General learning

   Clothing is fuku (服) in Japanese. In Japan there are many different styles of clothing to wear. Some people do still wear traditional Japanese kimono on special occations, but most often people wear western style clothing.


   In Japanese there is a different verb for the word to wear depending on which item your talking about.

   To put on head (hat, hood) = kaburu (かぶる)
   To put on body (shirt, dress, jacket) = kiru (着る)
   To put on lower body (shoes, pants, skirt) = haku (履く)

   Wearing socks and shoes = kutsushita to kutsu o haite imasu
   (靴下と靴を履いています)

   John isn't wearing hat = jon-san wa boushi o kabutte inai
   (ジョンさんは帽子をかぶっていない)

   I don't wear yellow dress = kiiro no doresu o kinai
   (黄色のドレスを着ない)

   Wear kims pink hat please = kimu-san no pinku no boushi o kabutte kudasai (キムさんのピンクの帽子をかぶってください) 

Lets do it

The you form of a verb is used to express intention, such as let's do something or I'll do something. To convert ichidan verbs (end in the sound eru or iru) into this form you remove ru (る) and add you (よう).

   Taberu (to eat) becomes tabeyou (食べよう)

    You must change all godan verbs so that they end in the sound ou. Godan verbs that end in u (う), you remove u (う) and add ou (おう). For all other godan verbs you change the last syllable (which ends in a kana with the u sound) and change it so it ends in a osound and then add u.

   Iku (to go) becomes ikou (行こう)

   Lets read kims book = kimu-san no hon o yomou
   (キムさんの本を読もう)

   The irregular verbs forms are shiyou (しよう) and koyou (来よう).

   Let's get married = kekkon shiyou (結婚しよう)


   To use the form of verb in the polite form you use the ending mashou (ましょう). Attach this word to the end of the masu stem. If you do not know how to create the masu stem gohere

   Let's go = ikimashou (行きましょう)

   Let's drink beer = biiru o nomimashou (ビールを飲みましょう) 

I want

In Japanese saying you want to do something is different from wanting a noun. To change a verb into the want form, you add any of the following endings to the masu stem of a verb.

English	Japanese
want to eat	食べたい tabetai
don't want to eat	食べたくない tabetakunai
wanted to eat	食べたかった tabetakatta
didn't want to eat	食べたくなかった tabetakunakatta

   Hayashi wants to eat tempura = hayashi wa tenpura o tabetai
   (林は天ぷらを食べたい)

   Wanted to read = yomitakatta (読みたかった)

   Didn't want to go to hot spring = onsen ni ikitakunakatta
   (温泉に行きたくなかった)

   To make this more polite you add desu to the end.

   Do you want to eat something? = nanika tabetai desu ka
   (何か食べたいですか)


   Another way that you can say you want to do something, or ask someone if they want to do something is using the plain form of a verb. This can either mean one will or wants todo something.

   (Do you want to/will you) drink this? = kore nomu? (これ飲む？)

   (Do you wanna/shall we/will you) go to hot springs? = onsen iku?
   (温泉行く？)

I want it

   When you are talking about wanting a object you need to use the adjective hoshii (欲しい). Below are the different ways you can conjugate hoshii.

English	Japanese
want	欲しい hoshii
don't want	欲しくない hoshiku nai
wanted	欲しかった hoshikatta
didn't want	欲しくなかった hoshiku nakatta

   I want cookie = watashi wa kukkii ga hoshii (私はクッキーが欲しい)

   (I) want banana = banana ga hoshii (バナナが欲しい)

   To express more politeness you can use desu and change the endings like other adjectives. When you just want to state you don't want something you use the particle wainstead of ga.

   (I) don't want coffee = koohii wa hoshiku arimasen
   (コーヒーは欲しくありません)

   (She) doesn't want banana = banana wa hoshiku nai desu
   (バナナは欲しくないです)

   If you use the particle ga in the negative like the sentences above, it changes it meaning slightly. It gives a sense that you don't want something, (but you want something else).

I need

   Another way that you can express that you want something is using the verb iru which is commonly used ask if you want something. Such questions are very commonly asked in situations like the following.

   (Do you) want this? = kore iru? (これいる？)

   Don't want = iranai (いらない)

   Technically speaking, the verb iru means to need and is used to express that you need something the same you would in English. It is also used to ask if you want something. In English this is expressed using separate words, but in Japanese it is the same word.

   (I) need glasses = megane ga iru (めがねがいる)

   Do you need a box? = hako ga irimasu ka (箱がいりますか)

   (I) don't need (polite) = iranai desu (いらないです)

Would you like

   To ask someone in a formal situation if someone wants something, or to ask someone how they feel about something you can use the word ikaga. This is only used in polite situations.

   Would you like water = mizu wa ikaga desu ka
   (水はいかがですか)

   Would you like tea = ocha wa ikaga desu ka
   (お茶はいかがですか)

Pharses:

Shitsurei shimasu (失礼します)

   Shitsurei shimasu (失礼します) is a phrase that means I'm going to do something rude. This phrase is used when you are about to do something impolite. Some situations where you would say this include,
   • You have to leave a room or area and someone is still there
   • You are passing in front of someone
   • You leave in the middle of a gathering or event
   • You end a business phone call

   When you say this phrase it is almost like saying excuse me in English.

Ojama shimasu (おじゃまします)

   Ojama shimasu (お邪魔します) is a phrase is similar to shitsurei shimasu, except it means I'm going to get in your way. The word jama (邪魔) means someone/something is in the way. It is used when you are intruding on someone or getting in the way of things. Situations where you would use this include,

   • You enter a room or someone's home   • You enter a room where people are already there