Part 1 This is a book.
When you indicate something nearby, you use " kore ". How far should it be from you ? When you can hold it with your
own hand, or in other words, in your territory, then you can use " kore ". Anything no larger than yourself,
no farther than 50cm or 1.5feet can be called " kore ". If you
and the other party are within that distance, both of you may call it " kore ".
Examples
statement |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
This is a book. |
これは本です。
(これはほんです)
|
kore wa hon desu |
This is a watch. |
これは腕時計です。
(これはうでどけいです)
|
kore wa udedokei desu |
This is a pen. |
これはペンです。
(これはぺんです)
|
kore wa pen desu |
Note; Since all the Japanese nouns are uncountable, you don' have to think about plural forms for the time being. I'll tell
you about it later.
PATTERN (7)
これは・・・です |
korewa <the name of an object > desu |
TABLE 3
the name of an object |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
pencil |
鉛筆
(えんぴつ)
|
enpitsu |
key |
鍵
(かぎ)
|
kagi |
magazine |
雑誌
(ざっし)
|
zasshi |
cigarette |
煙草
(たばこ)
|
tabako |
chocolate |
チョコレート
(ちょこれーと)
|
chokoreeto |
bag, briefcase |
鞄
(かばん)
|
kaban |
newspaper |
新聞
(しんぶん)
|
shinbun |
_
Part 2 It is a pen.
When you want to indicate some object that is near you, you use "
kore ", but to the other party, "sore" instead of "kore" is usually used.
Examples 1
conversation |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
Taroo; ( holding a pen ) This is a pen.
Masako; ( looking at the pen ) It is a pen.
|
太郎;これはペンです。
(これはぺんです)
昌子;それはペンです。
(それはぺんです)
|
kore wa pen desu
sore wa pen desu
|
Note; Anything in your territory can be called "kore", but you can call anything in the other
party's territory "sore". Therefore, "it" and "sore" are not always the same.
We have the other way of using "sore", that is, when something
is outside of your and the other party's territory, but at the same time when both
are looking at ( or listening to ) the same object that is not too far away from them.
Examples 2
conversation |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
Taroo; ( looking at somthing lying on the nearby grass ) It is a golf ball.
Masako; ( standing next to him, also looking at it ) No, it is a table
tennis ball.
|
太郎;それはゴルフボールです。
(それはごるふぼーるです)
昌子;いいえ、それはゴルフボールじゃありません。それはピンポンのボールです。
(いいえ、それはごるふぼーるじゃありません。それはぴんぽんのぼーるです)
|
sore wa goruhu booru desu
iie, sore wa gorufu booru jya arimasen sore wa pinpon no booru desu
|
Note; Examples 1 are far more important than Examples 2.
PATTERN (8)
それは・・・です |
sorewa < the name of an object > desu |
_
Part 3 That is the station.
When you want to indicate something that is far away and outside of your
territory, you use "are" ; from the clock on the wall to mountains, buildings, flying objects,
boats, etc.
examples
statement |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
(looking throught the window) That is the railroad station. |
あれは駅です。
(あれはえきです)
|
are wa eki desu |
(looking at the wall ) That is the clock. |
あれは時計です。
(あれはとけいです)
|
are wa tokei desu |
Note; Be careful when you pronounce "a-re". You have to separate
"a" from "re".
PATTERN (9)
あれは・・・です |
are wa < the name of something > desu |
Let's practice using these words below.
TABLE 4
somthing you see far away |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
post office |
郵便局
(ゆうびんきょく)
|
yuubin-kyoku |
hospital |
病院
(びょういん)
|
byooin |
convenience store |
コンビニ
(こんびに)
|
konbini |
supermarket |
スーパー
(すーぱー)
|
suupaa |
bus stop |
バス停
(ばすてい)
|
basu-tei |
city hall |
市役所
(しやくしょ)
|
shi-yakusho |
_
Part 4 What's this ?
When you see something you don't know, or when you want to know the name
of a nearby object, you will ask like this.
PATTERN (10)
(これは)何ですか |
( korewa ) nan desuka |
Note; You don't have to put " korewa " unless you want to indicate it clearly. You can also say "
sorewa nan-desuka " and " are wa nan-desuka ".
_
Part 5 my key.
There is another "no" whicn means possession. (Compare <Taro is a salesman> Part 3) When you want to say "my, your, her, his, our, their", then
put "no" after the owner.
examples
statement |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
my key |
私の鍵
(わたしのかぎ)
|
watashi-no kagi |
your book |
あなたの本
(あなたのほん)
|
anata-no hon |
It is his magazine |
彼の雑誌
(かれのざっし)
|
kare-no zasshi |
her bag |
彼女の鞄
(かのじょのかばん)
|
kanojo-no kaban |
Masako's pencil |
昌子さんの鉛筆
(まさこさんのえんぴつ)
|
masako-san-no enpitsu |
Note; In conversation, you can drop the name of an object if it is known in
advance. Example; これはわたしの鍵です( kore wa watgshi-no kagi desu ) →これはわたしのです( kore wa watashi-no desu )
PATTERN (11)
・・・の・・・ |
<owner> no < the name of an object > |
_
Part 7 Which ?
If you want to make a question about choosing something among several things,
you can use "dore".
examples
conversation |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
Taroo; ( pointing to one of the two bags ) Masako, is this your bag ? Which
is yours ?
Masako. ( pointing to the one ) This is mine.
|
太郎;昌子さん、これはあなたの鞄ですか。どれですか。
(これはあなたのかばんですか。どれですか)
昌子;これです。
|
masako-san, kore wa anata no kaban desuka doredesuka
kore desu
|
Note; Masako can answer either "sore desu" or "kore desu", according to the stuation I have explained above.
PATTERN (12)
どれですか |
dore desuka |
Note; "dore desuka" can be used as "Which is yours?","Which do you like?","Which
do you take?" and " Which do you choose ?", etc.
_
Part 8 This mobile phone
As you see "this" and "this book", the word this has two ways of usage; independetly as a pronoun and combined with a noun.
"kore, are, sore" also have their adjective usage " kono, ano, sono" respecitively.
examples
statement |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
this → this mobile phone |
これ→このケータイ
(このけーたい)
|
kore → kono keetai |
that → that ( admission ) ticket |
あれ→あのチケット
(あのちけっと)
|
are → ano chiketto |
it → the ( railroad or bus ) ticket |
それ→その切符
(そのきっぷ)
|
sore → sono kippu |
Note; "the" sometimes coincides with " sono ".
Note; A train or bus ticket is called "kippu (切符)", not "chiketto".
PATTERN (13)
この・・・ |
kono < noun > |
あの・・・ |
ano < noun > |
その・・・ |
sono < noun > |
_
Part 8 Which pencil ?
The word " dore " also has adjective usage " dono ".
examples
conversation |
Japanese |
pronunciation |
Taroo; ( picking up one of the pencils ) Is this your pencil ?
Masako; No, it isn't mine.
Taroo; Which pencil ?
Masako; This one.
|
太郎;これはあなたの鉛筆ですか。
昌子;いいえ、わたしのじゃありません。
太郎:どの鉛筆ですか。
昌子;その鉛筆です。
|
kore wa anata no enpitsu desuka
iie, watashi-no jya-arimasen
dono enpitsu desuka
sono enpitsu desu
|
Taroo; ( pointing to one of the persons in a photo ) Is this your son ?
Masako; No, he isn't.
Taroo; Which person ?
Masako; This one.
|
太郎;これはあなたの息子ですか。
昌子;いいえ、わたしの息子じゃありません。
太郎;どの人ですか。
昌子;その人です。
|
kore wa anata no musuko desuka
iie, watashi no musuko jya-arimasen
dono hito desuka
sono hito desu
|
****
PATTERN (14)
どの・・・ |
dono < noun > |
_
Part 9 ko-so-a-do
Did you get what "ko-so-a-do こそあど" means ? Yes ! This is an initials of "kore/kono" ( something very near ), "sore/sono"
( something neither too near nor too far ), "are/ano" ( something
very far ) and "dore/dono" ( which ? ). These 4 kinds of expressions
will be applied to places, directions, ways and manners later.
ko-so-a-do
|
pronoun |
adjective |
place |
dierection |
description |
manners |
ko |
kore |
kono |
koko |
kochira |
konna |
koo |
so |
sore |
sono |
soko |
sochira |
sonna |
soo |
a |
are |
ano |
asoko |
achira |
anna |
aa |
do |
dore |
dono |
doko |
dochira |
donna |
doo |
_
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