April 27, 2008

can't , can not

Watashi wa nihongo o hanasenai. : I, Japanese, can't speak. : I can't speak Japanese.
(I'm not able to speak Japanese, I don't have skills to speak Japanese)

watashi : I ,
watashi wa : I (subject)
nihongo : Japanese language
hanasu : speak
(hanasa-nai, hanashi-masu, hanasu, hanasu-toki, hanase-ba, hanase)
hanasenai : can't speak

Watashi wa nihongo o hanasanai : I, Japanese, don't speak : I don't speak Japanese.
( I can speak Japanese but I don't speak Japanese)

hanasu : speak
(hanasa-nai, hanashi-masu, hanasu, hanasu-toki, hanase-ba, hanase)

Watashi wa hashirenai. : I , can't run. : I can't run.
hashiru : run
(hashira-nai, hashiri-masu, hashiru, hashiru-toki, hashire-ba, hashire)

Watashi wa hashiranai. : I , don't run : I don't run.
hashiru : run
(hashira-nai, hashiri-masu, hashiru, hashiru-toki, hashire-ba, hashire)

tobenai : can't fly
tobu: fly
(toba-nai, tobi-masu, tobu, tobu-toki , tobe-ba , tobe)

tobanai : don't fly
tobu: fly
(toba-nai, tobi-masu, tobu, tobu-toki , tobe-ba , tobe)
nomenai : can't drink
nomu : drink
(noma-nai, nomi-masu, nomu, nomu-toki , nome-ba, nome)
nomanai : don't drink
nomu : drink
(noma-nai, nomi-masu, nomu, nomu-toki , nome-ba, nome)

exception;
In Japanese, there are cases in which "noun"+"suru" makes it verb.
suru : do
(shi-nai, shi-masu, suru, suru-toki, sure-ba, shiro)
benkyou : study(noun)
benkyousuru : study(verb)
unten : driving(noun)
unten suru : drive(verb)

Watashi wa benkyou shinai : I, study, don't : I don't study.
Watashi wa benkyou dekinai : I , study, can't. : I can't study.
dekiru(verb) : can, be able to
(deki-nai, deki-masu, dekiru, dekiru-toki, dekire-ba, dekiro)

April 12, 2008

infinitive

Infinitives ( to+verb) are often seen in English conversation.

eg. I go to bookshop to buy book. ("to buy" is infinitive in this case)

In Japanese , "....suru tameni" , " ...no tameni " or " ...tameni " is very convinient word for infinitives.

Watashi wa hon o kau tameni hon-ya ni ikimasu.( I, book, buy, to(infinitive), bookshop, to, go)
kau : buy
tameni : for the purpose of
hon-ya: bookshop,
ya : "ya" means shop
iku : go
(ika-nai, iki-masu, iku, iku-toki, ike-ba, ike)

"tameni" comes just after a verb(plain)
yomu tameni : to read
au tameni : to meet, to see
iu tameni : to say

"no tameni" comes after noun
dokusho(reading) no tameni : for reading
unten(driving) no tameni : for driving

"suru tameni" means " for doing..." ( same with " no tameni")
dokusho(reading) suru tameni : for reading
unten(driving) suru tameni : for driving

Pactice;

Watashi wa anata ni au tameni koko ni kita. : I came here to see you.
watashi : I
" wa " of "watashi wa" makes "I" subject.
anata : you
ni : to, with
"ni " of " anata ni" makes "you " objective.
au : meet , see
(awa-nai, ai-masu, au, au-toki, ae-ba ,ae)
tameni : for
koko : (noun) here
ni: to
kita : past tense of "kuru" , came
kuru :come
(ko-nai, ki-masu, kuru, kuru-toki, kure-ba, koi)
ki + ta : came

Watashi wa anata ni au tameni koko ni kita. : I, you , with, see, for , here, came : I came here to see you.

April 6, 2008

It's gonna happen!

Fukudome, Japanese baseball player, made his debut at Major League Baseball U.S. as a player of Chicago Cubs.
In his debut game , some fans of Chicago Cubs have boards on which Japanese phrase "Guuzen daze! (偶然だぜ!)" is written. ( I'm sorry if you can not see Japanese Kanji character on your computer.)

According to Japanese news, "Guuzen daze" is a mistranslation of " It's gonna happen."

"Guuzen" is not a good word for Fukudome because it means that " What you have done is an accident" or " You will do something by chance."

If you want to say "Something will happen" or " You will do something big" , I think "Nanika shidekasuze" or " Taishita yatsu daze" is more appropriate.

Let us see these phrases today.

Nanika shidekasuze. : some thing, do : You will do something big.
nanika : something
shidekasu : do (very colloquial and rough ), and has a nuance do somethin big
ze : a suffix (colloquial, "ze" doesn't have any meaning.)

Taishita yatsu daze. : great, guy : You are great guy.
taishita : great, wonderful, amazing
yatsu : guy, man,
daze : da(suffix) + ze(suffix)
"Taishita yatsu" is just a noun "great guy".
But , by adding "da" at the end of the word, the word becomes a phrase with a subject hidden.
e.g. Hon. : book.
Hon da. : This/ that is a book.
kirei : beautiful
Kireida. : You are / She is/ I'm beautiful.

In addition , "taishita yatsu " has a nuance that great guy who has done somethig big or who will do something big.