benkyou suru.

                   Polite(-masu) Form        Plain Form

I study is:      benkyou shimasu.       benkyou suru.

I studied:       benkyou shimashita.   benkyou shita.

I don't study: benkyou shimasen.     benkyou shinai.

I didn't study: benkyou shimasen      benkyou shinakatta.

                       deshita.

Use the plain form when you are talking to friends or children.

You might have noticed that the present tense also serves as the future tense. So, benkyou shimasu can also mean " I will study," depending on the context of the Japanese sentence.


私たちは六日滞在しました。とても楽しかったです。

roku nichi 六日 means six()days().

totemo とても means "very."

tanoshikatta 楽しかった is the past tense of tanoshii, which means "enjoyable."

You can do this with all adjectives that end in ...ii. Just knock off one "i" and add katta and you put the adjective into the past.

For example:

Big           okii           okikikatta         was big

Pleasant  tanoshii   tanoshikatta     was pleasant

Nice          yoi(ii)       yokatta            was nice

Happy      ureshii    ureshikatta       was happy

Adding the desu ですon to the end makes it polite.

Watashi wa ureshii desu.  I'm happy.


私たちはいろいろなところに滞在しました。
バッキンガムパレスが大好きでした。

iroiro na いろいろな is an adjective which means "various." Notice that it is one of those adjectives that require the particle "no."

tokoro ところ has various meanings and usages, which you will come to know as you progress in learning Japanese. Here it means "place."

ga dai suki が大好 means "to like very much." Notice the first kanji 大. You've met it before as ookii, meaning big.

The ga here is the subject marker for バッキンガムパレス, which is Buckingham Palace. However the main topic would be 私たち, which would take the wa, if it had not been omitted from the sentence.

Also, you will find that ga is usually used with suki in these kind of constructions.

deshita でした is the past form of desu. Datta being its more familiar form.


ほかのところに滞在しましたか?

Hoka no ほか means "other" and the no is a particle, which indicates that "other" refers to "places." Remember, the plurals of nouns are not expressed. Therefore, ほかのところ can be translated as "other places."

ni is another particle, which indicates the direction of what follows it. In this case taizai. It wouldn't even be translated in English, but would have the concept of "in."


私たちはイギリスの博物館にも滞在しました。 

Haku butsu kan 博物館 means museum.

Mo is another particle and has the concept of "also." This particle can also combine with other particles.


それも大好きでした。

Sore それ means "that," in the sense of something close to the person being spoken to. So the sore in this case would be the opinion, just voiced, of the person spoken to.

They have another word for "that," when the something is far away from both speaker and person spoken to, and that is are.

Kore これ means "this."

The "this" and "that" can refer to both physical objects, as well as concepts.

Try to remember them: これ それ


Let's check out the Japanese relating to our third dialogue!

When you feel ready, click here.