Genki I study group, chapter 2 discussion thread

Japanese Language
61

To me it also sounds a little bit more “hard” than the other version…

62

@reynoldsjt, @MalbonaGenio: このかばんはどなたのですか。 would be a gentler way to word the second sentence, but as written it is perfectly grammatical.

63

Thank you so much for sharing your notes! They are very very helpful :smiley:

64

Finished chapter 2 just in time! Asking “whose X is this?” tripped me up a bit consider “this” is the topic…

これはだれのかさですか。

なぜ「これ」は主題しゅだいの？

Also in the above should I write this out as 「主題なのですか」or 「主題のですか」or is it fine as-is? Kinda confused on how to write out why questions.

65

Not sure if that’s what’s troubling you but one way to look at it is that Japanese keeps its wh-words in place. So it’s as if you said: *this is whose X? Except in English, the inversion is mandatory. In Japanese, no movement occurs, so you go from これはAさんのかさです to これはだれのかさですか simply by substituting だれ.

66

Great explanation! Thank you!!

67

Thanks for all the great discussion on chapter 2! Please check out the thread for chapter 3 and begin your new discussions there when you are ready : D

69

I love the written plan hahah

70

Took me a bit longer to get to Chapter two than I was hoping, but I made it.

This chapter was review for me, so it was pretty straightforward, though I do think I’d missed the discussion of ね and よ the first time I read it.

Chapter 2 Notes

これ それ あれ どれ

  • Meanings:
    • これ this (thing here near me)
    • それ that (thing there near you)
    • あれ that (thing over there away from us)
    • どれ which (thing/way)
  • Note from JFZ1 ch 2: The れ ending is generally for multiple things, use ちら （っち） instead for two. {i.e. どっち = which of the two}
  • Question words such as どれ and 何 cannot be followed directly by the は particle, they use が.

この/その/あの/どの + noun

  • こ/そ/あ/ど have the same here/there/over there/which as before, but の connects them to a noun
  • Meanings:
    • この+ this ____
    • その+ that ____
    • あの+ that ____ over there
    • どの+ which ____

ここ そこ あそこ どこ

  • Meanings:
    • ここ here (near me)
    • そこ there (near you)
    • あそこ there (over there)
    • どこ where

だれの noun

  • whose
  • Example: これはだれのほんですか。 Whose book is this?

noun も

  • XはYです。ZもYです。 = X is Y. Z is also Y.
  • In this construction, the property that is the same comes after も and the different things that have that same property must come directly before も.

noun じゃないです

  • To negate XはYです replace です with じゃないです.
  • XはYじゃないです。 = X is not Y.
  • Variations: じゃないです is commonly used, but colloquial. じゃありません is a bit more conservative. ではありません is formal and used for proper writing.

～ね/～よ

  • Ending a sentence in ね seeks the listener’s confirmation or agreement (like saying “, right?”).
    • From Dictionary: ね: a sentence-final particle that indicates the speaker’s request for confirmation or agreement about some shared knowledge. These sentences can be formal or informal.
    • Examples:
      • みちこさんは学生ですね。 = Michiko is a student, right?
      • 読めね。 = Read it, will you?
  • Ending a sentence in よ assures the listener of what has been said, makes the statement authoritative. (“Let me assure you”)
    • From Dictionary: a sentence-final particle that indicates the speaker’s (fairly) strong conviction or assertion about something. (like saying: I tell you, I’m telling you, or you know)
    • Examples:
      • とんかつはさかなじゃないですよ。 = Let me assure you, tonkatsu is not fish.
      • ええ、とてもおもしろいですよ。 = Yes, it’s very interesting, I tell you.

Please

  • Xを下さい。 = Please give me X (where X is a general concrete item).
    • その本を下さい。 = Please give me that book.
  • Xをおねがいします。 = Please give me X (where X can be an item or an abstract thing).
    • When used for a concrete item, it is a bit more formal than 下さい. Also, often used for ordering food at restaurants.
    • ブラウンさんをおねがおねがいします。 = I would like (to speak to) Ms. Brown, please.
  • Xをどうぞ。 Please/by all means/here you are
    • Often used when an offer is made with respect to item X, or when a person is waiting for you to come forth with X.
    • お名前をどうぞ。 = Please give me your name.
71

Just posting my answers for the last workbook exercise (p. 26) here. Hopefully, everything is correct. :sweat_smile:

Summary
  1. 日本人じゃないです。 ドイツ人です。
  2. 二年生じゃないです。 大学生じゃないです。
  3. 経済じゃないです。経済法です。
  4. 日本人じゃないです。ドイツ人です。
  5. 五十歳です。
  6. 三千八百円です。

…so after delaying my genki studies for a few weeks, I’m now (finally) done with lesson 2 and have already started lesson 3.