Neko Nihongo Open the app
EN

Minna no Nihongo, lesson 18

Lesson 18:

Lesson 18 of Minna no Nihongo, “Hobbies: what you can do and what you do before”, teaches 6 grammar patterns, including , , , and 29 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 44 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

The dictionary form

The dictionary form is the plain form of a verb, the one dictionaries list. Group I: change the i-sound before ます to a u-sound: かきます → かく, のみます → のむ, まちます → まつ, かえります → かえる. い becomes う: かいます → かう. Group II: drop ます and add る: たべます → たべる, みます → みる. Group III: します → する, きます → くる.

  • Kanji o yomu koto ga dekimasu. I can read kanji.
  • Watashi no shumi wa ongaku o kiku koto desu. My hobby is listening to music.
  • Neru mae ni, hon o yomimasu. I read before going to bed.

Can: 〜ことが できます

できます says what someone can do, or what is possible somewhere. Put a noun before が できます (にほんごが できます), or a verb in the dictionary form plus こと, which makes a noun of it: かんじを よむ ことが できます. The negative is できません.

  • Miraa-san wa nihongo ga dekimasu. Mr. Miller can speak Japanese.
  • Miraa-san wa kanji o yomu koto ga dekimasu. Mr. Miller can read kanji.
  • Kaado de harau koto ga dekimasu ka. Can I pay by card?

My hobby is …: しゅみは 〜ことです

Say what your hobby is with a noun (しゅみは おんがくです), or say exactly what you do with the dictionary form plus こと: しゅみは おんがくを きく ことです (my hobby is listening to music).

  • Watashi no shumi wa ongaku desu. My hobby is music.
  • Watashi no shumi wa ongaku o kiku koto desu. My hobby is listening to music.
  • Furui tokei o atsumeru koto desu. Collecting old clocks.

Before doing: 〜まえに

The dictionary form plus まえに says what you do before something else. The verb before まえに stays in the dictionary form even when the sentence is about the past; the end of the sentence gives the tense: にほんへ くる まえに、にほんごを べんきょうしました.

  • Neru mae ni, hon o yomimasu. I read before going to bed.
  • Nihon e kuru mae ni, nihongo o benkyoushimashita. I studied Japanese before coming to Japan.
  • Maiban neru mae ni, nikki o kakimasu. Every night before bed, I write in my diary.

Before a meal, three years ago

After a noun for an action or an event, use の まえに: しょくじの まえに (before meals). After a length of time, まえに has no の and means ago: さんねん まえに (three years ago).

  • Shokuji no mae ni, te o araimasu. I wash my hands before meals.
  • Sannen mae ni kekkonshimashita. I got married three years ago.
  • Yamada-san wa ichijikan mae ni dekakemashita. Mr. Yamada went out an hour ago.

Hardly and by all means: なかなか, ぜひ

なかなか with a negative says something is hard to do or doesn't happen easily: にほんでは なかなか うまを みる ことが できません. ぜひ adds feeling to what you want to do or ask for: ぜひ いきたいです (I'd really love to go).

  • Nihon deha nakanaka uma o miru koto ga dekimasen. In Japan you hardly ever get to see horses.
  • Ja, natsu ni zehi ikitai desu. Then I'd really love to go in the summer.
  • Hee, sore wa omoshiroi desu ne. Really? That's interesting.

Vocabulary: 29 words

Verbs

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
dekimasu can, be able to; be possibleWhat you can do takes が: にほんごが できます. With a verb: およぐ ことが できます. Group II, so the dictionary form is できる.
araimasu washてを あらいます. The い before ます becomes う in the dictionary form: あらう.
hikimasu play (the piano, a stringed instrument)ピアノを ひきます. Sports and games take します. Dictionary form: ひく.
utaimasu singうたを うたいます. Dictionary form: うたう.
atsumemasu collect, gatherきってを あつめます. Group II: あつめる.
sutemasu throw awayふるい ざっしを すてます. Group II: すてる.
kaemasu exchange, changeぎんこうで おかねを かえます. Group II, so its dictionary form is かえる, the same as かえります (go home).
untenshimasu driveくるまを うんてんします. Dictionary form: うんてんする.
yoyakushimasu reserve, bookホテルを よやくします. Dictionary form: よやくする.

Hobbies and things

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
shumi hobby, interestしゅみは なんですか (what are your hobbies?).
piano piano
nikki diaryにっきを かきます (write in a diary).
oinori prayerおいのりを します (pray).
doubutsu animal
uma horse
bokujou ranch, farm (for animals)
genkin cashげんきんで はらいます (pay in cash).
intaanetto the internetインターネットで よやくします.
~meetoru ~ metre(s)ひゃくメートル (100 metres).

At work

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
kachou section head, manager
buchou head of department
shachou company presidentLike せんせい, these titles are also used to address the person: しゃちょう、おはよう ございます.

The dictionary form

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
~koto ga dekimasu can …, be able to …The dictionary form plus こと が できます: かんじを よむ ことが できます (I can read kanji).
~maeni before …After the dictionary form (ねる まえに), a noun and の (しょくじの まえに) or a length of time, where it means ago (さんねん まえに).

Other words

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
hee Really? Wow! (surprise, interest)
sore wa omoshiroi desu ne That's interesting.
nakanaka not easily, hardly (with a negative)なかなか うまを みる ことが できません (you hardly ever get to see horses).
hontou desu ka Really?
zehi by all means, really (with what you want to do)ぜひ いきたいです (I'd really love to go).

Example sentences

  • Miraa-san wa nihongo ga dekimasu. Mr. Miller can speak Japanese.
  • Kuruma no unten ga dekimasu ka. Can you drive a car?
  • Hai, dekimasu. Yes, I can.
  • Miraa-san wa kanji o yomu koto ga dekimasu. Mr. Miller can read kanji.
  • Watashi wa kanji o kaku koto ga dekimasen. I can't write kanji.
  • Kaado de harau koto ga dekimasu ka. Can I pay by card?
  • Sumimasen ga, genkin de onegaishimasu. Sorry, cash, please.
  • Maria-san wa jitensha ni noru koto ga dekimasu ka. Can Maria ride a bicycle?
  • Iie, dekimasen. No, she can't.
  • Toshokan de hon o kariru koto ga dekimasu. You can borrow books at the library.
  • Intaanetto de hoteru o yoyakusuru koto ga dekimasu. You can book a hotel on the internet.
  • Kotoshi wa yuki ga Taku-san furimashita kara, sukii ga dekimasu. We've had a lot of snow this year, so we can ski.
  • Watashi wa hyakumeetoru gurai oyogu koto ga dekimasu. I can swim about 100 metres.
  • Karina-san wa piano o hiku koto ga dekimasu. Karina can play the piano.
  • Shumi wa nan desu ka. What are your hobbies?
  • Furui tokei o atsumeru koto desu. Collecting old clocks.
  • Watashi no shumi wa ongaku desu. My hobby is music.
  • Watashi no shumi wa ongaku o kiku koto desu. My hobby is listening to music.
  • Watashi no shumi wa uta o utau koto desu. My hobby is singing.
  • Santosu-san no shumi wa doubutsu no shashin o toru koto desu. Mr. Santos's hobby is taking photos of animals.
  • Neru mae ni, hon o yomimasu. I read before going to bed.
  • Nihon e kuru mae ni, nihongo o benkyoushimashita. I studied Japanese before coming to Japan.
  • Maiban neru mae ni, nikki o kakimasu. Every night before bed, I write in my diary.
  • Shokuji no mae ni, te o araimasu. I wash my hands before meals.
  • Shokuji no mae ni, kono kusuri o nonde kudasai. Please take this medicine before meals.
  • Ryokou no mae ni, hoteru o yoyakushimasu. I book a hotel before a trip.
  • Itsu kekkonshimashita ka. When did you get married?
  • Sannen mae ni kekkonshimashita. I got married three years ago.
  • Yamada-san wa ichijikan mae ni dekakemashita. Mr. Yamada went out an hour ago.
  • Nihon no kodomo wa gakkou ni hairu mae ni, hiragana o oboenakereba narimasen ka. Do Japanese children have to learn hiragana before they start school?
  • Iie, oboenakute mo ii desu. No, they don't have to.
  • Furui zasshi o sutemasu. I'm throwing away some old magazines.
  • Ginkou de okane o kaemasu. I change money at the bank.
  • Maiasa oinori o shimasu. I pray every morning.
  • Karaoke de nihon no uta o utaimasu. I sing Japanese songs at karaoke.
  • Kachou wa ima kaigishitsu ni imasu. The section head is in the meeting room now.
  • Buchou wa ashita oosaka e shutchoushimasu. The head of department is going to Osaka on business tomorrow.
  • Shachou wa maiasa hachiji ni kaisha e kimasu. The company president comes to the office at eight every morning.
  • Doubutsu ga suki desu ka. Do you like animals?
  • Hokkaidou ni uma no bokujou ga Taku-san arimasu yo. There are lots of horse ranches in Hokkaido, you know.
  • Nihon deha nakanaka uma o miru koto ga dekimasen. In Japan you hardly ever get to see horses.
  • Hee, sore wa omoshiroi desu ne. Really? That's interesting.
  • Hontou desu ka. Really?
  • Ja, natsu ni zehi ikitai desu. Then I'd really love to go in the summer.

Conversations to practise

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

  • What are your hobbies?Over a coffee, Mr. Yamada asks about your hobbies. You love taking photos of animals.
  • Can I pay by card?You arrive at the hotel you booked for a weekend away.
  • Before you came to JapanAt a party, Ms. Sato asks how you learnt Japanese.

Practise lesson 18

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

Start lesson 18