🍱 The First Date — Existence & Past Tense
In this chapter, we learn how to say where people and things are, and how to describe events that happened in the past. This is crucial for storytelling and sharing your experiences.
Existence: あります vs います
English uses “is/are” for everything. Japan distinguishes between living and non-living things.
Non-Living: あります (Arimasu)
Used for objects, plants (usually), events, and abstract concepts.
- Chair (Isu)
- Tree (Ki)
- Party (Paatii)
- Time (Jikan)
Living: います (Imasu)
Used for people and animals that move.
- Person (Hito)
- Cat (Neko)
- Dog (Inu)
- Fish (Sakana)
Sentence Structure
[Place] ni [Thing] ga arimasu/imasu.
(At [Place], there is a [Thing].)
- あそこに マクドナルドが あります。 (There is a McDonald’s over there.)
- Asoko ni Makudonarudo ga arimasu.
- ここに いぬが います。 (There is a dog here.)
- Koko ni inu ga imasu.
Describing Locations
To be specific about where something is (on, under, inside), use relational nouns.
[Noun A] no [Location]
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| うえ | Ue | On / Above |
| した | Shita | Under / Below |
| まえ | Mae | Front |
| うしろ | Ushiro | Back / Behind |
| なか | Naka | Inside |
| となり | Tonari | Next to (Similar types) |
| ちかく | Chikaku | Near |
| あいだ | Aida | Between |
Examples:
- つくえ の うえ (On the desk)
- いす の した (Under the chair)
- ぎんこう の となり (Next to the bank)
Full Sentence:
- つくえの うえに ほんが あります。
- Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu.
- (There is a book on top of the desk.)
Past Tense
Japanese verbs conjugate for tense.
1. Nouns & Adjectives (Desu)
| Type | Present Affirmative | Past Affirmative | Present Negative | Past Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noun / Na-Adj | です (desu) | でした (deshita) | じゃないです (janai desu) | じゃなかったです (janakatta desu) |
Examples:
- きのうは あめでした。 (Yesterday was rain.)
- しけん じゃなかったです。 (It was NOT an exam.)
2. Verbs (Masu form)
| Type | Present Affirmative | Past Affirmative | Present Negative | Past Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verb | ます (masu) | ました (mashita) | ません (masen) | ませんでした (masen deshita) |
Examples:
- たべました。 (I ate.)
- いきませんでした。 (I did not go.)
Never say “Taberu deshita” or “Tabemasu deshita”.
Verbs have their own past tense suffix (~mashita). Only nouns/adjectives use ~deshita.
Particles: Mo & To
も (Mo) in Negative Sentences
Means “not either” or “neither”.
- たけしさんは いませんでした。 (Takeshi was not there.)
- メアリーさんも いませんでした。 (Mary was not there either.)
と (To) — “Together with”
We learned “To” means “And” (connecting nouns). It also means “With (a person)”.
- メアリーさんと いきました。 (I went with Mary.)
- ひとりで (Alone - Exception, does not use ‘to’)
Time Duration: ~Jikan
To say “for X hours”, add 時間 (jikan) to the number.
- 一時間 (Ichi-jikan): 1 hour
- 二時間 (Ni-jikan): 2 hours
Place it before the verb. (No particle needed usually)
わたしは 一時間 まちました。 (I waited for one hour.)
Test Your Knowledge
Chapter Quiz
Which verb is used for 'There is a book'?