Lesson 9 – Grammar Notes
This file contains grammar explanations for Minna no Nihongo Lesson 9, with Japanese examples (with spaces and furigana in parentheses) and English translations.
1. N + が + V (あります / わかります / すきです)
(N + が + V(have / understand / like))
(Object marking with が)
The object of a transitive verb is marked with
を
. However, objects of the verbs
and
are marked with
.
Such adjectives as
,
,
じょうずです
, and
へたです
require objects, and these are marked with
, too. The verbs and adjectives whose objects are marked with
are those kinds that describe preference, ability, possession, and the like.
Examples:
📝
わたし は イタリア料理(りょうり) が 好(す)き です。
I like Italian food.
2. N
(What kind of N)
Other than the usage you learned in Lesson 8, どんな is also used to ask the listener to name one from a group which the noun after どんな denotes.
Example:
3. / / / / /
(Very / Mostly / A lot / A little / Not so / Not at all)
(Adverbs of degree and frequency)
These adverbs are put before verbs when they modify them. The following is a summary of their usage.
Degree Adverbs
Amount Adverbs
Note: すこし and ぜんぜん can also modify adjectives.
Examples:
I understand English very well.
I understand English a little.
I don't understand English very well.
📝
あの 映画(えいが) は 全然(ぜんぜん) おもしろくない です。
That movie is not interesting at all.
4. S₁ +
から
+ S₂
(Causal relationship connector)
から
connects two sentences together to denote a causal relationship. S₁ is the reason for S₂.
Examples:
📝
時間(じかん) が ありません から、新聞(しんぶん) を 読(よ)みません。
Because I don't have time, I don't read the newspaper.
Note: You can also state S₂ first and add the reason (から) after it.
Example:
❓
毎朝(まいあさ) 新聞(しんぶん) を 読(よ)みます か。
Do you read a newspaper every morning?
…いいえ、読(よ)みません。時間(じかん) が ありません から。
…No, I don't. Because I have no time.
5.
(Asking for reason)
The interrogative
is used to ask a reason. The answer needs
から
at the end.
Examples:
❓
どうして 朝(あさ) 新聞(しんぶん) を 読(よ)みません か。
Why don't you read a newspaper in the morning?
…Because I don't have time.
Note: The question どうしてですか is also used to ask the reason for what the other person has said.
Example:
I'll go home early today.
子供(こども) の 誕生日(たんじょうび) です から。
…Because today is my child's birthday.