Basics of the Japanese Language

Lunch-time sessions at PCCBy Peter Missen

Session 6

Food

Recap of previous session

Any questions about the previous session?

Anything to share?

Objectives for this session

Grammar– object marker– subject marker

Hungry/thirsty

Ordering at a Restaurant

Vegetarianism

Negative tense of verbs

The final set of sounds

Grammar – object marker (w)o をShows the action of a verb on a noun.Usage pattern:noun o verb o is written as (w)o in some text books.

Example:wain (w)o nomimasu. (drink wine)

ワインを飲みます。The verb to drink acts on the noun wine.

Grammar – subject marker ga が

Introduces a subject for the first time.Or when speaker believes information is new

to the listener.

watashi wa wain ga suki desu. I like wine.

私はワインが好きです。suki = like (generally pronounced “ski”)

I’m hungry

onaka ga sukimashita.

御腹が空きました。

onaka = stomach (2kanji: honorific + stomach)sukimashita = empty

I’m thirsty

nodo ga kawakimashita.

喉が渇きました。

nodo = throatkawakimashita = dry

Sentences a waiter might use:gochuumon wa okimari desu ka. 

ご注文はお決まりですか。Have you decided on your order?go = honorificchuumon = order (2kanji: note + writing)o = honorifickimari = determine

okimari desu ka.   お決まりですか。Have you decided?

gochuumon wa. ご注文は。 (less formal) 

What would you like to order?

Ways to order sushi:

sushi o onegaishimasu.

すしをお願いします。(sushi please – polite)

sushi o kudasai.

すしをください。(sushi please – less formal)

sushi o moraimasu.

すしをもらいます。(to receive sushi)

I am a vegetarian

watashi wa saishokushugisha desu.

私は菜食主義者です。

(5 kanji: plant + eating + ethics + ism + person)OR watashi wa bejitarian desu

私はベジタリアンです。

I am a vegan

Add kanzen to make vegetarian mean vegan.

kanzen = complete 完全(2kanji: complete + whole)

watashi wa kanzensaishokushugisha desu.

私は完全菜食主義者です。

Some object marker examples.watashi wa bi-ru o nomimasu. I drink beer

私はビールを飲みます。bi-ru = beernomimasu = polite form of verb to drink

watashi wa toriniku o tabemasu. I eat chicken.

私は鶏肉を食べます。toriniku = chicken meat (2kanji: chicken + meat)tabemasu = polite form of verb to eat

To make a verb negative

Use ~masen ending. For example:

wakarimasen 解りません。 (don’t understand)

nomimasen 飲みません。 (don’t drink)

tabemasen 食べません。 (don’t eat)

I don’t…

watashi wa bi-ru o nomimasen.

私はビールを飲みません。I don’t drink beer

watashi wa toriniku o tabemasen.

私は鶏肉を食べません。I don’t eat chicken.

I don’t…

watashi wa furansugo o wakarimasen.

私はフランス語を解りません。I don’t understand FrenchFrench = Katakana France + kanji for language

watashi wa sakana o tabemasen.

私は魚を食べません。I don’t eat fishsakana = fish

I don’t…watashi wa niku o tabemasen.

私は肉を食べません。I don’t eat meat.niku = meat

watashi wa butaniku o tabemasen.

I don’t eat pork.

私は豚肉を食べません。butaniku = pork (2 kanji: pig + meat)

The final set of sounds

kya kyu kyosha shu shocha chu chonya nyu nyohya hyu hyo

mya myu myorya ryu ryo

gya gyu gyoja ju jo

bya byu byopya pyu pyo

きゃ　きゅ　きょしゃ　しゅ　しょちゃ　ちゅ　ちょ

にゃ　にゅ　にょ ひゃ　ひゅ　ひょ みゃ　みゅ　みょ

りゃ　りゅ　りょぎゃ　ぎゅ　ぎょじゃ　じゅ　じょ

びゃ　びゅ　びょぴゃ　ぴゅ　ぴょ

No Homework!!!

An interesting Japanese sentence to finish on:

裏庭には二羽、庭には二羽鶏が居る。uraniwa ni wa niwa, niwa ni wa niwa niwatori ga iru. In the back garden there are two, in the garden there are two chickens.

That’s all folks…

A final chance for questions ???????gambatte kudasai…