Knowledge Base

• —Ohayou (gozaimasu) = Good morning
• —Konnichiwa = Good afternoon/Hello
• —Konbanwa = Good evening
• —Oyasumi (nasai) = Good night

• —Ichi = One
• —Ni = Two
• —San = Three
• —Yon = Four
• —Go = Five
• —Roku = Six
• —Nana = Seven
• —Hachi = Eight
• —Kyu = Nine
• —Ju = Ten
• —Ju-ichi = Eleven
• —Ju-ni = Twelve

To count in tens add the suffix -ju.

• —Ju = Ten
• —Ni-ju = Twenty
• —San-ju = Thirty
• —Yon-ju = Fourty
• —Go-ju = Fifty
• —Roku-ju = Sixty
• —Nana-ju = Seventy
• —Hachi-ju = Eighty
• —Kyu-ju = Ninety

To count in hundreds add the suffix -hyaku.

• —Hyaku = one hundred
• —Ni-hyaku = two hundreds
• —San-byaku = three hundreds
• —Yon-hyaku = four hundred
• —Go-hyaku = Five hundred
• —Roppyaku = Six hundred
• —Nana-hyaku = Seven hundred
• —Happyaku = Eight hundred
• —Kyu-hyaku = Nine hundred

To count in thousand add the suffix -sen.

• —Sen = One thousand
• —Ni-sen = Two thousand
• —San-zen = Three thousand
• —Yo-sen = Four thousand
• —Go-sen = Five thousand
• —Roku-sen = Six thousand
• —Nana-sen = Seven thousand
• —Has-sen = Eight thousand
• —Kyu-sen = Nine thousand

To count in 10,000 add the suffix to -man.

• —Ichi-man = Ten thousand (one ten thousand)
• —Ni-man = Twenty thousand (two ten thousand)
• —San-man = Thirty thousand (three ten thousand)
• —Yon-man = Fourty thousand (four ten thousand)
• —Go-man = Fifty thousand (five ten thousand)
• —Roku-man = Sixty thousand (six ten thousand)
• —Nana-man = Seventy thousand (seven ten thousand)
• —Hachi-man = Eighty thousand (eight ten thousand)
• —Kyu-man = Ninety thousand (nine ten thousand)
• —Ju-man = Hundred thousand (ten ten thousand)

Add the suffix -nin to the number.

• —Hitori = 1 person
• —Futari = 2 people
• —San-nin = 3 people
• —Yo-nin = 4 people
• —Go-nin = 5 people
• —Roku-nin = 6 people
• —Nana-nin / Shichi-nin = 7 people
• —Hachi-nin = 8 people
• —Kyu-nin = 9 people
• —Ju-nin = 10 people

This is slighty more complicated in Japanese, as it depends on what kind of objects we are counting (flat, cylindrical, so an and so forth). To keep this simple let's only remember the ones we use to count things (so "one thing", "two things", "three things", etc.).

• —Hitotsu = One
• —Futatsu = Two
• —Mittsu = Three
• —Yottsu = Four
• —Itsutsu = Five
• —Muttsu = Six
• —Nanatsu = Seven
• —Yattsu = Eight
• —Kokonotsu = Nine
• —Too = Ten

Add the suffix -ji to the number.

• —Ichi-ji = One o'clock
• —Ni-ji = Two o'clock
• —San-ji = Three o'clock
• —Yo-ji = Four o'clock
• —Go-ji = Five o'clock
• —Roku-ji = Six o'clock
• —Shichi-ji = Seven o'clock
• —Hachi-ji = Eight o'clock
• —Ku-ji = Nine o'clock
• —Ju-ji = Ten o'clock
• —Ju-ichi-ji = Eleven o'clock
• —Ju-ni-ji = Twelve o'clock

Add the suffix -sai to the number.

• —Ichi-sai = 1 year old
• —Ni-sai = 2 years old
• —San-sai = 3 years old
• —Yon-sai = 4 years old
• —Go-sai = 5 years old
• —Roku-sai = 6 years old
• —Nana-sai = 7 years old
• —Has-sai = 8 years old
• —Kyu-sai = 9 years old
• —Ju-sai = 10 years old

Add the suffix -gatsu to the number.

• —Ichi-gatsu = January
• —Ni-gatsu = February
• —San-gatsu = March
• —Shi-gatsu = April
• —Go-gatsu = May
• —Roku-gatsu = June
• —Shichi-gatsu = July
• —Hachi-gatsu = August
• —Ku-gatsu = September
• —Ju-gatsu = October
• —Ju-ichi-gatsu = November
• —Ju-ni-gatsu = December

Add the -jin suffix to the country name.

• —Nihonjin = Japanese (person)
• —Amerikajin = American (person)
• —Igirisujin = English (person)
• —Rumaniajin = Romanian (person)

Add the -go suffix to the country name.

• —Nihongo = Japanese (language)
• —Eigo = English (language)
• —Rumaniago = Romanian (language)

Add the -youbi suffix to the following list:

• —Getsu = Monday (Moon 🌙)
• —Ka = Tuesday (Fire 🔥)
• —Sui = Wednesday (Water 💧)
• —Moku = Thursday (Wood 🪵)
• —Kin = Friday (Gold 🥇)
• —Do = Saturday (Earth 🌍)
• —Nichi = Sunday (Sun ☀️)

• —Nani = What
• —Doko = Where
• —Itsu = When
• —Nande = Why
• —Dare = Who
• —Dou/Douyatte = How
• —Dore = Which

Dou vs Douyatte

In English we use "How?" for both an opinion/state (How was it?) and also for method/process (How do I do it?). In Japanese it's different.

• —Dou is used to ask for opinion/state
• —Douyatte is used for method/process; literally comes from dou (how) + yatte (doing)

Attach the right suffix to the word nan. The "time" suffix is -ji, so it becomes nan-ji which means what time. So to ask about the time you'd say Nan-ji desu ka?

• —Nan-ji = What time
• —Nan-gatsu = What month
• —Nan-sai = What age
• —Nan-nin = How many (people)
• —Nan-nichi = What day

• —Shiroi (Shiro - noun form) = White
• —Kuroi (Kuro - noun form) = Black
• —Akai (Aka - noun form) = Red
• —Aoi (Ao - noun form) = Blue
• —Kiiroi = Yellow
• —Midori (no) = Green
• —Murasaki (no) = Purple
• —Orenji (no) = Orange
• —Pinku (no) = Pink

Why the noun forms?

The cat is white and black = Neko wa shiro to kuro desu

We can use to here to connect two nouns.

If we would be using the adjectives (shiroi and kuroi) we need a different glue word: -kute

Neko wa shirokute kuroi desu

💡 Things to watch out for

ni vs de

• —ni is for being somewhere (static).

• —de is for doing something somewhere (active).

wa vs ga

• —wa introduces what you're talking about.

• —ga points a finger at a specific thing.

o

• —Always use o for the thing being "acted upon"

Recap

• —wa = topic marker
• —ga = subject marker (points at something specific)
• —o = object marker (the thing acted upon)
• —ni = direction/time marker
• —de = location/tool marker
• —no = possession marker ("Tsuyoshi's bar")
• —to = "and" (connects nouns only)
• —kute = "and" (connects -i adjectives)

Use the word watashi.

• —Watashi wa = I...
• —Watashi no = My
• —Watashi ni = To me / For me
• —Watashi o = Me (directly)
• —Watashi to = With me

Use the word anata.

• —Anata wa = You
• —Anata no = Your
• —Anata ni = To you / For you
• —Anata o = You (directly)
• —Anata to = With you

Use the word kare.

• —Kare wa = He
• —Kare no = His
• —Kare ni = To him
• —Kare o = Him (directly)
• —Kare to = With him

Use the word kanojo.

• —Kanojo wa = She
• —Kanojo no = Her
• —Kanojo ni = To her
• —Kanojo o = Her (directly)
• —Kanojo to = With her

Use the suffix -tachi

• —Watashitachi = We
• —Anatatachi = You (plural)
• —Karetachi = They/them (men or mixed group)
• —Kanojotachi = They/them (women group)

Add the following suffixes to the verb stem.

• —masu = I (do something)...
• —masen = I don't (do something)...
• —mashita = I did (something)... / I have (done something)...
• —masen deshita = I didn't (do something)... / I haven't (done something)...

Example

Verb stem: nomi (from the verb "nomu" = "to drink")

• —nomimasu = I drink
• —nomimasen = I don't drink
• —nomimashita = I drank / I did drink / I have drunk
• —nomimasen deshita = I didn't drink / I haven't drank

Add the following suffixes to the verb stem.

• —tai = I want to ...
• —takunai = I don't want to ...
• —takatta = I wanted to...
• —takunakatta = I didn't want to...

Example

Verb stem: iki (from the verb "iku" = "to go")

• —ikitai = I want to go
• —ikitakunai = I don't want to go
• —ikitakatta = I wanted to go
• —ikitakunakatta = I didn't want to go

If you add the suffix -sou to an adjective or a verb's stem, you can form sentences like "It looks [adjective]..." and "It looks like it's going to [verb]..."

• —Oishisou = It looks delicious
• —Genkisou = It looks healthy (energetic)
• —Tanoshisou = It looks fun
• —Furisou = It looks like it's going to rain
• —Nomisou = It looks like [someone] is going to drink
• —Tabesou = It looks like [someone] is going to eat
• —Ikisou = It looks like [someone] is going to go

There are two variants, Arimasu for things and Imasu for living things.

Arimasu - for things

• —Menu arimasu ka? = Do you have a menu?
• —Arimasen = We don't have it
• —Arimashita ka? = Was it there?
• —Iie, arimasen deshita = No, it wasn't there

Imasu - for living things

• —Neko ga imasu ka? = Do you have a cat?
• —Imasu = I have one.
• —Inu ga imashita ka? = Did you have a dog?
• —Iie, imasen deshita = No, I didn't have one

Recap

• —Arimasu = Have/Exist (for things)
• —Imasu = Have/Exist (for living things)

Verbs

Add the -masen suffix (polite) or -nai suffix (casual).

• —tabemasen = I don't eat (polite)
• —tabenai = I don't eat (casual)

• —ikimasen = I don't go (polite)
• —ikinai = I don't go (casual)

• —wakarimasen = I don't understand (polite)
• —wakaranai = I don't understand (casual)

Adjectives ending in i

Replace the last i with kunai (casual) or ku arimasen (polite).

• —oishikunai = Not delicious (casual)
• —oishiku arimasen = Not delicious (polite)

Nouns (or na-adjectives)

Use ja nai (casual) or ja arimasen (polite).

• —Isha ja nai desu = I'm not a doctor
• —Nihonji ja nai desu = I'm not Japanese

Recap

• —masen/nai = negation for verbs (polite/casual)
• —kunai = negation for adjectives ending in "i"
• —ja nai = negation for nouns na-adjectives

In English, we use the verb to want for everything: I want a pizza, I want to sleep, I want a cat. In Japanese, you have to split your brain into two channels: Actions and Objects.

Wanting to DO something

Add the -tai suffix to the verb's stem.

• —Biiru o nomitai = I want to drink beer
• —Sushi o tabeitai = I want to eat sushi

Wanting SOMETHING

Add the word hoshii.

• —Biiru ga hoshii = I want beer
• —Sushi ga hoshii = I want sushi

Hoshii conjugations

• —Nani ga hoshii desu ka? = What do you want?
• —Inu ga hoshikunai = I don't want a dog
• —Neko ga hoshikatta desu = I wanted a cat

Recap

• —tai = wanting to do something
• —hoshii = wanting something

Recap

• —Nomimasu = drink
• —Tabemasu = eat
• —Ikimasu- = go
• —Kimasu = come
• —Wakarimasu- = understand
• —Mimasu = see/watch/look
• —Imasu = have/exists (for living things)
• —Arimasu = have/exists (for things)
• —Kaimasu = buy

• —Sumimasen = Excuse me
• —Arigatou gozaimasu = Thank you
• —Kudasai = Please

• —Onegaishimasu = Please

• —Daijoubu desu = I'm okay / It's fine / Don't worry / No thank you

• —Gomen (nasai) = Sorry (I am sorry)
• —Itadakimasu = I humbly receive (said before a meal)
• —Gochisousama = Thank you for the meal

• —Oishii = Delicious
• —Okane = Cash/Money
• —Mo ichido = Once again

• —Ima = Now

• —Gozen = AM

• —Gogo = PM

• —Kara = From (time/place)

• —Made = Until/To (time/place)

• —Ashita = Tomorrow

• —Kinou = Yesterday

• —Kyou = Today

• —Shuumatsu = Weekend

• —Kore = This

• —Sore = That

• —Koko = Here

• —Soko = There

• —Eki = Train station

• —Ani = (older) Brother
• —Ane = (older) Sister
• —Haha = Mother
• —Chichi = Father
• —Sensei = Teacher
• —Tomodachi = Friend(s)
• —Kodomo = Child/Children
• —Isha = Doctor
• —Inu = Dog
• —Neko = Cat

• —Atsui = Hot
• —Samui = Cold
• —Genki = Healthy, energetic, lively, in good spirits, or just "doing well"
• —Tanoshii = Healthy, energetic, lively, in good spirits, or just "doing well"
• —Chotto = A little bit
• —Sukoshi = A little / A small amount / A small distance
• —Totemo = Very/Extremly
• —Zenzen = At all (must be used with a negation)

• —Suki = to like (as in Suki desu = I like...)

• —Kirai = to dislike/hate (as in Kirai desu = I dislike...)

• —Nashide = without

• —Sushi = Sushi
• —Mizu = Water
• —Ocha = Tea
• —Biiru = Beer
• —Koohii = Coffee

• —Kasa = Umbrella
• —Kaban = Bag

• —Naruhodo = I see / Makes sense

• —Sugoi = Wow / Amazing
• —Kakkoii = Cool / Handsome / Stylish
• —Maji de? = Seriously? / For real?

• —Ne = ..., right?

• —Nan-nin = How many people
• —Ikura desu ka? = How much it is?

• —Soshite = ...and then...