CJ's Conversational Japanese Class.

[origamiboxers]

Well, I said I'd teach you, so I am. Todays lesson is on basic sentence structure and grammar. I loathe writing in hiragana, so I'll leave that you your other sensei. Anyway, Shall we begin?

Lesson the First:
Wa, Desu, Dewa Arimasen, Deshita, Dewa Arimasen Deshita

Wa: This is the particle is a subject indicator. That means that whatever was before it is the subject of the sentence.
example: Watashi wa juu go sai desu.
When writing in hiragana, the particle 'wa' is written as 'ha' for some reason.

Desu: This means 'is'. When used at the end of a sentence such as the example above, it denotes a positive statement.
In hiragana, it is written 'desu', but it is pronounced with the 'u' silent or said so softly that it is barely audible.

Dewa Arimasen: This means "is not".
example: Anata wa sakana dewa arimasen!
It denotes a negative statement. Wakarimasu ka?
When written in hiragana, it is 'deHA arimasen' for the same unknown reason as above. (This does not mean however, that all 'wa's in japanese are 'ha's, this is only for the particle 'wa'.)

Deshita: This is an ending meaning 'was'. Most verbs with "ta" at the end are past tense.
Sore wa ramen deshita.
Thats pretty simple.

Dewa Arimasen Deshita: This is just a combination of the above endings meaning 'was not'.
example: Saru wa watashi no dewa arimasen deshita.

Thats the first lesson, i hope you learned something!!!!!! heart Next I think I will teach you about.... hmm, 'ga' sentences... So yeah. Mata Atode!  

[origamiboxers]

Bleh, this is reserved for lesson 1.5 (subjects and stuff about them....)

coming soon...

Subjects
If you go to Litena's Japanese Class, she has a few ways to say 'I' there.

So now, I will teach you how to say more things!

Anata: The politest way of saying 'you'.
*Note: My new Japanese Teacher says that "anata" implies that you are very close to the person you are talking to, like you're married. He said that you can just use their name+san/kun/chan etc.
Minna or Minna-san: Everyone.
-Tachi: A group, or 'All of...'
examples:
Watashi-tachi wa gakusei desu.
Anata-tachi wa ninja desu ka?

----------------------------------
Kore: This (here, near speaker)
Sore: That (near listener)
Are: That over there. (far away from both)
These three must be followed by a particle, such as 'wa'.
example: Kore wa enpitsu desu.

Kono: This (here, near speaker)
Sono: That (near listener)
Ano: That over there. (far away from both)
These three must be followed by a noun.
example: Sono koinu wa kawaii desu!
---------------------------------
Animals!
Inu: Dog
Neko: Cat
Sakana: Fish
Saru: Monkey
ko- : adding this to the beggining of most animals refers to babies.
---------------------------------
Hito: Person
Tabemono : food
Nomimono: Drink

etc. if you want more buy a japanese dictionary..... sweatdrop  

[Nyx408]

Well you learn something new everyday......I've been studying japanese for almost 6 years and haven't learned dewa arimasen........and I'm the one in my jap class that everyone says swallowed the japanese dictionary that went missing.....  

[origamiboxers]

hehe, thats odd. what do you use to say things in negative form?  

[Nyx408]

lol that is a really good question.....we just don't go saying things like 'I'm not a fish!' xd I've never had to say anything in negative form that would normally end with desu. But hoo ha! now I know how to defend myself when my friends and I start teasing and swearing at each other in japanese instead of throwing wild random insults xd  

[Lunatic _Scientist]

i don't understand  

[nyanchan]

Nyx408

Well you learn something new everyday......I've been studying japanese for almost 6 years and haven't learned dewa arimasen........and I'm the one in my jap class that everyone says swallowed the japanese dictionary that went missing.....

If I am remembering correctly, I think that the dewa's are usually reserved for written/formal Japanese and more colloquial Japanese uses arimasen/janai....  

[Nyx408]

nyanchan

Nyx408

Well you learn something new everyday......I've been studying japanese for almost 6 years and haven't learned dewa arimasen........and I'm the one in my jap class that everyone says swallowed the japanese dictionary that went missing.....

If I am remembering correctly, I think that the dewa's are usually reserved for written/formal Japanese and more colloquial Japanese uses arimasen/janai....

Yeah a while after I typed this I realised that I use janai/kunai instead of dewa arimasen.  

[nyanchan]

Nyx408

Yeah a while after I typed this I realised that I use janai/kunai instead of dewa arimasen.

Same. There were a few grammar forms that called for a dewa, but I never use it in conversation. x.x  

[Vincent Valentine-Jenova]

candy_mag

i don't understand

what dont you understand?  

[bubblesthepenguinslayer]

Lunatic _Scientist

i don't understand

i dont either....  

[origamiboxers]

hello people! it turns out i was totally wrong concerning the particle "wa"....
My teacher crammed it into all of our stupid heads that "wa" is not "is", it is a "subject indicator". "Is" is a verb, and the verb is always at the end in japanese.

and about "dewa arimasen"... I found out its one of the polite forms and not something that is normally heard... or something... I forget. blaugh

I just learned informals so i will talk about that later.  

[Nagaikami]

Have you considered not teaching something you have only just learned and have not had the chance to use in real life situations?

I know it's a good a thing to work with others and exchange info in order to learn. However, it's usually better to have fully integrated the new information. If you're not comfortable with it yourself, it can be detrimental to everyone to teach it.

I know this because my high school teacher did the same thing. She learned grammar points in her own class at a local university, and then tried to teach them to our high school class. Even though she was not/ is not certified.  

[origamiboxers]

I'm not a high school teacher, and I don't have a degree. I do not expect anyone to think that all the things I post here are absolutely correct. I'm just trying to add the knowledge I know to the current pool and If I get it wrong, then I know the other users with more experience will correct me. So, until YOU start up a class on this forum, don't try to bring down other people. After all, if no one had the courage to start up these classes, then this forum would be completely dead. So, I'm sorry if I mis-inform someone as to how to speak Japanese, but tough luck, get a REAL teacher who gets PAID for teaching.