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Minna no Nihongo, lesson 19

Lesson 19:

Lesson 19 of Minna no Nihongo, “What you have done, and how things change”, teaches 6 grammar patterns, including , , , and 30 words. Here is every word with romaji and English, the grammar explained with examples, and 44 example sentences.

Updated

Grammar

The た-form

The た-form is the plain past of a verb. Make it from the て-form: change て to た and で to だ. かいて → かいた, のんで → のんだ, まって → まった, たべて → たべた, して → した, きて → きた, いって → いった. In this lesson it comes before ことが あります and in 〜たり.

  • Fuji-san ni nobotta koto ga arimasu ka. Have you ever climbed Mount Fuji?
  • Hon o yondari, ongaku o kiitari shimasu. I read books, listen to music, that kind of thing.
  • Watashi wa hokkaidou e itta koto ga arimasu. I've been to Hokkaido.

Have done before: 〜た ことが あります

The た-form plus ことが あります says you have had an experience at some time in the past: ふじさんに のぼった ことが あります. It is about experience, not one event: for what you did last summer, use the ました form (きょねんの なつ ふじさんに のぼりました). いちども … ことが ありません says you never have.

  • Sumou o mita koto ga arimasu ka. Have you ever seen sumo?
  • Hai, nankai mo arimasu. Yes, many times.
  • Watashi wa ichidomo sushi o tabeta koto ga arimasen. I've never eaten sushi.

Things like … and …: 〜たり 〜たり します

〜たり 〜たり します gives a couple of examples of what someone does, out of a longer list. Put each verb in the た-form plus り, and end with します. The tense goes on します: きょうとで おてらを みたり、しゃしんを とったり しました.

  • Nichiyoubi wa tenisu o shitari, eiga o mitari shimasu. On Sundays I play tennis, see films and so on.
  • Kyouto de otera o mitari, shashin o tottari shimashita. In Kyoto I looked round temples, took photos and so on.
  • Shuumatsu wa heya o soujishitari, sentakushitari shimasu. At the weekend I clean my room, do the laundry and so on.

Getting colder: 〜く なります

なります means become, and says that something changes. Before it, an い-adjective changes its last い to く: さむい → さむく なります, ねむい → ねむく なります. いい becomes よく: かぜは よく なりました.

  • Dandan samuku narimasu. It's gradually getting colder.
  • Kaze wa yoku narimashita ka. Is your cold better?
  • Mainichi renshuu o shite, tsuyoku narimashita. I practised every day and got stronger.

Becoming well, becoming a doctor: 〜に なります

A な-adjective or a noun takes に before なります: げんきに なりました, いしゃに なりたいです. With a time or a season it says what time or season it is now or soon will be: もう じゅうじに なりました, もうすぐ はるに なります.

  • Kodomo wa genki ni narimashita. My child is well again.
  • Watashi wa isha ni naritai desu. I want to be a doctor.
  • Mousugu haru ni narimasu. It'll soon be spring.

Once, never, gradually, soon

いちど is once, and いちども with a negative is never: いちども みた ことが ありません. だんだん (gradually) and もうすぐ (soon) often come with なります. When someone asks how you are, おかげさまで (thanks to you) is the polite answer, and でも (but) starts a sentence that goes against the one before.

  • Iie, ichidomo arimasen. No, never.
  • Hai, okagesamade, yoku narimashita. Yes, it's better, thank you.
  • Daietto o shite imasu. Demo, aisukuriimu ga tabetai desu. I'm on a diet. But I want some ice cream.

Vocabulary: 30 words

Verbs

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
noborimasu climb, go upやまに のぼります. Group I, so the た-form is のぼった.
tomarimasu stay (at a hotel)ホテルに とまります. た-form: とまった.
soujishimasu clean (a room)へやを そうじします. た-form: そうじした.
sentakushimasu do the laundry, wash (clothes)た-form: せんたくした.
narimasu become, getさむく なります (get cold), げんきに なります (get well), いしゃに なります (become a doctor). た-form: なった.

Adjectives

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
nemui sleepyねむく なりました (I've got sleepy).
tsuyoi strong
yowai weak

Sports and things

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
renshuu practiceれんしゅうを します (practise).
gorufu golfゴルフを します (play golf).
sumou sumo wrestling
ocha the tea ceremony; teaおちゃを ならいます (learn the tea ceremony). The same word as おちゃ (tea) from lesson 6.
hi day, dateやすみの ひ (a day off), その ひ (that day).
choushi condition, shapeちょうしが いい / わるい (be in good / bad shape). ちょうしは どうですか (how are you doing?).
daietto diet (to lose weight)ダイエットを します (go on a diet).

The た-form

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
~koto ga arimasu have … (before), have the experience of …After the た-form: ふじさんに のぼった ことが あります (I've climbed Mount Fuji). Never: いちども … ことが ありません.
~tari ~tari shimasu do things like … and …Each verb in the た-form plus り: テニスを したり、えいがを みたり します.
~ku narimasu become … (after an い-adjective)い becomes く: さむい → さむく なります. いい → よく なります.
~ni narimasu become … (after a な-adjective or a noun)げんきに なります, いしゃに なります, はるに なります.

Other words

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
ichido once, one time
ichidomo never, not once (with a negative)いちども みた ことが ありません (I've never seen it).
dandan gradually, little by littleだんだん さむく なります.
mousugu soonもうすぐ なつに なります.
okagesamade Thanks to you; I'm fine, thank youThe answer when someone asks how you are or how something went.
demo but, howeverAt the start of a sentence: でも、まだ いちども ありません.
kanpai Cheers!
muri impossible, too much (な-adjective)むりな ダイエット (an extreme diet). むりを しないで ください (don't overdo it).
karada ni ii good for your healthThe negative: からだに よくない.
toukyousukaitsurii Tokyo Skytree (a tall broadcasting tower in Tokyo)
katsushika hokusai Katsushika Hokusai (a famous painter, 1760 to 1849)

Example sentences

  • Fuji-san ni nobotta koto ga arimasu ka. Have you ever climbed Mount Fuji?
  • Iie, ichidomo arimasen. No, never.
  • Sumou o mita koto ga arimasu ka. Have you ever seen sumo?
  • Hai, nankai mo arimasu. Yes, many times.
  • Uma ni notta koto ga arimasu ka. Have you ever ridden a horse?
  • Hai, ichido arimasu. Yes, once.
  • Watashi wa hokkaidou e itta koto ga arimasu. I've been to Hokkaido.
  • Watashi wa ichidomo sushi o tabeta koto ga arimasen. I've never eaten sushi.
  • Katsushika hokusai no e o mita koto ga arimasu. I've seen paintings by Katsushika Hokusai.
  • Toukyousukaitsurii ni nobotta koto ga arimasu ka. Have you ever been up Tokyo Skytree?
  • Ocha o naratta koto ga arimasu ka. Have you ever learnt the tea ceremony?
  • Yasumi no hi wa nani o shimasu ka. What do you do on your days off?
  • Hon o yondari, ongaku o kiitari shimasu. I read books, listen to music, that kind of thing.
  • Nichiyoubi wa tenisu o shitari, eiga o mitari shimasu. On Sundays I play tennis, see films and so on.
  • Kyouto de otera o mitari, shashin o tottari shimashita. In Kyoto I looked round temples, took photos and so on.
  • Shuumatsu wa heya o soujishitari, sentakushitari shimasu. At the weekend I clean my room, do the laundry and so on.
  • Dandan samuku narimasu. It's gradually getting colder.
  • Nemuku narimashita. I've got sleepy.
  • Nihongo ga dandan omoshiroku narimashita. Japanese has gradually got more interesting.
  • Kaze wa yoku narimashita ka. Is your cold better?
  • Hai, okagesamade, yoku narimashita. Yes, it's better, thank you.
  • Mainichi renshuu o shite, tsuyoku narimashita. I practised every day and got stronger.
  • Kodomo wa genki ni narimashita. My child is well again.
  • Nihongo ga jouzu ni narimashita ne. Your Japanese has got really good.
  • Watashi wa isha ni naritai desu. I want to be a doctor.
  • Mou juuji ni narimashita. It's already ten o'clock.
  • Mousugu haru ni narimasu. It'll soon be spring.
  • Choushi wa dou desu ka. How are you doing?
  • Okagesamade, choushi ga ii desu. I'm doing well, thank you.
  • Kyou wa choushi ga warui desu. I'm not on form today.
  • Kinou wa juuniji ni nemashita kara, nemui desu. I went to bed at twelve last night, so I'm sleepy.
  • Wattosensei wa tenisu ga tsuyoi desu. Mr. Watt is a strong tennis player.
  • Watashi wa tenisu ga yowai desu. I'm a weak tennis player.
  • Buchou wa doyoubi ni gorufu o shimasu. The head of department plays golf on Saturdays.
  • Kinou wa hoteru ni tomarimashita. I stayed at a hotel last night.
  • Doyoubi ni heya o soujishimasu. I clean my room on Saturdays.
  • Maiasa sentakushimasu. I do the laundry every morning.
  • Kinou kara daietto o shite imasu. I've been on a diet since yesterday.
  • Muri na daietto wa karada ni yokunai desu. Extreme diets aren't good for you.
  • Yasai wa karada ni ii desu. Vegetables are good for you.
  • Daietto o shite imasu. Demo, aisukuriimu ga tabetai desu. I'm on a diet. But I want some ice cream.
  • Daietto wa ashita kara shimasu. I'll start the diet tomorrow.
  • Mina-san, kanpai! Cheers, everyone!
  • Sono hi wa ame deshita. It rained that day.

Conversations to practise

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

  • The diet starts tomorrowAt a party at the Matsumotos' home, Mrs. Matsumoto notices you aren't eating much.
  • Have you ever seen sumo?At lunch, Mr. Yamada asks what you have done in Japan.
  • Is your cold better?You've had a cold. Back at work, Ms. Sato asks how you are.

Practise lesson 19

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

Start lesson 19