Parts of Speech in Japanese

1. Today's Japanese words

Here is an explanation of Japanese parts of speech in English (without using a spreadsheet):

**Parts of Speech in Japanese**

Japanese has nine major parts of speech:

1. **Nouns (名詞, めいし):** Nouns refer to people, places, things, or ideas. They can be concrete or abstract. Examples of nouns include 猫 (neko, "cat"), 東京 (Tōkyō, "Tokyo"), 本 (hon, "book"), and 愛 (ai, "love").

2. **Pronouns (代名詞, だいめいし):** Pronouns take the place of nouns. They can be used to avoid repetition or to refer to something that has already been mentioned. Examples of pronouns include 私 (watashi, "I"), あなた (anata, "you"), 彼 (kare, "he"), 彼女 (kanojo, "she"), and それ (sore, "that").

3. **Verbs (動詞, どうし):** Verbs express actions, states of being, or occurrences. They are conjugated based on tense, politeness level, and other factors. Examples of verbs include 食べる (taberu, "to eat"), 行く (iku, "to go"), 読む (yomu, "to read"), and 思う (omou, "to think").

4. **Adjectives (形容詞, けいようし):** Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns. They come before the words they modify. Examples of adjectives include 大きい (ōkii, "big"), 赤い (akai, "red"), 面白い (omoshiroi, "interesting"), and 美しい (utsukushii, "beautiful").

5. **Adverbs (副詞, ふくし):** Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They typically indicate manner, time, place, or degree. Examples of adverbs include ゆっくり (yukkuri, "slowly"), 昨日 (kinō, "yesterday"), ここ (koko, "here"), and 非常 (hijō, "very").

6. **Particles (助詞, じょし):** Particles indicate the grammatical function of words in a sentence. They are attached to nouns, pronouns, and verbs. Examples of particles include は (wa, "topic marker"), を (o, "direct object marker"), に (ni, "location marker"), and から (kara, "from").

7. **Auxiliary Verbs (助動詞, じょどうし):** Auxiliary verbs are used to add grammatical meaning to verbs. They can indicate tense, politeness level, or modality. Examples of auxiliary verbs include する (suru, "to do"), くれる (kureru, "to give"), and ことができる (koto ga dekiru, "can do").

8. **Conjunctions (接続詞, せつぞくし):** Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses. They can indicate cause, effect, condition, or contrast. Examples of conjunctions include そして (soshite, "and"), だから (dakara, "so"), もし (moshi, "if"), and けれども (keredomo, "but").

9. **Interjections (感嘆詞, かんたんし):** Interjections express emotions or sudden exclamations. They are not typically used in sentences. Examples of interjections include ああ (aa, "ah"), うわあ (uwaa, "wow"), and やれやれ (yareyare, "oh dear").

**Understanding Japanese parts of speech is essential for mastering Japanese grammar. By learning how to identify and use the different parts of speech, you will be able to construct grammatically correct sentences and express yourself clearly in Japanese.**

2. Today's topic

## Japanese Grammar in English

Japanese grammar is quite different from English grammar, so it can be challenging for native English speakers to learn. However, with some effort and resources, it is definitely possible to master.

**Here are some of the key differences between Japanese and English grammar:**

* **Word order:** Japanese is a **subject-object-verb (SOV)** language, while English is a **subject-verb-object (SVO)** language. This means that the order of words in a sentence is typically different in the two languages. For example, the Japanese sentence "私は本を読みます" (watashi wa hon o yomimasu) would be "I read a book" in English.

* **Particles:** Japanese uses particles to indicate the grammatical function of words in a sentence. Particles are small words that are attached to nouns, pronouns, and verbs. For example, the particle "wa" (は) is used to mark the subject of a sentence, while the particle "o" (を) is used to mark the direct object.

* **Verb conjugations:** Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness level, and other factors. This means that the form of a verb changes depending on the context in which it is used. For example, the verb "読む" (yomu, "to read") has different forms for the present tense (読みます, yomimasu), the past tense (読みました, yomimashita), and the polite form (読みます, yomimasu).

* **Adjectives:** Japanese adjectives come before the nouns they modify. For example, the Japanese sentence "赤い本" (akai hon) would be "red book" in English.

**In addition to using these resources, there are a few other things you can do to help you learn Japanese grammar:**

* **Practice speaking and writing Japanese as much as possible.** The more you use the language, the more comfortable you will become with its grammar rules.

* **Find a language partner or tutor who can help you practice your grammar.** A native Japanese speaker can provide you with feedback and help you correct your mistakes.

* **Don't be afraid to make mistakes.** Everyone makes mistakes when they are learning a new language. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and keep practicing.

Learning Japanese grammar can be challenging, but it is also rewarding. With hard work and dedication, you can learn to speak and write Japanese fluently.

**Here are some additional tips for explaining Japanese grammar in English:**

* **Use clear and concise language.** Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your audience may not understand.

* **Break down complex concepts into smaller, more manageable pieces.** Use examples and diagrams to illustrate your points.

* **Be patient and understanding.** It takes time for people to learn new grammar rules.

* **Make it fun!** There are many ways to make learning Japanese grammar fun, such as playing games, watching movies, and listening to music.

3- Today’s news

Burmese woman rises to top of time-honored inn in Gunma

https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/15226797

A woman from Myanmar has been appointed general manager of Ginsyotei Awashima.

Ngun Nei Par, 31, was promoted from front desk clerk to the top post last November in her ninth year in Japan.

“I will be going all out to make our ryokan a warm place where people will feel like stopping at again,” Ngun said in fluent Japanese.

Engineer/programmer' ranked No. 1 dream job for 1st time among junior high boys in Japan

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240501/p2a/00m/0li/011000c

For elementary school boys, the top three choices were "soccer player," "baseball player," and "video creator," with "engineer/programmer" coming in at No. 6. For elementary school girls, "pastry chef" was the most popular, followed by "teacher" and "doctor," with "singer" coming in seventh and "animator" in ninth.