Minna No Nihongo Lesson 4 Grammar

Minna No Nihongo Lesson 4 Grammar

1. 今 – 時 – 分です

To express time, the counter suffixes 時 (o’clock) and 分 (minutes) are used. The number are put before them. 分 is read ふん after 2, 5, 7 or 9 and ぶん after 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 or 10. 1, 6, 8 and 10 are read いっ, ろっ, はっ, じゅっ(じっ) before ぶん. (See Appendices ΙΙ.)

The interrogative なん is used with a counter suffix to ask a question concerning number or amounts. Therefore, the word なんじ (or sometimes なんぶん) is used to ask the time.

今 (いま) 何時 (なんじ) ですか。

… 7時 (じ) 10分 (ぶん) です。

What time is it now?

… It’s seven ten.

[Note] は marks the topic of a sentence, which you learned in Lesson 1. A geographical location can also be used as the topic as can be it seen in.

ニューヨークは 今 何時ですか。

…午前 (ごぜん) 4時です。

In New York what time is it now?

… It’s 4 a.m.

2. V ます

• A verb with ます works as a predicate.
• ます makes a sentence polite

わたしは 毎日 (まいにち) 勉強します。

I study every day.

3. V ます, Vません, Vました, Vませんでした

• ます is used when a sentence expresses a habitual thing or a truth. It is also used when a sentence expresses a thing that will occur in the future. The negative form and the forms in the past tense are shown in the table below.

	non-past (future/present)	past
affirmative	(おき)ます	(おき)ました
negative	(おき)ません	(おき)ませんでした

毎朝 (まいあさ) 6時におきます。 I get up at six every morning.

あした 6時におきます。                 I’ll get up at six tomorrow morning.

けさ 6時におきました。                 I got up at six this morning.

• Question forms of verb sentences are made in the same way as those of noun sentence; i.e., the word order remains the same and か is added to the end of the sentence.

In answering such questions, the verbs in the questions are repeated.

そうです or そうじゃありません cannot be used.

きのう 勉強しましたか。 Did you study yesterday?

… はい、勉強しました。                    … Yes, I did.

… いいえ、勉強しませんでした。    … No, I didn’t.

毎朝 何時に 起きますか。   What time do you get up every morning?

…6時に 起きます。                            … I get up at six.

4. N (time) に V

When a verb denotes a momentary action or movement, the time when it occurs is marked with the particle に, に is added when the noun before it uses a numeral. It can also be added to the days of a week, though it is not essential. When the noun does not use a numeral, に is not added.

6時半に 起きます。                                I get up at six thirty.

7月２日に 日本へ 来ました。               I came to Japan on July 2nd. (L.5)

日曜日 [に] 奈良へ 行きます。            I’m going to Nara on Sunday. (L.5)

きのう 勉強しました。                         I studied yesterday.

5. N₁ から N₂ まで

• から indicates the starting time or place, and まで indicates the finishing time or place.

9 時から ５時まで 働きます。

I work from nine to five.

大阪から 東京まで 3時間かかります。

It takes three hours from Osaka to Tokyo. (L.11)

• から and まで are not always used together.

9時から 働きます。 I work from nine.

• ∼から, ∼まで, ∼から, ∼まで is sometimes used with です added directly after either.

銀行は 9時から 3時までです。 The bank is open from nine to three.

昼休みは 12時からです。 Lunchtime starts at twelve.

6. N₁ と N₂

The particle と connects two nouns in coordinated relation.

銀行 (ぎんこう) の休み (やすみ) は 土曜日 と 日曜日。

The bank is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

7. S ね

ね is attached to the end of a sentence to add feeling to what the speaker says. It shows the speaker’s sympathy ỏ the speaker’s expectation that the listener will agree. In the latter usage, it is often used to confirm something.

毎日 10時ごろまで 勉強します。 I study till about ten every day.

… 大変ですね。 … That must be hard.

山田さんの電話番号は 871の 6813です。

Mr.Yamada’s telephone number is 871-6813.

… 871の 6813ですね。

… 871-6813, right?

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