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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 16

Lesson 16:

Lesson 16 of Minna no Nihongo, “First this, then that: joining actions and describing people”, teaches 6 grammar patterns, including , , , and 60 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 39 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

One after another: 〜て、〜て、〜ます

To list actions in the order they happen, put every verb but the last in the て-form. Only the last verb shows the tense: きょうとへ いって、おてらを みて、おちゃを のみました (past).

  • Asa jogingu o shite, shawaa o abite, kaisha e ikimasu. In the morning I go jogging, have a shower and go to work.
  • Kyouto e itte, otera o mite, ocha o nomimashita. I went to Kyoto, saw a temple and had some tea.
  • Kinou wa toshokan de hon o karite, uchi e kaerimashita. Yesterday I borrowed a book at the library and went home.

After doing: 〜てから

The て-form plus から says the second thing happens once the first is done: かいぎが おわってから、ひるごはんを たべます. The tense comes at the end of the sentence.

  • Kaigi ga owatte kara, hirugohan o tabemasu. I'll have lunch after the meeting finishes.
  • Kuni e kaette kara, chichi no kaisha de hatarakimasu. After I go back to my country, I'll work at my father's company.
  • Kyasshukaado o irete kara, anshoubangou o oshite kudasai. Put your cash card in, then enter your PIN.

Describing one feature: AはBがC

To describe a person or a place by one feature, give the topic with は and the feature with が: おおさかは たべものが おいしいです (the food in Osaka is good), マリアさんは かみが ながいです (Maria has long hair). せが たかい (tall) and あたまが いい (clever) work the same way.

  • Oosaka wa tabemono ga oishii desu. The food in Osaka is good.
  • Doitsu no furanken wa wain ga yuumei desu. Franconia in Germany is famous for its wine.
  • Maria-san wa kami ga nagai desu. Maria has long hair.

Joining い-adjectives: 〜くて

To join an い-adjective to what comes next, change the last い to くて: わかい → わかくて, ひろい → ひろくて. いい becomes よくて. The tense comes at the end: てんきが よくて、あたたかかったです.

  • Miraa-san wa wakakute, genki desu. Mr. Miller is young and full of energy.
  • Kono heya wa hirokute, akarui desu. This room is big and bright.
  • Kinou wa tenki ga yokute, atatakakatta desu. Yesterday the weather was good and it was warm.

Joining nouns and な-adjectives: 〜で

After a な-adjective or a noun, use で: しずかで、きれいな まち (a quiet, pretty town), インドネシアじんで、りゅうがくせいです. Only join things that point the same way, like two good points. For a good point and a bad one, use が (lesson 8).

  • Nara wa shizuka de, kirei na machi desu. Nara is a quiet, pretty town.
  • Karina-san wa indoneshiajin de, fujidaigaku no ryuugakusei desu. Karina is Indonesian and an international student at Fuji University.
  • Miraa-san wa amerikajin de, aiemushii no shain desu. Mr. Miller is American and works for IMC.

How and which: どうやって, どれ, どの

どうやって asks how to get somewhere or do something, and the answer often joins the steps with 〜て: えきから バスに のって、だいがくまえで おります. どれ asks which one of three or more; before a noun it becomes どの: どの ひとですか.

  • Daigaku made douyatte ikimasu ka. How do you get to the university?
  • Kyoutoeki kara juurokuban no basu ni notte, daigakumae de orimasu. From Kyoto Station, take the number 16 bus and get off at Daigakumae.
  • Miraa-san wa dono hito desu ka. Which one is Mr. Miller?

Vocabulary: 60 words

Verbs

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
norimasu get on, ride (a train, a bus)What you get on takes に: でんしゃに のります. て-form: のって.
orimasu get off (a train, a bus)What you get off takes を: でんしゃを おります. Group II, so the て-form is おりて.
norikaemasu change (trains, buses)Where you change takes で: うめだで ちかてつに のりかえます. て-form: のりかえて.
abimasu take (a shower)シャワーを あびます. Group II, so the て-form is あびて.
iremasu put in, insertWhere it goes takes に: ここに カードを いれます. て-form: いれて.
dashimasu take out, hand in, sendレポートを だします (hand in a report). て-form: だして.
oroshimasu withdraw (money)おかねを おろします. て-form: おろして.
hairimasu enter (a room, a university)The same verb as going into a room (lesson 14), and the place takes に: だいがくに はいります (start university).
demasu leave; graduate from (a university)What you leave takes を: だいがくを でます (graduate). The same verb as going out (lesson 14).
yamemasu quit, leave (a job)かいしゃを やめます. Group II, so the て-form is やめて.
oshimasu press, pushボタンを おします. て-form: おして.

Adjectives

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
wakai youngFor people. Old things are ふるい (lesson 8), but you don't call people ふるい.
nagai long
mijikai short (in length)A short person is せが ひくい.
akarui bright, light
kurai dark
sega takai tall (of a person)Said as AはBがC: ミラーさんは せが たかいです. たかい on its own is a building or a price.
atamaga ii clever, smartLike いい: あたまが よくて (clever and …).

The body

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
karada body
atama head
kami hairSounds the same as かみ (paper, lesson 7).
kao face
me eye
mimi ear
hana noseSounds the same as はな (flower, lesson 7).
kuchi mouth
ha toothRead ha. The topic marker は is written the same but read wa.
onaka stomach, tummyおなかが すきました (I'm hungry) is from lesson 13.
ashi leg, foot
se height (of a person)せが たかい (tall), せが ひくい (short).

Things

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
saabisu service
jogingu joggingジョギングを します (go jogging).
shawaa showerシャワーを あびます (take a shower).
midori green, greenery
otera (Buddhist) temple
jinja (Shinto) shrine
~ban number ~じゅうろくばんの バス (the number 16 bus).

At the bank

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
kyasshukaado cash card, bank card
anshoubangou PIN (number)
kingaku amount (of money)
kakunin check, confirmationかくにん ボタン is the button that confirms.
botan button
ohikidashi desuka (are you making) a withdrawal?What bank staff ask at the machine. おろします is the everyday word.
mazu first (of all)Steps in order: まず …、つぎに …、それから ….
tsugini next

Joining sentences

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
~te kara after doing …The て-form plus から: しごとが おわってから、およぎに いきます.
~kute … and (after an い-adjective)ながい → ながくて, いい → よくて: この へやは ひろくて、あかるいです.
~de … and (after a noun or な-adjective)しずかで、きれいな まち. Not the で of places and ways (lessons 5 to 7).

Other words

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
tsukaikata how to use (it)From つかいます (use, lesson 14): つかいかたを おしえて ください.
douyatte how, in what wayだいがくまで どうやって いきますか (how do you get to the university?).
dono which ~ (of three or more)Before a noun: どの ひと. On its own it's どれ (lesson 8).
sugoi desune That's amazing!Praise for something impressive. すごい on its own is an い-adjective: amazing.
madamada desu I've still got a long way to goA modest answer to praise: にほんごが じょうずですね。 いいえ、まだまだです.
jeeaaru JR (Japan Railways)

Places in the book

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
umeda Umeda (a part of Osaka)
daigakumae Daigakumae (a bus stop: "in front of the university")
bandon Bandung (a city in Indonesia)
furanken Franconia (a wine region in Germany)
berakurusu Veracruz (a city in Mexico)
yukimatsuri the Snow Festival (in Sapporo)

Example sentences

  • Asa jogingu o shite, shawaa o abite, kaisha e ikimasu. In the morning I go jogging, have a shower and go to work.
  • Kyouto e itte, otera o mite, ocha o nomimashita. I went to Kyoto, saw a temple and had some tea.
  • Kinou wa toshokan de hon o karite, uchi e kaerimashita. Yesterday I borrowed a book at the library and went home.
  • Kaigi ga owatte kara, hirugohan o tabemasu. I'll have lunch after the meeting finishes.
  • Kuni e kaette kara, chichi no kaisha de hatarakimasu. After I go back to my country, I'll work at my father's company.
  • Kyasshukaado o irete kara, anshoubangou o oshite kudasai. Put your cash card in, then enter your PIN.
  • Oosaka wa tabemono ga oishii desu. The food in Osaka is good.
  • Doitsu no furanken wa wain ga yuumei desu. Franconia in Germany is famous for its wine.
  • Maria-san wa kami ga nagai desu. Maria has long hair.
  • Karina-san wa me ga ookii desu. Karina has big eyes.
  • Miraa-san wa se ga takai desu. Mr. Miller is tall.
  • Miraa-san wa wakakute, genki desu. Mr. Miller is young and full of energy.
  • Kono heya wa hirokute, akarui desu. This room is big and bright.
  • Kinou wa tenki ga yokute, atatakakatta desu. Yesterday the weather was good and it was warm.
  • Nara wa shizuka de, kirei na machi desu. Nara is a quiet, pretty town.
  • Karina-san wa indoneshiajin de, fujidaigaku no ryuugakusei desu. Karina is Indonesian and an international student at Fuji University.
  • Daigaku made douyatte ikimasu ka. How do you get to the university?
  • Kyoutoeki kara juurokuban no basu ni notte, daigakumae de orimasu. From Kyoto Station, take the number 16 bus and get off at Daigakumae.
  • Umeda de jeeaaru ni norikaemasu. I change to the JR line at Umeda.
  • Tsugino eki de densha o orimasu. I get off the train at the next station.
  • Miraa-san wa dono hito desu ka. Which one is Mr. Miller?
  • Ano se ga takakute, kami ga kuroi hito desu. The tall one with black hair, over there.
  • Miraa-san no kasa wa dore desu ka. Which umbrella is Mr. Miller's?
  • Ano aoi kasa desu. That blue one.
  • Ginkou de okane o oroshimasu. I withdraw money at the bank.
  • Ashita repooto o dashimasu. I'm handing in my report tomorrow.
  • Kaban ni pasupooto o iremasu. I put my passport in my bag.
  • Rainen daigaku ni hairimasu. I'm starting university next year.
  • Kyonen daigaku o demashita. I graduated from university last year.
  • Raigetsu kaisha o yamemasu. I'm leaving my company next month.
  • Ohikidashi desu ka. Are you making a withdrawal?
  • Mazu koko o oshite kudasai. First, press here.
  • Tsugini kingaku o oshite kudasai. Next, enter the amount.
  • Sorekara kono kakunin botan o oshite kudasai. Then press this confirm button.
  • Nihongo ga jouzu desu ne. Your Japanese is very good.
  • Iie, madamada desu. No, I've still got a long way to go.
  • Kyouto wa otera ya jinja ga ooi desu. Kyoto has a lot of temples and shrines.
  • Kono hoteru wa saabisu ga ii desu. The service at this hotel is good.
  • Kono machi wa midori ga ooi desu. This town has a lot of greenery.

Conversations to practise

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

  • Please show me howYou want to take money out at the bank, and a member of staff helps you at the machine.
  • How do I get there?Mr. Watt invites you to the university where he teaches, and you ask how to get there.
  • Which one is Mr. Miller?At a party, Ms. Kimura asks you which one is Mr. Miller.

Practise lesson 16

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

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