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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 14

Lesson 14:

Lesson 14 of Minna no Nihongo, “Please wait! The て-form, requests and what's happening now”, teaches 7 grammar patterns, including , , , and 43 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 37 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

Three verb groups

Group I verbs have an i-sound before ます: かきます, まちます, はなします. Group II verbs mostly have an e-sound: たべます, あけます, みせます; a few have an i-sound: みます, おきます, かります, います. Group III is します (and every noun + します) and きます. かえります looks like group II but is group I.

  • Tegami o kaite kudasai. Please write a letter.
  • Mado o akete kudasai. Please open the window.
  • Kore o gomai kopiishite kudasai. Please make five copies of this.

The て-form: かいて, まって, たべて

Group II and III verbs swap ます for て: たべて, みて, して, きて. Group I verbs change by the sound before ます: き → いて (かいて), ぎ → いで (いそいで), い / ち / り → って (かって, まって, かえって), み / び → んで (よんで), し → して (はなして). いきます is the exception: いって.

  • Chotto matte kudasai. Wait a moment, please.
  • Isoide kudasai. Please hurry.
  • Massugu itte kudasai. Please go straight on.

Please: 〜て ください

The て-form plus ください asks someone to do something: まって ください (please wait). It's a polite request, used for favours, instructions and directions.

  • Koko ni namae to juusho o kaite kudasai. Please write your name and address here.
  • Mou sukoshi yukkuri hanashite kudasai. Please speak a little more slowly.
  • Pasupooto o misete kudasai. Please show me your passport.

Happening now: 〜て います

The て-form plus います says what is going on right now: いま あめが ふって います (it's raining now). Ask with なにを して いますか.

  • Ima ame ga futte imasu. It's raining now.
  • Miraa-san wa ima nani o shite imasu ka. What's Mr. Miller doing now?
  • Denwa o kakete imasu. He's on the phone.

Shall I?: 〜ましょうか

ましょうか offers to do something for someone: てつだいましょうか (shall I help?). Accept with ええ、おねがいします, or turn it down politely with いいえ、けっこうです.

  • Atsui desu ne. Eakon o tsukemashou ka. It's hot, isn't it? Shall I turn on the air conditioner?
  • Ee, onegaishimasu. Yes, please.
  • Iie, kekkou desu. No, it's all right.

Right away, later, again

These go before the verb: すぐ きて ください (please come right away), あとで また きて ください (please come again later). もう すこし means a little more: もう すこし ゆっくり (a little more slowly).

  • Sugu kite kudasai. Please come right away.
  • Atode mata kite kudasai. Please come again later.
  • Mou sukoshi yukkuri hanashite kudasai. Please speak a little more slowly.

In a taxi: みどりちょうまで おねがいします

Say where you're going with まで and おねがいします. Then direct the driver: まっすぐ いって ください, あの しんごうを みぎへ まがって ください, ここで とめて ください. When you pay, say これで おねがいします.

  • Midorichou made onegaishimasu. To Midoricho, please.
  • Ano shingou o migi e magatte kudasai. Please turn right at those traffic lights.
  • Ano biru no mae de tomete kudasai. Please stop in front of that building.

Vocabulary: 43 words

Verbs: group I

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
isogimasu hurryて-form: いそいで.
machimasu wait (for)て-form: まって. Who you wait for takes を: ともだちを まちます.
mochimasu hold, carryて-form: もって.
torimasu take, pass (hand over)て-form: とって. しおを とって ください (please pass the salt).
tetsudaimasu helpて-form: てつだって.
yobimasu call (someone, a taxi)て-form: よんで.
hanashimasu speak, talkて-form: はなして.
tsukaimasu useて-form: つかって.
suwarimasu sit downて-form: すわって.
tachimasu stand upて-form: たって.
hairimasu go in, enterThe place takes に: きっさてんに はいります. て-form: はいって.
furimasu fall (rain, snow)あめが ふります (it rains). て-form: ふって.
keshimasu turn offて-form: けして.

Verbs: group II

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
tsukemasu turn onて-form: つけて.
akemasu openて-form: あけて.
shimemasu close, shutて-form: しめて.
tomemasu stop, park (a car)て-form: とめて.
misemasu showて-form: みせて.
oshiemasu teach; tell (an address, a way)じゅうしょを おしえて ください (please tell me your address). て-form: おしえて.
demasu go out, leaveThe place you leave takes を: きっさてんを でます. て-form: でて.

Verbs: group III

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
kopiishimasu copyGroup III is します (and every noun + します) and きます: して, きて.

Things

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
eakon air conditioner
pasupooto passport
namae nameSomeone else's is おなまえ (lesson 1).
juusho address
chizu map
shio salt
satou sugarSounds just like the name Sato (さとう).
mondai question, problem
kotae answer
yomikata how to read, readingA verb without ます plus かた is how to do it: よみかた (how to read).

How and when

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
massugu straight (on)
yukkuri slowly, take your time
sugu right away, soon
mata again
atode later
mou sukoshi a little moreもう すこし ゆっくり (a little more slowly).

In a taxi

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
shingou traffic lights
shingouo migihe magatte kudasai please turn right at the traffic lights
korede onegaishimasu here you are (paying with this)
otsuri change (money back)

Expressions

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
saa right, come on (getting started)

Places in the book

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
midorichou Midoricho (a town)

Example sentences

  • Chotto matte kudasai. Wait a moment, please.
  • Isoide kudasai. Please hurry.
  • Koko ni namae to juusho o kaite kudasai. Please write your name and address here.
  • Sumimasen, shio o totte kudasai. Excuse me, could you pass the salt?
  • Mou sukoshi yukkuri hanashite kudasai. Please speak a little more slowly.
  • Mado o akete kudasai. Please open the window.
  • Atsui desu ne. Eakon o tsukemashou ka. It's hot, isn't it? Shall I turn on the air conditioner?
  • Ee, onegaishimasu. Yes, please.
  • Iie, kekkou desu. No, it's all right.
  • Tetsudaimashou ka. Shall I help you?
  • Sumimasen. Onegaishimasu. Thank you, that would be kind.
  • Nimotsu o mochimashou ka. Shall I carry your bags?
  • Ima ame ga futte imasu. It's raining now.
  • Miraa-san wa ima nani o shite imasu ka. What's Mr. Miller doing now?
  • Denwa o kakete imasu. He's on the phone.
  • Yamada-san wa shinbun o yonde imasu. Mr. Yamada is reading the newspaper.
  • Karina-san wa e o kaite imasu. Karina is painting a picture.
  • Eki de tomodachi o matte imasu. I'm waiting for a friend at the station.
  • Douzo suwatte kudasai. Please sit down.
  • Pasupooto o misete kudasai. Please show me your passport.
  • Chizu o kaite kudasai. Could you draw me a map?
  • Boorupen o tsukatte kudasai. Please use a ballpoint pen.
  • Kore o gomai kopiishite kudasai. Please make five copies of this.
  • Kono kanji no yomikata o oshiete kudasai. Please tell me how to read this kanji.
  • Juusho o oshiete kudasai. Please tell me your address.
  • Denki o keshite kudasai. Please turn off the light.
  • Doa o shimemashou ka. Shall I close the door?
  • Sugu kite kudasai. Please come right away.
  • Atode mata kite kudasai. Please come again later.
  • Midorichou made onegaishimasu. To Midoricho, please.
  • Ano shingou o migi e magatte kudasai. Please turn right at those traffic lights.
  • Massugu itte kudasai. Please go straight on.
  • Ano biru no mae de tomete kudasai. Please stop in front of that building.
  • Kore de onegaishimasu. Here you are.
  • Sanzennihyakuen no otsuri desu. Here's 3,200 yen change.
  • Mondai no kotae o kaite kudasai. Please write the answers to the questions.
  • Saa, ikimashou. Right, let's go.

Conversations to practise

In the app you play one of the speakers and choose what to say, line by line, with natural Japanese voices.

  • To MidorichoYou take a taxi home.
  • Can I help?Ms. Sato is carrying a lot of boxes at the office.
  • On the phoneMr. Yamada rings the office and asks for Mr. Miller.

Practise lesson 14

Flashcards, spelling with kana tiles, sentence building and conversations. Free, no sign-up needed.

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