Lesson 5 – Grammar Notes

1. N (place) へ 行(い)きます／来(き)ます／帰(かえ)ります

(Go / come / return to [place])

• When a verb indicates movement to a certain place, the particle へ is put after the place noun to show the direction of the move.

Note: The particle へ is read え.

2. どこ［へ］も 行(い)きません／行(い)きませんでした

(I don't (didn't) go anywhere)

• When an interrogative takes the particle も and the verb following it is negative, all that is represented by the interrogative is denied.

Note: WH Question + ［へ］も + Negative Verb = Negative WH Question

3. N (vehicle/Tools) で 行(い)きます／来(き)ます／帰(かえ)ります

(Go / come / return by [vehicle])

• The particle で indicates a means or a method. When verbs denoting movement (行きます, 来ます, 帰ります, etc.) are used with で, で indicates a means of transportation. The noun preceding で is a vehicle in this case.

• When you walk somewhere, you use the expression あるいて. In this case, で is not used.

4. N (person/animal) と V

(Do [verb] with [person/animal])

• When you do something with a person (or an animal), the person (or the animal) is marked with the particle と.

• If you do something alone, the expression ひとりで is used. In this case, と is not used.

5. いつ

(When)

• To ask about time, the interrogatives using なん (such as なんじ, なんようび, なんがつ, なんにち) are used. Other than these, the interrogative いつ (when) is also used to ask when something will happen/happened. いつ does not take the particle に.

6. S よ

(Emphasizing or asserting information)

• よ is placed at the end of a sentence. It is used to emphasize information which the listener does not know, or to show that you are giving your judgement or views assertively.