Unit 1 · Language points

New friends

6 patterns — same pack as the NidNoi app.

• XはYです — identifying

  XはYです。

  は (written は, pronounced wa) marks the topic. です is the polite “am / is / are.” Put the thing you are talking about before は, and the description before です.

  • 私は学生です。

    Watashi wa gakusei desu.

    I am a student.

  • 山田さんは先生です。

    Yamada-san wa sensei desu.

    Yamada is a teacher.

• か — yes/no questions

  Statement + か？

  Add か at the end of a polite sentence to make a question. Rising intonation helps; you do not need English-style word order.

  • 学生ですか。

    Gakusei desu ka.

    Are you a student?

  • 日本人ですか。

    Nihonjin desu ka.

    Are you Japanese?

• の — linking nouns

  Noun1のNoun2

  の connects two nouns. The first noun modifies the second (possession, affiliation, or “of”).

  • 私の名前

    watashi no namae

    my name

  • 山田さんの専攻

    Yamada-san no senkoo

    Yamada’s major

• も — also / too

  XもYです。

  も replaces は when something is also true of another topic. Think “X too.”

  • サラさんも学生です。

    Sara-san mo gakusei desu.

    Sarah is a student too.

  • 私も一年生です。

    Watashi mo ichinensei desu.

    I’m a first-year too.

• 何／どんな — what kind

  何ですか。／どんなNoun

  何 (なん) asks “what” for nouns like major or name. どんな asks “what kind of” before a noun.

  • 専攻は何ですか。

    Senkoo wa nan desu ka.

    What is your major?

  • どんな音楽が好きですか。

    Donna ongaku ga suki desu ka.

    What kind of music do you like?

• よろしくおねがいします

  よろしくおねがいします。

  A set phrase when meeting someone: “Please be kind to me” / “Looking forward to working with you.” Reply with こちらこそ.

  • はじめまして。よろしくおねがいします。

    Hajimemashite. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

    Nice to meet you. Please treat me well.

  • こちらこそ、よろしくおねがいします。

    Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

    Likewise, please treat me well.

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