🤝 Making Friends — Basic Sentences
Now that you know the writing system and greetings, it’s time to build actual sentences. This chapter covers the fundamental sentence patterns of Japanese.
The “X is Y” Structure
In English, we use “am / is / are” to connect a subject to a description. In Japanese, we use the particle は (wa) and the copula です (desu) to equate two things.
Breaking it down
- は (wa): The Topic Marker. It tells the listener, “I am talking about X.”
- Note: It is written as ha (は) but pronounced wa.
- です (desu): The Copula. It means “is / am / are”. It makes the sentence polite.
Basic Examples
| Topic (X) | Description (Y) | Meaning | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| わたし (I) | は | がくせい (student) | です | I am a student. |
| せんせい (Teacher) | は | にほんじん (Japanese) | です | The teacher is Japanese. |
| これ (This) | は | ペン (Pen) | です | This is a pen. |
Questions: The Particle か
Turn any statement into a question by simply adding か (ka) at the end. You generally do not use a question mark (?) in formal Japanese writing, but it’s common in casual text.
- あなたは がくせい です。 (You are a student.)
- あなたは がくせい ですか。 (Are you a student?)
- Anata wa gakusei desu ka.
Question Words
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| なん (Nan) | What | これはなんですか。(What is this?) |
| だれ (Dare) | Who | あのひとはだれですか。(Who is that person?) |
| どこ (Doko) | Where | トイレはどこですか。(Where is the restroom?) |
| いつ (Itsu) | When | たんじょうびはいつですか。(When is your birthday?) |
Possession: The Particle の
Connect two nouns with の (no). The first noun modifies the second. It works like the apostrophe-s (‘s) in English or “of”.
[Owner] の [Item]
- わたし の でんわ (Watashi no denwa) — My phone
- たけしさん の おかあさん (Takeshi-san no okaasan) — Takeshi’s mother
- にほん の だいがく (Nihon no daigaku) — A college in Japan / Japanese college
Multiple “No” Particles?
You can chain them together!
わたしの ともだちの なまえ (My friend’s name)
Watashi no tomodachi no namae
Self-Introduction (Jikoshoukai)
Combining these patterns allows you to introduce yourself.
Example Script
はじめまして。 (Hajimemashita.) — Nice to meet you.
わたしは [Name] です。 (Watashi wa [Name] desu.) — I am [Name].
アメリカじん です。 (Amerikajin desu.) — I am American.
[Job/Major] です。 ([Job] desu.) — I am a [Job].
よろしくおねがいします。 (Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.) — Please treat me well.
Common Majors / Jobs
- がくせい (Gakusei) - Student
- かいしゃいん (Kaishain) - Office Worker
- エンジニア (Enjinia) - Engineer
- せんせい (Sensei) - Teacher
- いしゃ (Isha) - Doctor
Nationalities
Add じん (jin) after a country name.
- アメリカ (America) + じん = アメリカじん (American)
- 日本 (Nihon) + じん = にほんじん (Japanese)
- 中国 (Chuugoku) + じん = ちゅうごくじん (Chinese)
- かんこく (Kankoku) + じん = かんこくじん (Korean)
Honorifics (~sa)
In Japan, never use just the name (unless very close). Always attach a suffix.
| Suffix | Usage | Warning |
|---|---|---|
| ~さん (san) | Mr. / Ms. / Mrs. | The standard polite suffix. Use for everyone. |
| ~くん (kun) | Boys / Subordinates | Often used for young males. |
| ~ちゃん (chan) | Children / Cute animals | Used for babies, young kids, female friends. |
| ~せんせい (sensei) | Teachers / Doctors | Do not say “Sensei-san”. Just “Sensei”. |
Saying “I am Smith-san” is considered arrogant or childish. Just say “I am Smith.”
Test Your Knowledge
Chapter Quiz
Which particle indicates the topic of a sentence?