Lesson 4 – Grammar Notes
This file contains grammar explanations for Minna no Nihongo Lesson 4, with Japanese examples (with spaces and furigana in parentheses) and English translations.
1. Expressing Time: 今(いま) 一時(いちじ) 一分(いっぷん) です
(Telling the time)
- To express time, use the counter suffixes
時(じ)
(o'clock) and 分(ふん/ぷん)
(minutes). Numbers are put before them.
分(ふん)
is read ふん
after 2, 5, 7, 9; ぷん
after 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10.- The interrogative is used with a counter suffix to ask questions about numbers/amounts. is used to ask the time.
Examples:
What time is it now?
It's seven ten.
❓
ニューヨーク は 今(いま) 何時(なんじ) です か。
In New York, what time is it now?
It's 4 a.m.
2. A) Verb ます Form
(Polite verb form)
- A verb with
ます
works as a predicate.
ます
makes a sentence polite.
Example:
📝
わたし は 毎日(まいにち) 勉強(べんきょう) します。
I study every day.
2. B) Verb Conjugation:
(Verb conjugation: present, negative, past, past negative)
ます
is used for habitual actions, truths, or future events.ません
is the negative form. is the past form. is the past negative.
| Mode | non-past (future/present) | past |
|---|
| Affirmative | | |
| Negative | | |
Examples:
📝
毎朝(まいあさ) 6時(ろくじ) に 起(お)きます。
I get up at six every morning.
I'll get up at six tomorrow morning.
I got up at six this morning.
Question/Answer Example:
Yes, I did.
No, I didn't.
3. N (time) に V
(Action at a specific time)
- When a verb denotes a momentary action or movement, the time is marked with the particle
に
.
に
is added when the noun before it uses a numeral or day of the week.
Examples:
📝
7月2日(しちがつふつか) に 日本(にほん) へ 来(き)ました。
I came to Japan on July 2nd.
📝
日曜日(にちようび) [に] 奈良(なら) へ 行(い)きます。
I'm going to Nara on Sunday.
4. N1 から N2 まで
(From N1 to N2)
から
indicates the starting time/place, まで
indicates the finishing time/place.
Examples:
13.
9時(くじ) から 5時(ごじ) まで 働(はたら)きます。
I work from nine to five.
14.
大阪(おおさか) から 東京(とうきょう) まで 3時間(さんじかん) かかります。
It takes three hours from Osaka to Tokyo.
から
and まで
are not always used together.
- Sometimes
です
is added after から
or まで
.
16.
銀行(ぎんこう) は 9時(くじ) から 3時(さんじ) まで です。
The bank is open from nine to three.
17.
昼休(ひるやす)み は 12時(じゅうにじ) から です。
Lunchtime starts at twelve.
5. N1 と N2
(N1 and N2)
- The particle
と
connects two nouns in coordinate relation.
Example:
18.
銀行(ぎんこう) の 休(やす)み は 土曜日(どようび) と 日曜日(にちようび) です。
The bank is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
6. ～ね
(Seeking agreement or confirmation)
ね
is attached to the end of a sentence to add feeling, show sympathy, or confirm something.
Examples:
19.
毎日(まいにち) 10時(じゅうじ) ごろ まで 勉強(べんきょう) します。
I study till about ten every day.
That must be hard.
20.
山田(やまだ) さん の 電話番号(でんわばんごう) は 871 の 6813 です。
Mr. Yamada's telephone number is 871-6813.
871-6813, right?