Japanese cheat sheet

Three scripts

Modern Japanese uses hiragana, katakana and kanji. Their roles overlap, but they are different writing systems.

かな / カナ / 漢字

Predicate last

The predicate commonly comes at the end of a clause. Particles identify relationships among the preceding phrases.

私は本を読みます。 — I read a book.

Topic and object

は commonly marks a topic; を commonly marks a direct object. Other particles express different relationships.

本を読む — read a book

Verb forms

Learn a verb with its dictionary, polite and negative forms. Verb group determines how forms are made.

読む / 読みます / 読まない

Location: に and で

に can mark an existence location, destination or time in common constructions. で commonly marks the place where an activity happens; the predicate guides the choice.

図書館にいます。 — I am at the library. 図書館で勉強します。 — I study at the library.

い and な adjectives

These adjective classes use different constructions. An い adjective modifies a noun directly; a typical な adjective uses な before a noun.

高い本 — an expensive book; 静かな部屋 — a quiet room.

Existence verbs

いる commonly describes the existence of people and other animate beings; ある commonly describes inanimate things. Individual expressions and special uses need context.

猫がいます。 — There is a cat. 本があります。 — There is a book.

て-form constructions

The て-form connects with several grammatical constructions; it is not one tense. A verb’s class and irregularities determine its form.

待ってください。 — Please wait. 読んでください。 — Please read.

Worked example: past activity

昨日、図書館で本を読みました supplies time, activity location, direct object and a polite past predicate. Japanese permits an understood subject to remain unspoken.

昨日 = yesterday; 図書館で = at the library; 本を = a book; 読みました = read.

Common mistake: は always marks the subject

は commonly marks a topic or contrast, while subject marking and discourse focus involve other constructions, including が. The topic can be related to different grammatical roles.

私は本を読みます introduces “I” as the topic; this does not make は a universal subject marker.

Check your understanding

Choose the particle: 学校___勉強します.

で: 学校で勉強します — I study at school.

Curriculum connections

Sources