Understanding basic sentence structure and particles is crucial for forming Japanese sentences.
Sentence Structure: Subject-Object-Verb (SOV)
Unlike English (Subject-Verb-Object), Japanese typically follows a Subject-Object-Verb order. The verb always comes at the end of the sentence or clause.
わたし は パン を たべます。
Watashi wa pan o tabemasu.
(I eat bread. / Lit: I [topic] bread [object] eat.)
Often, the subject is omitted when it is clear from the context.
(わたし は) みず を のみます。
(Watashi wa) Mizu o nomimasu.
((I) drink water.)
The Copula: desu (です)
desu is the basic polite copula (equivalent to "to be" - is/am/are). It comes at the end of sentences that have nouns or adjectives as predicates.
これ は ほん です。
Kore wa hon desu.
(This is a book.)
ねこ は かわいい です。
Neko wa kawaii desu.
(Cats are cute.)
The past tense is deshita (でした).
きのう は あめ でした。
Kinou wa ame deshita.
(Yesterday was rain / it rained.)
Asking Basic Questions: desu ka (ですか)
To turn a simple statement ending in desu into a yes/no question, simply add the question particle ka (か) at the end. The intonation usually rises slightly at the end, similar to English questions.
Statement: これ は ペン です。
Statement: Kore wa pen desu.
(This is a pen.)
Question: これ は ペン ですか？
Question: Kore wa pen desu ka?
(Is this a pen?)
Answering Yes/No Questions
To answer "yes", use hai (はい) followed by the statement (often shortened).
Q: それ は カメラ ですか？
Q: Sore wa kamera desu ka?
(Is that a camera?)
A: はい、カメラ です。
A: Hai, kamera desu.
(Yes, it's a camera.)
A (shorter): はい、そうです。
A (shorter): Hai, sou desu.
(Yes, that's right. / Yes, it is so.)
To answer "no", use iie (いいえ) followed by the negative form of desu. The common negative forms are ja arimasen (じゃありません) or the slightly more formal dewa arimasen (ではありません).
Q: あれ は テレビ ですか？
Q: Are wa terebi desu ka?
(Is that (over there) a TV?)
A: いいえ、テレビ じゃ ありません。ラジオ です。
A: Iie, terebi ja arimasen. Rajio desu.
(No, it's not a TV. It's a radio.)
A (more formal): いいえ、テレビ で は ありません。
A (more formal): Iie, terebi dewa arimasen.
(No, it is not a TV.)
Question/Answer Pattern Summary
| Type |
Pattern (Kana) |
Pattern (Romaji) |
English |
| Statement |
これ は [Noun] です。 |
Kore wa [Noun] desu. |
This is a [Noun]. |
| Question |
これ は [Noun] ですか？ |
Kore wa [Noun] desu ka? |
Is this a [Noun]? |
| Yes Answer |
はい、[Noun] です。
はい、そうです。 |
Hai, [Noun] desu.
Hai, sou desu. |
Yes, it is a [Noun].
Yes, that's right. |
| No Answer |
いいえ、[Noun] じゃ ありません。 |
Iie, [Noun] ja arimasen. |
No, it is not a [Noun]. |
| No Answer (Formal) |
いいえ、[Noun] で は ありません。 |
Iie, [Noun] dewa arimasen. |
No, it is not a [Noun]. |
Key Particles (Joshi - 助詞)
Particles are small words that follow nouns, verbs, adjectives, or sentences to indicate their grammatical function. They are the 'glue' of the Japanese language. Content below updates with difficulty level.
Some particles have a special pronunciation that differs from the normal reading of the Hiragana character:
- The particle
wa is written with the Hiragana は (ha).
- The particle
e (direction marker) is written with the Hiragana へ (he).
- The particle
o (object marker) is written with the Hiragana を (wo), but pronounced like 'o'.
| Particle |
Romaji |
Main Function |
Example (Kana) |
Example (Romaji) |
Example (English) |
Mastering particles takes practice. Use the flashcards and quiz below to test your understanding!