Beginning Japanese for Professionals: Book 1

81 examples of this type. Dekakemasen ka? Won’t you go out? - Iya, nihongo o benkyou-shimasu. No, I’ll study Japanese. Purezen desu yo. It’s a presentation. - Ja, pawaapointo o tsukurimashou. Well then, let’s make PPT. 4-1-3 Reason + Kara The clause particle kara connects two sentences together to make one. In the sequence of /Sentence A kara , Sentence B/, Sentence A represents the cause and Sentence B the effect. Takai desu kara, kaimasen. Because it’s expensive, I’ll not buy it. Wakarimasen kara kikimasu . Because I don’t understand it, I’llask. Sentence B can be left unsaid when it is understood from the context. Ikimasen ka. You are not going? -Ee, ame desu kara . Right, because it’s raining. The clause particles kara and kedo are opposites of each other. Compare the following. Takai desu kara, kaimasen. It’s expensive, so I’ll not buy it. Takai desu kedo, kaimasu. It’s expensive, but I’ll buy it. There are three Japanese words for ‘why.’ Dou shite is most common, naze more formal, and nan de is casual. Desu ka can directly follow them if the rest of the sentence is understood from the context. Dou shite kaimasen ka? Why don’t you buy it? Dou shite desu ka? Why is it (that you don’t buy it)? Drills and Exercises A. Listen to the audio. Following the first two model exchanges, respond to each cue. Cue: Tetsudaimasu ka. Are you going to help? て つ だ 手伝いますか。 Response: Mochiron desu. Itsu tetsudaimashou ka . Of course. When shall I help? て つ だ もちろんです。いつ手伝いましょうか。 Cue: Shimasu ka. Are you going to do it?