Skip to content

Book2_1

    Japanese Grammar – Book 2 Lesson 1

    ■ Polite style / Plain style

    Meaning: “Formal speech style and casual speech style”

    Formation:

    Polite style: Sentence ends with です／ます

    Plain style: Sentence does not end with です／ます

    Key Point:

    Japanese has two main speech styles: polite style and plain style.

    Use polite style with people you don’t know well, superiors, or in formal settings.

    Use plain style with friends, family, or subordinates.

    Example ①
    Ａ：
    お久[ひさ]しぶりです。 I haven’t seen you in a while.
    Ｂ：
    お久[ひさ]しぶりです。 It’s been quite a while.
    Example ②
    Ａ：
    久[ひさ]しぶり。 It’s been a long time.
    Ｂ：
    ああ、久[ひさ]しぶり。 Yeah, it’s been a long time.
    Example ③
    Ａ：
    久[ひさ]しぶり。 Long time no see.
    Ｂ：
    お久[ひさ]しぶりです。 I haven’t seen you for a long time.

    ■ 【Duration】に　なります

    Meaning: “It has been [duration] (since an event).”

    Formation:
    Verb (テ-form) ＋ Duration ＋ に なります
    Key Point:

    Used to describe how much time has passed since a certain event.

    Commonly used with duration expressions like ～か月[げつ], ～年[ねん].

    The テ-form of a verb shows the starting point of the event.

    Example
    Ａ：
    日本[にほん]に　来[き]て、どのぐらいに　なりますか？ How long have you been in Japan?
    Ｂ：
    ちょうど　半年[はんとし]です。 Exactly six months.
    仕事[しごと]を　始[はじ]めて　3 か月[げつ]に　なります。 It has been three months since I started working.

    ■ 【Point in time】(に) 　来[き]ました

    Meaning: “Came at [a certain point in time].”

    Formation:
    Point in time ＋ （に）＋ 来[き]ました
    Key Point:

    The particle に indicates the specific time, but it is omitted with words like 去年[きょねん], 先月[せんげつ], and 先週[せんしゅう].

    Example
    Ａ：
    いつ、 日本[にほん]に　来[き]ましたか？ When did you come to Japan?
    Ｂ：
    先月[せんげつ]、来[き]ました。 I came last month.
    Ｃ：
    私[わたし]は、先週[せんしゅう]の　日曜日[にちようび]に　来[き]ました。 I came last Sunday.

    ■ V-ています ①

    Meaning: “Describing one’s current action or situation”

    Formation:
    Verb (テ-form) ＋ います
    Key Point:

    Indicates a present or ongoing situation, such as occupation or daily activity.

    The テ-form is the verb form ending in て or で.

    In casual speech, ～ています is often shortened to ～てます.

    In plain style, it becomes ～ている, which is often spoken as ～てる.

    Example
    Ａ：
    日本[にほん]では、何[なに]をしていますか？ What do you do in Japan?
    Ｂ：
    働[はたら]いています。介護[かいご]の　仕事[しごと]を　しています。 I work as a caregiver for the elderly.
    Ｃ：
    私[わたし]は　専門[せんもん]学校[がっこう]に　通[かよ]っています。プログラミングを　勉強[べんきょう]しています。 I go to a vocational school to study programming.