● ええと is a self-directed hesitation marker meaning “well…” or “uh…,” used while thinking or searching for words.
● あれ？ signals surprise (i.e., Oh? or What?), not a demonstrative pronoun "that." This interjection is self-directed. It can be used when the speaker is alone.
● あのう is an other-directed hesitation marker meaning “um…,” used in the presence of an addressee, often to preface a question or request.
Earlier, we learned that から (“from”) and まで (“to/till”) indicate the beginning and end of activities. They can also mark the starting point and endpoint of physical movement.
The polite past noun and な-adjective sentences can be obtained by changing the です ending to でした for the affirmative form and adding でした to the negative form.
Non-Past
Past
先生です
→
先生でした
He/She was a teacher.
しずかです
→
しずかでした
It was quiet.
先生じゃありません
→
先生じゃありません でした
He/She wasn't a teacher.
しずかじゃありません
→
しずかじゃありません でした
It wasn't quiet.
For negative past forms, an alternate pattern can also be used. In this pattern, the non-past negative form ない changes to the past negative form なかった, as shown below. (This formation parallels the past-tense formation of い-adjective sentences, explained below.)
The frequency expressions learned earlier (いつも, たいてい, ときどき, あまり, ぜんぜん, etc.) are used to express approximate frequency. To state the exact number of times an action occurs, we use the pattern below with a frequency counter (かい or ど). The particle に is required after the time frame, while no particle is used after the frequency expression. The approximation suffix ぐらい (“about”) may be added after the frequency (e.g., ２かいぐらい).
Time Frameに
Frequency
一週間 に
２かい
かいものを します。
I shop twice a week.
一日いちにちに
３ど
ごはんをたべます。
I eat three times a day.
The following table shows the frequency counter かい for numbers 1–10. While the counter ど is limited to low frequencies, かい is more commonly used to count frequencies beyond three times. ✅ indicates exceptions in pronunciation.
To state the length of time (duration) something occurs, we use the following pattern. the particle に is required after the time frame, but no particle is needed after the duration. The approximation suffix ぐらい (about) can be added after the duration (e.g., ８時間ぐらい).
Particle で (by/by means of) expresses the means and tools to do something. Do not confuse this with the particle で (at) that expresses the location of activities.
A conversation opener is often used to provide background information or set the context for an upcoming question or request. The particle が or its casual counterpart けど is used to mark the first sentence as a conversation opener, as shown below.
ちょっと ききますが、
それはアボカドですか。
Let me ask you something---Is it avocado?
あのう、すみませんけど、
いま なんじですか。
Excuse me, but what time is it?
In these examples, が signals that the speaker is about to make a request or ask a question, softening the transition into the main point. The particle が can also be used to introduce a new context or premise, within which the following sentence (S2) should be understood.
あした、しけんがありますが、
勉強
しましたか。
We'll have an exam tomorrow.
(In light of this) did you study?
新しいあたらしい曲をダウンロードしましたけど、 ききますか。
I downloaded a new song.
(In light of this) will you listen to it?
Emailを かきましたけど、 よみましたか。
I wrote you email.
(In light of this) did you read it?
私はここの学生ですが、 それはいくらですか。
I am a student here.
(In light of this) how much is it?
The past tense of affirmative い-adjectives can be formed by changing the ～い ending to ～かった as shown below. ✅ The past form of いいです is an exception: いいです → よかったです, not いかったです.
Non-Past
Past
おもしろい です
→
おもしろかった です
It was interesting.
たかい です
→
たかかった です
It was expensive.
いい です
→
よかった です✅
It was good.
The past tense of negative い-adjecitves (～くないです and ～くありません) can be formed by applying the same past-tense formation rule of な-adjectives (～じゃないです and ～じゃありません): ないです → なかったです and ありません → ありませんでした as shown below:
Non-Past
Past
おもしろく ない です
おもしろく ありません
→
おもしろく なかった です
おもしろく ありません でした
It was not interesting.
たかく ないです
たかく ありません
→
たかく なかったです
たかく ありません でした
It was not expensive.
よく ないです
よく ありません
→
よく なかったです
よく ありません でした
It was not good.
The following shows how い-adjective question-answer is used in a conversation:
A:
かいましたか。
Did you buy it?
B:
ええ、かいました。
Yes, I did.
A:
たかかった ですか。
Was it expensive?
B:
いいえ、たかく ありません でした。
(or たかく なかったです。)
No, it wasn't.
A:
よかった ですね。
That's great!
The です to でした conjugation to create a past-tense form works ONLY for noun and な-adjective sentences. This conjugation is ungrammatical for い-adjective sentences.
The plain, non-past negative う-verbs can be formed by using the similar verb stem-based plain う-verb formation rule we used in Lesson 7. (🚩 indicates an exception below.)
If stem
ends with
change
it to...
add ない
Examples
…き
か
ない
かきません → かかない
not write
…ぎ
が
ない
およぎません → およがない
not swim
…し
さ
ない
はなしません → はなさない
not speak
…り
ら
ない
つくりません → つくらない ありません → ない🚩
not make there is not
…い
わ
ない
かいません → かわない
not buy
…ち
た
ない
まちません → またない
not wait
…み
ま
ない
のみません → のまない
not drink
…び
ば
ない
よびません → よばない
not call
…に
な
ない
しにません → しなない
not die
２.
る-Verbs
The plain negative form of る-verbs is formed by simply changing ません to ない.
Polite
Plain
おきません
→ おきない
not wake up
みません
→ みない
not watch
たべません
→ たべない
not eat
いません
→ いない
not be/not stay
ねません
→ ねない
not go to bed/not lie down
3. Irregular Verbs
The plain negative forms of the irregular verbs are formed by changing ません to ない.
Polite
Plain
しません
→ しない
not do
きません
→ こない
not come
✅ You might think adding です to a plain negative verb like 行かない make it polite. This logic does not work for verbs because the politeness is expressed within the verb itself (i.e., 行かない is already a plain form). Adding です does not make it more polite. It just makes the form ungrammatical.
To form plain affirmative い-adjective sentences, just delete です. For affirmative な-adjectives and noun sentences, change です to だ. To form plain negative い-adjective, な-adjective, and noun sentences, delete です or change ありません to ない.
Plain-form sentences are used in informal conversation among family members, friends, and peers. When a sentence is turned into an informal question, both the copula だ and the question particle か are omitted, and the question is expressed solely through rising intonation. In written examples, a question mark (?) is often used to represent this rising intonation, even though it is not required in Japanese writing.
● あした行く。
● あした行く？
Other sentence-ending particles such as よ and ね can still be used with plain-form questions.
● これ、きれいだね。
● 行くよ。
The interjections also change in informal conversation. はい and ええ change to うん. いいえ changes to うううん. Listen to native speaker's intonation pattern for these interjections.
● ううん (High-Low-High)
● うううん (Low-High-Low-High)
だ is often dropped in non-past, plain noun/な-adjective sentences. Adding sentence particle よ or ね to such sentences makes them sound gentle and feminine.
●
それ、田中さんの本だよ。(blunt assertion)
● それ、田中さんの本よ。 (gentle/feminine assertion)
Compare this conversation in the polite style with the same conversation in the informal style.
A and B are acquaintances.
A and B are friends.
A:
きょう、がっこうに 行きますか。
B:
いいえ、行きません。
A:
ああ、そうですか。
じゃ、今、いそがしくないですね？
B:
ええ。ひまですよ。
A:
きょう、がっこうに 行く？
B:
ううん、行かない。
A:
ああ、そう。
じゃ、今、いそがしくないね？
B:
うん。ひまよ。 [feminine] うん。ひまだよ。
🌸
Cultural Notes
1. The polite form is the default choice in many situations—especially when speaking to someone you do not know well, someone older, or someone of higher social status, such as a teacher, supervisor, or client. Using the polite form signals respect and consideration toward the listener, which plays a central role in Japanese communication.
2.
The plain form is more casual and is typically used when speaking with friends, family, or people of the same age or social standing. Although the plain form sounds relaxed and friendly, it should be used with care. When directed at strangers, older people, or those in higher positions, it can sound abrupt, overly familiar, or even disrespectful.
3. When in doubt, always start with the polite forms. As you get to know the person better, you can shift to the plain forms if it feels appropriate. But remember, it’s better to err on the side of politeness, especially in a new or formal situation.
The connective から is used to state a reason or cause. It follows the pattern: /S1 から、S2/. S1 is the reason or cause. S2 is the result, decision, or conclusion based on that reason. In other words, S1 explains why S2 is true.
Reason or Cause + から (S1)
Result or Conclusion (S2)
やさいがきらいだ (or きらいです) から、
やさいは食べません。
Because I dislike vegetable,
I don't eat vegetable.
きょうは 日曜日だ (or 日曜日です) から、
じゅぎょうは ありません。
Because it's Sunday today,
I don't have a class.
おいしかった (or おいしかったです) から、
たくさん 食べました。
Because it was delicious,
I ate a lot.
あした 行かない (or 行きません) から、
きょう 行きます。
Because I'm not going tomorrow,
I'm going today.
Because から connects two clauses, you must pay attention to the politeness level of both S1 and S2. When S1 is in the plain form and S2 is in the polite form, the entire sentence is interpreted as polite. This pattern is very common and completely natural in spoken and written Japanese.
● やさいがきらいだから、あまり食べません。
● おいしいから、たくさん食べます。
● あした行くから、今日は行きません。
Reversing this pattern—using the polite form in S1 and the plain form in S2—sounds awkward and unnatural in Japanese. Because S2 is the speaker’s main assertion, and ending the sentence in the plain form lowers the politeness level abruptly, contradicting the polite setup introduced in S1.
● やさいがきらいですから、あまり食べない。[Unnatural]
● おいしいですから、たくさん食べる。[Unnatural]
● あした行きますから、今日は行かない。[Unnatural]
Common Pitfall for English Speakers
English speakers often assume that から works exactly like the English word “because.” Be careful—they organize information in opposite directions. In Japanese, the pattern is always:
Cause / Reason → から → Result / Conclusion
In English, however, the word because often comes after the result. Suppose you want to say:
I won’t go there because that restaurant is expensive.
An English speaker might incorrectly arrange the Japanese sentence as follows:
私は行きません から、 あのレストランはたかいです。 Because I won’t go there, that restaurant is expensive.
Clearly, the cause and result have been reversed, and the logic no longer makes sense. To express the intended meaning, the reason must come first:
あのレストランはたかいですから、私は行きません。
Because that restaurant is expensive, I won’t go there.
Japanese has two distinct speaking modes. One is the report mode, which presents information as a neutral statement of fact. This is the mode you have practiced so far. The other is the explanation mode, which is used to provide background information, justification, or a reason for what follows. Dialogue 4 introduces this explanation mode, which is typically marked by sentence endings such as ～んです (the conversational form of the more formal ～のです).
Consider the following situation. You are waiting for a bus, but it is running late, and you are worried that you will miss an appointment. If you state this fact by itself, without reference to the listener or the surrounding context, you can use the report mode:
1. バスが きません。The bus isn't coming.
Sentence 1 is grammatically correct, but it simply reports a fact. It does not convey the explanatory or apologetic tone that would be natural when you are explaining why you will be late. To sound as though you are giving a reason for being late—implicitly offering an explanation—you switch to the explanation mode:
2. バスが こないんです。It's that the bus is not coming.
By using ～んです as in Sentence 2, the speaker presents the information as an explanation of why something is the case, rather than as a simple factual statement.
The predicate that comes before んです must be in the plain form. This is because んです functions as a fixed explanatory ending rather than a regular predicate. As a result, んです itself does not conjugate: it never changes to a past form (んでした) or a negative form (んじゃないです) as shown in Sentences 3 to 6 below.
Plain
Form
んです
3.
かえる
んです
It's that (someone) is going home.
4.
かえらない
んです
It's that (someone) is not going home.
5.
たかい
んです
It's that it is expensive.
6.
たかくない
んです
it's that it is not expensive.
If the plain, non-past copula だ is combined with んです, だ changes to な as shown below.
Plain
Form + んです
日曜日だ + んです
→
日曜日なんです
It's that it's Sunday.
ひまだ + んです
→
ひまなんです
It's that I'm free.
どうして (Why?) questions are typically combined with んですか ending. To answer a why-question, use either ～からです or ～んです as shown below.
A:
どうして
わさびを たべない
んですか。
Why don't you eat wasabi?
B:
わさびは きらいだ
からです。
It's because I dislike wasabi.
わさびは きらいな
んです。
It's that I dislike wasabi.
Do not combine からです and んです into one form (i.e., ～んからです is ungrammatical).
Even though んです is a fixed expression that does not conjugate, the politeness level of the explanatory ending can vary. While ～んです is polite, the same explanatory meaning can be expressed at different levels of formality, as shown below:
A and B are acquaintances.
A and B are friends.
A:
どうしてビールを飲まないんですか。
B:
あした、テストがあるんです。
A:
ああ、そうなんですか。
A:
どうしてビールを飲まないの？
B:
あした、テストがあるんだ。
or あした、テストがあるの。[feminine]
A:
ああ、そうなんだ。
Finally, the question form ～んですか should be used with care. For example, when you say いいんですか, you are not simply asking whether something is good, correct, or acceptable. You are also implying that the situation calls for an explanation—and in some contexts, this implication may sound like a request for justification or even an apology.
(High-Low-High)
