Lesson 11 – Grammar Notes
This file contains grammar explanations for Minna no Nihongo Lesson 11, with Japanese examples (with spaces and furigana in parentheses) and English translations.
1. Saying numbers
(Counting and quantifiers)
(Numbers and counter suffixes)
1) ひとつ、ふたつ･･････とお
These words are used to count things up to ten. For numbers eleven and higher, the numbers themselves are used.
Examples:
2) Counter Suffixes
Counter suffixes are attached after numbers to express quantity. Different counters are used for different types of things.
Common Counter Suffixes:
(i)
一人(ひとり) / 二人(ふたり) / 三人(さんにん) / 四人(よにん)
For people. Note: one person is ひとり, two people is ふたり. Four people is よにん.
For machines or vehicles (cars, bicycles).
For thin or flat things (paper, dishes, shirts, CDs).
(v)
一分(いっぷん) / 二分(にふん) / 三分(さんぷん)
For minutes.
(vi)
一時間(いちじかん) / 二時間(にじかん)
For hours.
(vii)
一日(いちにち) / 二日(ふつか) / 十日(とおか)
For days. Note: from two to ten days, the same words as used for dates are used (e.g., "one day" is 1にち, "two days" is ふつか, "ten days" is とおか).
(viii)
一週間(いっしゅうかん) / 二週間(にしゅうかん)
For weeks.
(ix)
一か月(いっかげつ) / 二か月(にかげつ)
For months.
📋 Notes to Remember
Counting Objects & People:
N + Particle + Number + Verb
There are five mandarins.
Time Counting:
Place + で + Time Duration + N + を + Verb
国(くに) で 2か月(にかげつ) 日本語(にほんご) を 勉強(べんきょう) しました。
I studied Japanese for two months in my country.
Note: Details and other counter suffixes are listed in the appendices.
3) Usage
Quantifiers are usually placed before the verbs they modify, with an exception for length of time.
Examples:
📝
外国人(がいこくじん) の 学生(がくせい) が 2人(にん) います。
There are two foreign students.
📝
国(くに) で 2か月(にかげつ) 日本語(にほんご) を 勉強(べんきょう) しました。
I studied Japanese for two months in my country.
4) Interrogatives
(1) いくつ
Used for things counted as ひとつ, ふたつ, etc.
Example:
How many mandarin oranges did you buy?
(2) なん
Used with a counter suffix.
Examples:
❓
この 会社(かいしゃ) に 外国人(がいこくじん) が 何人(なんにん) います か。
How many foreigners are there in this company?
❓
毎晩(まいばん) 何時間(なんじかん) 日本語(にほんご) を 勉強(べんきょう) します か。
How many hours do you study Japanese every night?
…2時間(にじかん) 勉強(べんきょう) します。
…Two hours.
(3) どのくらい
Used to ask the length of time something takes.
Examples:
❓
どのくらい 日本語(にほんご) を 勉強(べんきょう) しました か。
How long did you study Japanese?
…3年(さんねん) 勉強(べんきょう) しました。
…I studied it for three years.
❓
大阪(おおさか) から 東京(とうきょう) まで どのくらい かかります か。
How long does it take from Osaka to Tokyo?
…新幹線(しんかんせん) で 2時間半(にじかんはん) かかります。
…It takes two and a half hours by Shinkansen.
5) ぐらい
is added after quantifiers to mean "about."
Examples:
📝
学校(がっこう) に 先生(せんせい) が 30人(さんじゅうにん) ぐらい います。
There are about thirty teachers in our school.
It takes about fifteen minutes.
2. Quantifier (period) に V
(Quantifier (period) に V)
(Expressing frequency)
With this expression you can say how often you do something.
Example:
📝
1か月(いっかげつ) に 2回(にかい) 映画(えいが) を 見(み)ます。
I go to see movies twice a month.
Note: The quantifier before に indicates the period, and the quantifier after に indicates the frequency.
3. Quantifier だけ / Nだけ
(Quantifier だけ / Nだけ)
(だけ meaning "only")
means "only." It is added after quantifiers or nouns to express that there is no more or nothing (no one) else.
Examples:
📝
パワー電気(でんき) に 外国人(がいこくじん) の 社員(しゃいん) が 1人(ひとり) だけ います。
There is only one foreign employee in Power Electric.
📝
休(やす)み は 日曜日(にちようび) だけ です。
I only have Sundays off.