【N5】Genki 1 Lesson 8 Grammar Made Clear | JAPANESE SHORT FORM CONJUGATION and more

Summary

In this informative live stream, Andy from Genki One teaches Japanese language learners about informal speech, specifically focusing on negative short forms and how to nominalize sentences for noun-like usage. He introduces new membership features for Tokyo Envy, offering exclusive content and benefits. Andy provides examples and explanations for conjugating verbs, adjectives, and nouns in informal contexts, and discusses the use of particles and politeness levels. The lesson aims to enhance learners' conversational Japanese and cultural understanding.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video covers short forms in Japanese, focusing on the negative short form and informal speech.
• 🎓 New membership features are introduced for 'Genki One', offering benefits like early video access and exclusive badges.
• 🗣️ Informal Japanese speech is used among equals, close friends, family, children, and subordinates, and can vary in formality depending on the relationship.
• 📚 The lesson explains the conjugation of verbs, adjectives, and nouns into their informal negative forms, which are often similar to their masu-form counterparts.
• 👥 The use of informal speech can depend on the speaker's age, status, and relationship to the listener, with younger or lower-status individuals often using more polite forms.
• 📝 Informal conversation in Japanese often involves dropping particles and using short forms, which can make it seem more casual or abrupt to learners.
• 🤔 The script discusses the use of 'to omou' for expressing thoughts or beliefs in informal speech, which can add a layer of politeness to statements.
• 📖 The dialogues in the script illustrate the use of informal speech in various scenarios, including conversations between friends and family.
• 📚 The script also touches on the use of 'ga' and 'wa' particles in Japanese, highlighting their roles in emphasizing subjects and responding to questions.
• 🤷‍♂️ The concept of 'nani ka' and 'nanimo' is explained, showing how they are used to express 'something' and 'nothing' respectively in different contexts.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the live stream presented in the script?

The main topic of the live stream is covering short forms in Japanese, specifically the negative short form, informal speech, and how to use them in various contexts.

What are some new features mentioned in the Tokyo Envy membership?

New features include the availability of a membership with benefits such as badges, early access to videos, shout-outs, and special offers like the 'tokini senpuki' and 'tokini supa senpuki' which include textbook practice videos, listening and shadowing videos, and graded readers.

How can viewers join the Tokyo Envy membership and receive benefits?

Viewers can join the Tokyo Envy membership by clicking the 'join' button at the bottom of the screen, which grants them access to various benefits like badges and early video access.

What is the process for forming the informal negative of a Japanese verb?

To form the informal negative of a Japanese verb, you change the verb stem by moving up the hiragana chart to the 'ah' column and then add 'nai'. For ichidan verbs, you cut off 'do' and add 'nai'.

What is the informal negative form of the verb 'utaau' (to sing) in Japanese?

The informal negative form of 'utaau' is 'uttawanai', which is formed by changing the 'u' sound to 'wa' and adding 'nai'.

How do you form the informal negative of 'e' adjectives in Japanese?

For 'e' adjectives, you replace the 'e' at the end with 'ku' and then add 'ni' to form the informal negative.

What are the exceptions to the ichidan verb negative conjugation rule?

There are at least 10 exceptions to the ichidan verb negative conjugation rule, where the verbs are conjugated like normal godan verbs instead of following the ichidan pattern.

What is the meaning of 'totomoimasu' in the context of informal speech?

In informal speech, 'totomoimasu' is used to express 'I think' in a polite manner, but it can also be used to make sentences sound more polite even when they are about definite plans.

How can informal forms in Japanese conversation be identified?

Informal forms in Japanese conversation are generally characterized by the dropping of particles, the use of the 'da' particle after adjectives and nouns, and the use of informal verb and adjective conjugations.

What is the purpose of using 'nani ka' and 'nanimo' in Japanese sentences?

'Nani ka' and 'nanimo' are used to express 'something' and 'nothing' respectively, in Japanese sentences. They can be used to modify nouns and indicate the presence or absence of things or actions.

How is the word 'nani mo' used in negative sentences in Japanese?

'Nani mo' is used in negative sentences to express the absence or lack of something, similar to saying 'nothing' in English.

What is the difference between 'ga' and 'wa' as subject particles in Japanese?

While both 'ga' and 'wa' can mark the subject in a sentence, 'ga' is typically used to add emphasis or specify the subject, especially when used with question words. 'Wa' is more commonly used in general sentences to mark the subject.

What is the informal way to say 'please don't' in Japanese?

The informal way to say 'please don't' in Japanese is by taking the negative form of a verb and adding 'de kudasai'.

How can you nominalize a sentence in Japanese to use it as a noun?

To nominalize a sentence in Japanese, you take an informal sentence and add 'noga' or 'koto ga' to turn it into a noun that can be modified like any other noun in the language.