Base ｲﾁﾀ゙ ﾝ (verbs that end in - ｲﾙ /- ｴﾙ ) ｺ゙ ﾀ゙ ﾝ (any non- ｲﾁﾀ゙ ﾝ ornon-irregular verbs) ｽﾙ ｸﾙ Some ｺ゙ ﾀ゙ ﾝ V. look like ｲﾁﾀ゙ ﾝ V.

I

stem+

(verb minus- ﾙ )

-

stem+(verb minus final syllable)

“ ｱ” sound* ｼ ｺ

ﾊｼﾙ (run)ｷﾙ (cut)ｶｴﾙ (return)ｼﾙ (know)ｼｬﾍ゙ ﾙ (speak)ﾊｲﾙ (enter)ｹﾙ (kick)

II - “ ｲ” sound ｼ ｷ

III ﾙ “ ｳ” sound ｽﾙ ｸﾙ

IV ﾚ “ ｴ” sound ｽﾚ ｸﾚ

V ﾖｳ “ ｵｳ” sound ｼﾖｳ ｺﾖｳ

ﾃ ﾃ*BI of dipthong is ﾜ ( ｱ→ﾜ ) See song below

ｼﾃ ｷﾃ

ﾀ ﾀ ｼﾀ ｷﾀ

JAPANESE GRAMMAR REVIEW CARDConjugating Verbs – Different grammars require different bases

B ﾃ , B ﾀ song for ｺﾞﾀﾞﾝ verbs(sung to the tune of Silver Bells)“ ｳ , ﾂ , ﾙ … ｯﾃ ,ﾌﾞ , ﾑ , ﾇ … ﾝﾃﾞ ,ｸ … ｲﾃ , ｸﾞ … ｲﾃﾞ ,ｽ … ｼﾃ , are the ﾃ and ﾀ bases…ｳ , ﾂ , ﾙ … ｯﾀ ,ﾌﾞ , ﾑ , ﾇ … ﾝﾀﾞ ,ｸ … ｲﾀ , ｸﾞ … ｲﾀﾞ ,ｽ … ｼﾀ , are the ﾃ and ﾀ bases…”

Some Japanese Parts of SpeechVerb (V) – Does an action. Ends a sentence. Can be conjugated.ｲ Adjective (IA) – Adjectives that end in ｱｲ / ｲｲ / ｳｲ / ｵｲ (not ｴｲ ). Can act as adjectives or adverbs. Behaves similarly to verbs. Can be conjugated.ﾅ Adjective (NA) – All other adjective. Can act as adjectives or adverbs. Behaves similarly to nouns. Does not conjugate.Noun (N) – Person, place, thing, or idea. Does not conjugate.

Japanese soundsThe only vowels that exist in Japanese are the following five:｢ｱ｣ “ a” (as in awesome)｢ｲ｣ “ i” (as in east)｢ｳ｣ “ u” (as in oops)｢ｴ｣ “ e” (as in ever)｢ｵ｣ “ o” (as in open)

Particles: Particles mark parts of speech and other functions in a Japanese sentence. They usually come AFTER NOUNS

ﾊ = subject markerｶﾞ = secondary subject markerﾉ = noun linker/possessiveﾔ = “and” (etc implied)ﾄ = “and” (exhaustive list)ﾄ = “__”, quote markerﾄ = together, withﾃﾞ = method markerﾃﾞ = place of actionﾆ = place of existence

ﾆ = time markerﾆ = direction marker, “to”ﾍ = general directionｶﾗ = “from”ﾏﾃﾞ = “until”ｦ = object markerｶ = “or”ﾓ = “also”N ﾆ ﾂｲﾃ = about N.N ﾄｼﾃ = as a N.

N ｦ ﾄｵｼﾃ = through N.N ﾆ ﾖｯﾃ = through N. ﾄﾊ = definition marker ﾆﾊ = withinﾆﾓ = in alsoﾖﾘ = than (comparison)Ending particlesﾖ = exclamation, affirmationﾈ = agreementｶ = question marker

Watch your particles!N ﾆ ｼﾀｶﾞｳ = follow N. N ﾆ ｺﾀｴﾙ = answer to N. N ﾆ ｱｳ = meet N.N ﾆ ﾅﾙ = become N. N ﾆ ｽﾑ = live in N. N ﾆ ﾊｲﾙ = enter N.N ｦ ｷｸ = listen to N. N ﾆ ｷｸ = ask N.N ﾆ ｵｼｴﾙ = teach N.

Numbers1 = ｲﾁ 一 2 = ﾆ 二 3 = ｻﾝ 三4 = ｼ / ﾖﾝ 四5 = ｺﾞ 五6 = ﾛｸ 六7 = ｼﾁ / ﾅﾅ 七8 = ﾊﾁ 八9 = ｷｭｳ 九10 = ｼﾞｭｳ 十100 = ﾋｬｸ 百1000 = ｾﾝ 千10000 = ﾏﾝ 万

Days of the WeekMonday – ｹﾞﾂ曜日Tuesday – ｶ曜日Wednesday – ｽｲ曜日Thursday – ﾓｸ曜日Friday – ｷﾝ曜日Saturday – ﾄﾞ曜日Sunday – ﾆﾁ曜日

General Counter1 = ﾋﾄﾂ2 = ﾌﾀﾂ3 = ﾐｯﾂ4 = ﾖｯﾂ5 = ｲﾂﾂ6 = ﾑｯﾂ7 = ﾅﾅﾂ8 = ﾔｯﾂ9 = ｺｺﾉﾂ10 = ﾄｳ

Other Common Counters1 person = ﾋﾄﾘ2 people = ﾌﾀﾘ3+ people = # + ﾆﾝFlat objects = # + ﾏｲBooks = # + ｻﾂSmall objects = # + ｺCylindrical objects = # + ﾎﾝ

Days of month1st = ﾂｲﾀﾁ2nd = ﾌﾂｶ3rd = ﾐｯｶ4th = ﾖｯｶ5th = ｲﾂｶ6th = ﾑｲｶ7th = ﾅﾉｶ8th = ﾖｳｶ9th = ｺｺﾉｶ10th = ﾄｳｶ20th = ﾊﾂｶ14th = ｼﾞｭｳﾖｯｶ24th = ﾆｼﾞｭｳﾖｯｶAll others = # + ﾆﾁMonths = # + ｶﾞﾂYear = # + ﾈﾝ

Time Wordsｵﾄﾄｲ = day before yesterdayｷﾉｳ = yesterdayｷｮｳ = todayｱｼﾀ = tomorrowｱｻｯﾃ = day after tomorrow

Existence Verbsｲﾙ = exist (animate)ｱﾙ = exist (inanimate)

ｾﾝｾﾝｼｭｳ = week before lastｾﾝｼｭｳ = last weekｺﾝｼｭｳ = this weekﾗｲｼｭｳ = next weekｻﾗｲｼｭｳ = week after next

N ﾆｱﾙ / ｲﾙ = to be in N.N ｶﾞｱﾙ / ｲﾙ = to have N.

Time# + ｼﾞ = hours# + ﾌﾝ = minutesﾊﾝ = half past(2:30 ﾆｼﾞﾊﾝ )

ｺﾞｾﾞﾝ = a.m.ｺﾞｺﾞ = p.m.3:05pm= ｺﾞｺﾞｻﾝｼﾞｺﾞﾌﾝ

ｾﾝｾﾝｹﾞﾂ = month before lastｾﾝｹﾞﾂ = last monthｺﾝｹﾞﾂ = this monthﾗｲｹﾞﾂ = next monthｻﾗｲｹﾞﾂ = month after nextｵﾄﾄｼ = year before lastｷｮﾈﾝ = last yearｺﾄｼ = this yearﾗｲﾈﾝ = next yearｻﾗｲﾈﾝ = year after next

ﾏｲﾆﾁ = every dayﾏｲｼｭｳ = every weekﾏｲﾂｷ = every monthﾏｲﾄｼ = every year

P.F. of ｱﾙ

ｱﾙ ﾅｲ

ｱｯﾀ ﾅｶｯﾀ

BI + ﾅｲ ﾃﾞｸﾀﾞｻｲ = please do not verb

BI + ﾅｲ ﾂﾓﾘ = intend not to verb

BI + ﾅｲ ﾖｳﾆ = so that you won’t verb

BI + ﾅｹﾚﾊﾞ ﾅﾗﾅｲ / ｲｹﾅｲ = must verb

BI + ﾅｸﾃ ﾊ ﾅﾗﾅｲ / ｲｹﾅｲ = must verb

BI + ﾅｸﾃ ﾓ = even if you don’t verb

BI + ﾅｸﾃ ﾓ ｲｲ = okay if you don’t verb

BI + ﾗﾚﾙ = can verb ( ｲﾁﾀﾞﾝ , ｦ→ｶﾞ )

BI + ﾗﾚﾙ = passive form ( ｲﾁﾀﾞﾝ )

BI + ﾚﾙ = passive form ( ｺﾞﾀﾞﾝ )

BI + ｻｾﾙ = causative ( ｲﾁﾀﾞﾝ )

BI + ｾﾙ = causative ( ｺﾞﾀﾞﾝ )

BI + ｽﾞ ﾆ = without verbing

BI + ﾅｲﾃﾞ = without verbing

BI + ﾛ = plain command form ( ｲﾁﾀﾞﾝ )

BII + ﾊｼﾞﾒﾙ = start verbing

BII + ｵﾜﾙ = finish verbing

BII + ｶﾀ = way of verbing

BII + ﾏｼｮｳ = let’s verb

BII + ﾏｽ box (see below)

BII + ﾅｶﾞﾗ = while verbing

BII + ﾅｻｲ = command form

BII + ﾆｸｲ = verbing is difficult

BII + ﾔｽｲ = verbing is easy

BII + ｿｳ = seems like s.o./s.t. is going to verb

BII + ｽｷﾞﾙ = verb too much

BII + ﾀｲ = want to verb

BII + ﾂﾂﾞｹﾙ = continue to verb

ｵ + BII + ｸﾀﾞｻｲ = (honorific) please verb

ｵ + BII + ﾆ ﾅﾙ = (honorific) to verb

ｵ + BII + ｽﾙ = (humble) to verb

BIII + ﾎｳ ｶﾞ ｲｲ = it is better to verb

BIII + ｶｷﾞﾘ = to the extent that you can verb

BIII + ｺﾄ ｶﾞ ﾃﾞｷﾙ = can verb

BIII + ﾏｴ ﾆ = before verbing

BIII + ﾅ = negative command form (don’t verb)

BIII + ﾀﾋﾞ ﾆ = every time I verb

BIII + ﾀﾒ ﾆ = in order to verb

BIII + ﾖｳﾆ = so that you verb

BIII + ﾂﾓﾘ = intend to verb

BIV = command form ( ｺﾞﾀﾞﾝ )

BIV + ﾊﾞ = if you verb

BIV + ﾙ = can verb ( ｺﾞﾀﾞﾝ , ｦ→ｶﾞ )BV = volitional form, plain form of let’s verb

BV + ﾄ ｽﾙ = try to verb

B ﾃ … B ﾃ / BII … BII = and for verbs/phrases

B ﾃ of ﾃﾞｽ = ﾃﾞ B ﾃ + ｲﾙ = currently verbing

B ﾃ + ｲﾙ = state of having verbed

B ﾃ + ﾊﾞｶﾘ ｽﾙ = do nothing but verb

B ﾃ + ﾎｼｲ = want s.o. else to verb

B ﾃ + ｱｹﾞﾙ = verb (as a favor) for s.o. else

B ﾃ + ｲﾀﾀﾞｹﾏｾﾝｶ ? = invitation, won’t you please verb?B ﾃ + ｲﾀﾀﾞｸ = to receive (a favor) of s.o. verbingB ﾃ + ｸﾀﾞｻｲﾏｾﾝｶ ? = invitation, won’t you please verb?B ﾃ + ｸﾀﾞｻﾙ = verb (as a favor) for s.o. else (receiver’s perspective)B ﾃ + ﾐﾙ = try out verbing (literally verb and see what happens)B ﾃ + ﾓ = even if you verb

B ﾃ + ﾓ ｲｲ = you may verb

B ﾃ + ｼﾏｳ = completely verb or unfortunately

B ﾃ + ﾊ ﾅﾗﾅｲ / ｲｹﾅｲ = must not verb

B ﾀ + ｱﾄ ﾃﾞ = after verbing

B ﾀ + ﾊﾞｶﾘ = have just verbed

B ﾀ + ﾎｳ ｶﾞ ｲｲ = should verb (strong)

B ﾀ + ｺﾄ ｶﾞ ｱﾙ = have verbed before

B ﾀ + ﾗ = if and when you verb

B ﾀ + ﾘ … B ﾀ + ﾘ ｽﾙ = do things like … and …NA + ﾅ + noun = adjective modifying nounNA + ﾆ + verb = adverb modifying verbIA stem + ｹﾚﾊﾞ = if IAIA stem + ｸ + verb = adverb modifying verb IA stem + ｸ = BII of IA

IA stem + ｸﾃ = B ﾃ of IA

N + ﾀﾞｹ = only NN + ｼｶ = except for N (end with negative)N + ｶﾞ ﾋﾂﾖｳ = need NN+ ｶﾞ ﾎｼｲ = want NN1 ﾖﾘ N2 + ﾉ ﾎｳ ｶﾞ NA/IA = N2 is more NA/IA than N1

N + ﾉ ｵｶｹﾞ ﾃﾞ = thanks to NN + ﾉ ｾｲ ﾃﾞ = as a fault of N / because of NN1 + ﾉ ﾖｳﾅ N2 = N2 like a N1

N + ﾉ ﾖｳﾆ V = V like NN1 + ﾄ ｲｳ N2 = N2 called “N1”

PF + ｿｳ = hearsay (I hear s.o./s.t. PF)PF + ﾍﾞｷ = should PF (no past tense)PF + ﾃﾞｼｮｳ = probably PF, affirmationPF + ｶﾓｼﾚﾅｲ = probably PFPF + ﾆ ﾁｶﾞｲ ﾅｲ = PF without a doubtPF + ﾊｽﾞ = supposed/expected to PFPF + ﾎﾄﾞ = to the extent you PFPF + ｶ ﾄﾞｳ ｶ = whether or not you PFPF + ｶﾗ = because PF (emphasis on reason)PF + ﾉﾃﾞ = because PF (emphasis on outcome)PF + ｺﾄ = nominalized PF/phrase PF + ﾅﾗ = if PFPF + ﾄｷ ﾆ = when you PFPF + ﾄ ｵﾓｳ = I think that PF/phrasePF + ﾉﾆ = despite, even though you PFPF + N = N that PFs (eg. ｵﾖｸﾞ ﾋﾄ = the person that swims)

Grammar Patterns – Many patterns apply to more parts of speech than are included here. Refer to a text book for variations.

ﾏｽ Box

V + -

Present BII + ﾏｽ BII + ﾏｾﾝ

Past BII + ﾏｼﾀ BII + ﾏｾﾝﾃﾞｼﾀ

PF Verb Box

V + -

Present BIII BI + ﾅｲ

Past BTA BI + ﾅｶｯﾀ

ﾃﾞｽ Box

N/NA + -

Present ﾃﾞｽ ﾃﾞﾊ ｱﾘﾏｾﾝ

Past ﾃﾞｼﾀ ﾃﾞﾊ ｱﾘﾏｾﾝﾃﾞｼﾀ

PF ﾃﾞｽ Box

N/NA + -

Present ﾃﾞ ｱﾙ / ﾀﾞ

ﾃﾞﾊ ﾅｲ /ｼﾞｬ ﾅｲ

Past ﾃﾞ ｱｯﾀ / ﾀﾞｯﾀ

ﾃﾞﾊ ﾅｶｯﾀ / ｼﾞｬ ﾅｶｯﾀ

PF IA Box

IA + -

Present stem + ｲ stem + ｸﾅｲPast stem + ｶｯﾀ stem + ｸﾅｶｯﾀ

To make IA polite, add ﾃﾞｽ .You cannot conjugate this ﾃﾞｽ .You must conjugate the IA.

Two reasons for plain form:1. Grammar calls for it2. Conversations where plain form3. is appropriate.

Numeral s-/sh-/t-/ch- sounds h- sounds f- sounds p-/k- sounds wa- sounds

1 iss-/itt- ( ｲｯ X) ipp- ( ｲｯ X ゜ ) ipp- ( ｲｯ X ゜ ) ipp-/ikk- ( ｲｯ X)

3 (1000/10000/

何 )#b- (#X ゛ ) #p- (#X ゜ ) sanba- ( ｻﾝ

ﾊﾞ )6 ropp- ( ﾛｯ

X ゜ )ropp- ( ﾛｯX ゜ )

ropp-/rokk- ( ﾛｯ X) roppa- ( ﾛｯﾊﾟ )

8 hass-/hatt- ( ﾊｯ X) happ- ( ﾊｯX ゜ )

happ- ( ﾊｯX ゜ )

happ-/hakk- ( ﾊｯ X) happa- ( ﾊｯﾊﾟ )

10 juss-/jutt- ( ｼﾞｭｯ X) jupp- ( ｼﾞｭｯX ゜ )

jupp- ( ｼﾞｭｯX ゜ )

jupp-/jukk- ( ｼﾞｭｯ X) jippa- ( ｼﾞｯﾊﾟ )

100 hyapp- ( ﾋｬｯX ゜ )

hyapp- ( ﾋｬｯX ゜ )

hyapp-/hyakk- ( ﾋｬｯX)

Exceptions:4 月 &7 月→ｼｶﾞﾂ & ｼﾁｶﾞﾂ3 千 & 何千→ｻﾝｾﾞﾝ & ﾅﾝｾﾞﾝ4→ ﾖ for 人 / 時 / 時間7→ ｼﾁ for 人 / 時 / 時間9→ ｸ for 月 / 時 / 時間