XはYです

Image
Here are the key points of this lesson: Omission of the subject (Xは) Using 'は' for clarity Nouns in Japanese” Omission of the subject (Xは) In Japanese, sentences often omit subjects when the context makes them clear, unlike in English where subjects like "I" or "it" are typically included.  For example, "I am a student," "My major is Japanese language," and "It is 12:30" translate into Japanese as "がくせいです," "にほんごです," and "12じはんです," respectively, without direct subjects. Using 'は' for clarity If the context doesn't provide clarity, Japanese sentences can start with a topic marked by "wa" (は in hiragana), indicating "As for X, it is Y.” For example,  “わたしは がくせいです" (As for me, I am a student), “せんこうは にほんごです" (As for my major, it is Japanese language), and "じかんは12じはんです" (As for the current time, it is 12:30). The particle "wa" (は), used to denote ...
Post a Comment

30. Can you say “There are only four hundred yen” in Japanese?

 30. Expressing Quantity: "Shika" and "Mo"




In Japanese, "shika" and "mo" are used to emphasize the quantity of something. "Shika" is used when the amount is considered too small, while "mo" is used when the amount is considered large.

Examples:

しか(shika)

コピーの紙が5枚しかありません。(Kopī no kami ga gomai shika arimasen.)
There are only five sheets of photocopying paper.

教室に学生が三人しかいません。(Kyōshitsu ni gakusē ga sannin shika imasen.)
There are only three students in the classroom.

この池に魚が少ししかいません。 Kono ike ni sakana ga sukoshi shika imasen.
There are only a few numbers of fish in this pond.

も(Mo)

リーさんの机の上に教科書が4冊もあります。
Rī-san no tsukue no ue ni kyōkasho ga yonsatsu mo arimasu.
There are as many as four textbooks on Lee's desk.

教室に学生が二十人もいます。
Kyōshitsu ni gakusē ga nijūnin mo imasu.
There are as many as twenty students in a classroom.


It's important to remember that the perception of what is considered large or small is subjective. “しか(shika)” emphasizes a small quantity, while “も(mo)” emphasizes a large quantity.

Location: Japan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

27. Can you say “How much is this shirt?” in Japanese?

Image
   27.  Asking for Prices in Japanese: How to Use "Ikura desu ka?" In daily life, asking and understanding prices is essential when shopping. In Japanese, a specific structure pattern is used for asking about prices and stating them. This article will introduce the "ikura desu ka （いくらですか） ?” pattern, which is commonly used to inquire about the cost of items or services. Additionally, we will explore how to respond to such questions using the "(number) + 円です ".  A: このシャツは いくらですか 。 kono shatsu wa ikura desuka ?       How much is this shirt? B: （そのシャツは） 5000 円です。 (sono shatsu wa) gosenen desu.       That shirt is 5000 yen. A: 学生食堂のカレーは いくらですか gakusēshokudō no karē wa ikura desuka ?       How much is the curry and rice in the student cafeteria? B: （学生食堂のカレーは） 300 円です (gakusēshokudō no karē wa)sanbyakuen desu.        The curry and rice are 300 yen. Note: In the examples above, " いくらですか " i...
Read more

Rōmaji

Image
Rōmaji is one of the Japanese wrting system. You are probably familiar with these names: TOYOTA, Nintendo, FUJITSU. Even though those names are written in the Roman alphabet, they are Japanese. The Japanese people call this Roman alphabet as Rōmaji, which is one of the writing system in Japan. There are several writing systems to write Rōmaji such as Hepburn system, Kunrei system (Cabinet Ordinance system), and so on. Each of them has their own writing rules, so you should know them. As Hepburn system is the most widely used in Japan now, we will see the Hepburn system. Here is Hepburn system Rōmaji list *In cells in the list above, if the same Roman alphabets are used more than twice, that means they are pronounced the same. However, "o" and "wo" are pronouced the same /o/. The writing rule to Hepburn system: Syllabic nasal in Japanese (/n/ [ん]) is written as ‘n’ before consonants, but as ‘m’ before labial consonants (/b/, /m/, /p/).
 e.g. an n ai (あんない=guidance ) ...
Read more

Is Japan Still a Male-Dominated Society?

Image
Is Japan Still a Male-Dominated Society? Japan is known for its male-dominated society, where men hold most of the positions of power in workplaces. Unfortunately, Japan's record on gender equality is not impressive, ranking 120 out of 156 nations in the Global Gender Gap Report 2021. One of the reasons behind this gender gap, as mentioned by Selleri (2019), is the lack of women in leadership positions, including politics. While the gender gap remains an issue in Japan, there are certain services that seem to favour women. For example, women are charged a fee of 1,000 yen at some international parties, while men have to pay 3,000 yen.  Similarly, many dating apps in Japan only charge men for their services, such as the dating app Omiai (Omiai, n.d.).  Therefore, there is a reverse gender difference in certain services in Japan, where women enjoy an advantage over men. However, striving for a society where men and women receive equal earnings and pay the same prices for...
Read more