カテゴリー: LQ Laoshi

Japanese learning (A5 S37): Passive Sentences in which Who makes the action is not important; [Subject] wa [V-pas] masu/mashita.

We are learning some types of passive sentences in the section 37. Today’s sentence constructions too, do not mention who makes the action like yesterday’s sentences. The difference from the yesterday’s is that “-wa” is used for the subject marker.

1. Kono Tatemono wa Raishu’u Kowasare masu. (This building will be demolished in the next week.)

The subject is “Tatemono(building)” in the sentence 1. Since the subject marker is not “-ga” but “-wa”, both the speaker and the listener have already shared what is the Tatemono, or which Tatemono they are talking about. Look at two conversations below;

(1) The subject markers are “-ga”

A : Dono Tatemono ga Raishu’u Kowasare masuka. (Which building will be demolished next week?)

B : Kono Tatemono ga Kowasare masu. (This building will be demolished.)

The person A doesn’t know which building will be demolished at the timing of asking. Therefore, only the person B knows “Kono Tatemono” will be demolished. “Kono Tatemono” will be a new information for the person A. This is the reason why “-ga” is used for the subject marker.

(2) The subject markers are “-wa”

A : Kono Tatemono wa Raishu’u Kowasare masuka. (Will this building be demolished next week?)

B : Hai, kono Tatemono wa Kowasare masu. (Yes, this building will be demolished.)

The person A and B is talking about the same building “Kono Tatemono”. Therefore, they have already shared which building they are talking about. This is the reason why “-wa” is used for the subject marker.

The following example sentences are also shown in the form of conversation, in order to make clear that the subject is shared between the asking person and the answering person.

2.

A : Kono Otera wa Itsu Taterare mashitaka. (When was this temple built?)

B : Kono Otera wa Ni-Hyaku nen mae ni Taterare mashita. (This temple was built 200 years ago.)

3.

A : Pa’ati’i wa Doko de Hirakare masuka. (Where will the party be held?)

B : Pa’ati’i wa Koube Hoteru de Hirakare masu. (The party will be held in Kobe Hotel.)

The above conversations use “-wa” for the subject markers. Can you tell whether “wa” or “ga” is used for subject marker in the following conversation?

A : Koube Hoteru de Nani<?> Hirakare masuka. (What will be held in Kobe Hotel?)

B : Pa’ati’i <?> Hirakare masu. (A party will be held there.)

The answer will be shown tomorrow.

Yesterday and today, we have been learning some passive sentences that do not mention the actor of the passive action. This kind of sentences are uttered when the actor is not the important information. If who’s the actor is important, of course it is possible to say the actor in a passive sentence.

A : Kabin wa Dareni Kowasare mashitaka. (By whom was the flower vase broken?)

B : Kabin wa Satou-san ni Kowasare mashita. (The flower vase was broken by Sato-san.)

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This post was written with reference to the exercise A5 on Section37 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”

Japanese learning (A4 S37): Passive Sentences in which Who makes the action is not important; [Subject] ga [V-pas] masu.

One thing is common between the passive sentences in the exercise A4 and A5. In the sentences of A4 and A5, the actor of the action is not important. Of course, the subject and the passive action are important in the sentences of both A4 and A5. Then, the difference between A4 and A5 is the subject markers; “-ga” is used in A4, and “-wa” in A5.

Sample of the A4 type passive sentences are as follows;

1. Toukyou de Orimpikku ga Okonaware masu. (In Tokyo, the Olympic games will be carried out.)

In fact, the Olympic games were held in 2021, but the sentence 1 is of future tense. “Okonawareru/Okonawaremasu” is the passive form of the verb “Okonau/Okonaimasu” which means “carry out”. If the passive sentence 1 was converted to be an active sentence, it would be;

– Toukyou de “???” ga Orimpikku o Okonai masu. (In Tokyo, ??? will carry out the Olympic games.)

As you see in the above sentence, we don’t know who will carry out the Olympic games. And the actor of the action “carry out” doesn’t appear in the sentence 1. It is just because who makes the action is not important;

2. Sumida-gawa de Hanabi ga Uchiagerare masu. (On the Sumida River, the fireworks will be launched.)

“Uchiagerareru/Uchiageraremasu” is the passive form of the verb “Uchiageru/Uchiagemasu”. And as well as the sentence 1. this sentence 2 also doesn’t mention who is the actor, because who makes the action is not important information in this sentence.

Both in the sentence 1 and 2, the subject markers are “-ga”. The subject marker “-ga” functions to identify what the subject is. But the “-ga” in the sentence 1 and 2 are usually explained as “’-ga’ for the new information”. When “-ga” is used for the subject marker, the concept of the subject has not yet shared between the speaker and the listener. The speaker knows it, but the listener doesn’t. The listener receives the subject as a new information. This is the difference from the case that “-wa” is used for the subject marker.

When the speaker says “[Subject] wa”, the concept of the subject has already been shared between the speaker and the listener.We will see some passive sentences in which the actor doesn’t appear tomorrow, too. But they will use “-wa” for the subject marker.

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This post was written with reference to the exercise A4 on Section37 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”

View from a Tall Building in Niigata City

Niigata West Port is located in the river mouth of Shinano River. There is a big ferry boat for Hokkaido.

That tall building also has an observatory on upper floor.

And the building with curved shape is owned by the local newspaper, which also has an observatory.

You can see Shinano River and Toyano Ragoon.

I wouldn’t like to live in a high place like that, although I don’t have money to buy an apartment in such a mansion.

Oh, please don’t hit each other!

Okay, I was relieved.

Japanese learning (A2 S37): Passive Sentences; [Subject] wa [People] ni [Object] o [V-pas] mashita.

When making a passive sentence, the verb must be in the passive form. Please refer to yesterday’s post about how to conjugate a verb to its passive form.

Here is an active sentence;

1. Sensei wa Watashi o Home mashita. (The teacher praised me.)

It is the basic of Japanese that the particle “-o” indicates the object of a transitive verb. Actually, some intransitive verbs for movement also use “-o” for the places. But anyway, “Homeru/Homemasu” is a transitive verb. In this particular sentence 1, “Watashi” followed by the particle “-o” is the object of the action of praising. This sentence 1 is grammatically okay. But when a teacher praised you, probably you want to describe the occasion by making “Watashi” the subject of the sentence. This necessitates a passive sentence.

2. Watashi wa Sensei ni Homerare mashita. (I was praised by the teacher.)

The sentence 2 is a passive sentence. Let us examine how words are changed in the conversion from the active sentence 1 to the passive sentence2.

– “Watashi o” in the sentence 1 is the object of the action “praised”.

– “Watashi wa” in the sentence 2 is the subject of the action “was praised”.

– “Sensei wa” in the sentence 1 is the subject of the action “praised”.

– “Sensei ni” in the sentence 2 is the word that the passive action came from. The particle “-ni” has a function to indicate where (who) the action came from in the sentences of giving-receiving, passive and causative.

– “Home mashita” in the sentence 1 is the predicate verb in active voice.

– “Homerare mashita” in the sentence 2 is the predicate verb in passive voice. If you make Nai-form of “Homeru” in order to know which group the Homeru is, you will get “Hom<e>nai”. Then you can tell it is a Group2 verb. The passive form of Group2 verbs can be obtained with [Stem]+rareru/raremasu. Don’t omit “ra”, though youngsters often do.

So far for the sentences 1 and 2, we have been dealing with “Homeru/Homemasu (praise)” which is a transitive verb with the particle “-o”. But what will happen in the conversion from an active to a passive sentence which use a transitive verb with both the particles “-ni” and “-o”?

3. Haha wa Watashi ni Kaimono o Tanomi mashita. (My mother asked me to go shopping.)

This is an active sentence, and a transitive verb predicate sentence using not only “-o” but also “-ni”. In the conversion from the sentence 1 to 2, the object “Watashi o” in the 1 turned to be “Watashi wa” in the 2. But for this sentence3, can you make the word “Kaimono o(shopping)” the subject in a passive sentence? No.

– Kaimono wa Haha ga Watashi ni Tanomi mashita. (When it comes to shopping, my mom aeked me to do it.)

Uh, this is a wa-ga construction which I don’t like. Most importantly. this is not a passive sentence because the predicate verb “Tanomi mashita” is still in active voice. In order to make the sentence 3 a passive sentence, we turn the word with “-ni” to be the subject, that is, “Watashi ni” in the active sentence needs to the subject “Watashi wa” in the passive sentence.

4. Watashi wa Haha ni Kaimono o Tanomare mashita. (I was asked by my mother to go shopping.)

Please compare moves of the words and changes of the particles in the conversion from sentence 3 to 4. It is interesting that the particle “-ni” has different functions in the sentence 3 and 4. In the sentence3, “-ni” of “Watashi ni” is to indicate the destination that the action is heading towards (to whom to ask). On the other, “-ni” of “Haha ni” in the sentence4 is to indicate who (where) the action came from in a passive sentence as well as in the sentence2. The particle “-o” hasn’t changed in the conversion from the sentence 3 to 4. Although “-o” changed in the case of sentence 1 and 2, after all, we need to take note that the object and the particle “-o” is strongly tightened each other in the sentence which uses a transitive verb.

And “Tanomareru/Tanomaremasu” is the passive form of the “Tanomu/Tanomimasu”. Since the Nai-form of Tanomu is “Tanom<a>nai”, it is a Group1(-M) verb. The passive form of Group1 verbs can be obtained with [Stem]+areru/aremasu (Tanom+areru).

The verb used in the sentence 1 and 2 is “Homeru/Homemasu” which is a transitive verb with the particle “-o”. And the verb used in the sentence 3 and 4 is “Tanomu/Tanomimasu” which is a transitive verb with the particle “-ni” and “-o”. Thus, it makes sense to deal with transitive verbs when talking about passive sentence. However, there are some passive sentences using intransitive verbs in Japanese. Typical examples are as follows;

5. Watashi wa Densha no Naka de Kodomo ni Nakare mashita. (I have got a trouble because my kid was crying in a train.)

6. Ie ni Kaeru toki, Watashi wa Ame ni Furare mashita. (On the way home, I got a rainfall.)

“Nakare mashita” in the sentence 5 is the passive voice of the intransitive verb “Naku/Nakimasu”. And “Furare mashita” in the sentence 6 is the passive voice of the intransitive verb “Furu/Furimasu”. Some textbooks may introduce these passive sentences of intransitive verbs. But I think it is better to use transitive verbs only at the first stage of introduction of passive sentences. Teachers know many things. But teaching everything is not always good to help students learn the new items in the second language learning.

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This post was written with reference to the exercise A2 on Section37 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”

Japanese learning (A1 S37): Verb Conjugation for Passive Form; -aRemasu/-Raremasu

A new conjugation pattern is introduced in the section 37, which is the Passive form. Example sentences will be shown in A2 through A6. So for today, only patterns of the passive form of verbs are shown in this post. Plus, this post discusses the difference between passive and potential forms of Group1-R verbs.

PASSIVE FORM of VERBS

Dictionary Form / Masu Form — Passive Form with “-u” ending / Passive Form with “masu”

<Group 2 Verbs>

Miru / Mimasu (see, watch, look at) — Mirareru / Miraremasu

Homeru / Homemasu (praise) — Homerareru / Homeraremasu

Kuraberu / Kurabemasu (compare) — Kuraberareru / Kuraberaremasu

<Group 3 Verbs>

Kuru / Kimasu (come) — Korareru / Koraremasu

Suru / Shimasu (do) — Sareru / Saremasu

<Group1 Verbs>

Gr1-W : Tsukau / Tsukaimasu (use) — Tsukawareru / Tsukawaremasu

Gr-K : Kiku / Kikimasu (listen to, hear) — Kikareru / Kikaremasu

Gr1-G : Kagu / Kagimasu (smell(as transitive verb)) — Kagareru / Kagaremasu

Gr1-S : Osu / Oshimasu (push) — Osareru / Osaremasu

Gr1-T : Matsu / Machimasu (wait) — Matareru / Mataremasu

Gr1-B : Yobu / Yobimasu (call) — Yobareru / Yobaremasu

Gr1-M : Fumu / Fumimasu (tread on) — Fumareru / Fumaremasu

Gr1-R : Kiru / Kirimasu (cut) — Kirareru / Kiraremasu

When it comes to verb conjugation, it is always confusing as to difference between Group2 verbs and Group1-R verbs. In the case of passive form, it seems that both are just “stem plus raremasu”. But a difficult thing happens to Group1-R verbs. Take a look at the followings;

1. Mira’a-san wa Sashimi ga Taberaremasu. (Mr.Miller can eat Sashimi.)

 “Taberaremasu” is the potential form of “Taberu/Tabemasu”.

2. Mushi wa Tori ni Taberaremasu. (An insect is eaten by a bird.)

“Taberaremasu” is the passive form. Therefore, in the case of “Taberu/Tabemasu” that is a Group2 verb, the potential form and the passive form are the same. Both are “[Stem]+raremasu”.

3. Sato-san nara, Tesuto de Kyuujuu-Go ten Toremasu. (When it comes to Sato-san, she can get 95points in the examination.)

“Toremasu” is the potential form of “Toru/Torimasu”.

4. Son’na Tokoro ni Saifu o Oitara, Toraremasu. (If you leave your wallet on such a place, you will be stolen it.)

“Toraremasu” is the passive form of “Toru/Torimasu”. Then you will find that the potential form and the passive form are not the same. Examining the verb “Toru/Torimasu” by making Nai-form, it is To<ra>nai. It indicates that “Toru/Torimasu” is a Group1-R verb. So, it is important to know that the potential form and the passive form of Group1-R verbs are not the same.

– Potential form of Gr1-R = [Stem]+ reru/remasu.

– Passive form of Gr1-R = [Stem]+ rareru/raremasu.

The following examples show you in the order of Dictionary form/Masu-form — Potential form — Passive form

– Uru/Urimasu (sell) — Ureru/Uremasu — Urareru/Uraremasu

– Okuru/Okurimasu (send) — Okureru/Okuremasu — Okurareru/Okuraremasu

– Kiru/Kirimasu (cut) — Kireru/Kiremasu — Kirareru/Kiraremasu

– Sawaru/Sawarimasu (touch) — Sawareru/Sawaremasu — Sawarareru/Sawararemasu

– Suwaru/Suwarimasu (sit) — Suwareru/Suwaremasu — Suwarareru/Suwararemasu

– Tsukuru/Tsukurimasu (make) — Tsukureru/Tsukuremasu — Tsukurareru/Tsukuraremasu

– Tomaru/Tomarimasu (stay at night) — Tomareru/Tomaremasu — Tomarareru/Tomararemasu

– Toru/Torimasu (take) — Toreru/Toremasu — Torareru/Toraremasu

– Noru/Norimasu (ride) — Noreru/Noremasu — Norareru/Noraremasu

– Hairu/Hairimasu (enter) — Haireru/Hairemasu — Hairareru/Hairaremasu

The above examples are all Group1-R verbs. I don’t want to confuse you, but the potential form and the passive form are the same for Group2 verbs, for example;

Karitu/Karimasu (borrow) — Karirareru/Kariraremasu — Karirareru/Kariraremasu

Wasureru/Wasuremasu (forget) — Wasurerareru/Wasureraremasu — Wasurerareru/Wasureraremasu

How to distinguish whether a verb is Group1-R or Group2 is as follows;

<1> Make Nai-form

<2> What is the letter(s) in front of “nai”?

<3> If it’s [ra]nai, the verb is Group1-R

    If it’s [i]nai or [e]nai, the verb is Group2

Example;

Kiru/Kimasu (wear) => Nai-form is Kinai => Group2

Kiru/Kirimasu (cut) => Nai-form is Kiranai => Group1-R

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This post was written with reference to the exercise A1 on Section37 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”

Japanese Learning (A4 S36): Please make sure to do something; [V] + youni Shite kudasai. / Please make sure not to do something; [V-nai] + youni Shite kudasai.

We learned the following sentence constructions in the exercise A3;

(1) [V] + youni Shite imasu.

(2) [V-nai] + youni Shite imasu.

The example sentences of (1) and (2) are as below;

1. Dekirudake O’okuno Tango o Oboeru youni Shite imasu. (I try to memorize as many words as I can.)

2. Dekirudake Amai mono o Tabenai youni Shite imasu. (I try not to eat sweets as much as possible.)

These are just declarative sentences. On the other, today’s sentences have the functions to ask a listener to do something in conversation.

(3) [V] + youni Shite kudasai.

(4) [V-nai] + youni Shite kudasai.

Let’s look at one of example sentences of (3);

3. Natsu wa Mizu o Takusan Nomu youni Shite kudasai. (Please make sure to drink a lot of water in the summer.)

“Shite kudasai” is an expression to ask a listener to do something with the construction of “[V-te]+kudasai”. Then the sentence 3 can be shortened using another “[V-te]+kudasai” as shown below.

4. Natsu wa Mizu o Takusan Nonde kudasai. (Please a lot of water in the summer.)

What is the difference between the sentences 3 and 4? The sentence 4 is a direct command or request, which probably sounds forcefully. On the other, the sentence 3 is somewhat in direct, and sounds like prompting the listener’s effort. When asking someone to do something, “[V] + youni Shite kudasai.” is better than “[V-te]+kudasai” because it sounds moderately. The same kind of things could be said about “[V-nai] + youni Shite kudasai.” and “[V-nai]de kudasai”. The followings are more examples of the sentence (3) and (4).

(3) [V] + youni Shite kudasai.

5. Motto Undou-suru youni Shite kudasai. (Please make sure you exercise more.)

6. Kaisha ni Okureru toki wa Kanarazu Renraku-suru youni Shite kudasai.

(When you get late to come to the office, please make sure you tell us it.)

(4) [V-nai] + youni Shite kudasai.

7. Zettaini Pasupo’oto o Wasurenai youni Shite kudasai.

(Please make sure you absolutely do not forget your passport.)

8. Shuugou Basho o Machigaenai youni Shite kudasai.

(Please make sure you do not go to a wrong meeting point.)

Several adverbs appear in this post; Dekirudake, Takusan, Motto, Kanarazu, and Zettaini. Actually, there is less chance to learn adverbs because learning them is usually not planned in the curriculum of Japanese learning. When you find an adverb, it is the chance for you to learn it. (Fukushi o Mitsuketara, Sono Fukushi o Manabu youni Shite kudasai.)

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This post was written with reference to the exercise A4 on Section36 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”

Japanese Learning (A3 S36): What you are trying to do; [V] + youni Shite imasu. / What you are trying NOT to do; [V-nai] + youni Shite imasu.

We are learning how to use the word “youni” in the section 36. Since “youni” is in the conjugation form that can modify a verb, there is a verb behind a clause that ends with “youni”. In today’s sentence construction, the verb behind the “youni” is “Shite imasu”. “Shite imasu” is one of “V-te iru”. “V-te iru” usually expresses continuous action, ongoing action, and/or repetitive action. It is not easy to identify one of these three for “Site imasu” of today. Probably it depends on sentence by sentence. Sometimes it’s mixture of the three.

And there is an adverb in today’s sentence construction. That is;

– Dekirudake; adverb; As much as possible

The following is an example of use of “Dekirudake”;

1. Dekirudake, Roku-ji madeni Kaisha o Deru youni Shite imasu.

(I try to leave the office before 6 p.m. as long as I can.)

(1) [V] + youni Shite imasu.

Looking at the verbs in front of “youni”, there is a difference from those of the Exercise A1 and A2 (Set aside [V-nai]+youni. I am writing about [V]+youni).

A1 : [V] + youni, [Main clause with verb predicate]

– Example ; Ongaku ga Kikeru youni, Iyahon o Tsuke masu. (I put earphones so that I can listen to music.)

The verb in front of “youni” is “Kikeru” which is the potential form of “Kiku/Kikimasu”.

A2 : [V] + youni Nari mashita.

– Example ; Hyaku Me’eyoru Oyogetu youni Nari mashita. (I have become able to swim one hundred meters.)

The verb in front of “youni” is “Oyogeru” which is the potential form of “Oyogu/Oyogimasu”.

Therefore, the verb in front of “youni” is usually a verb in potential form or a verb having a meaning of potentiality. But in today’s sentence; in these sentences,

A3 : [V] + youni Shite imasu.

– Example ; Dekirudake, Mainichi Nihongo o Benkyou-suru youni Shite imasu. (I try to study Japanese everyday as far as possible.)

The verb “Benkyou-suru” is not in potential form.

Here are a little more examples of today’s “youni” sentences;

2. Dekirudake O’okuno Tango o Oboeru youni Shite imasu. (I try to memorize as many words as I can.)

3. Dekirudake Neko to Asobu youni Shite imasu. (I try to play with my cat as much as I can.)

(2) [V-nai] + youni Shite imasu.

4. Dekirudake Amai mono o Tabenai youni Shite imasu. (I try not to eat sweets as much as possible.)

5. Dekirudake Sa’abisu Zangyou o Shinai youni Shite imasu. (I try not to work over hour without payment as much as possible.)

The sentence 5 reflects the reality of work place environment in Japan.

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This post was written with reference to the exercise A3 on Section36 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”