Survival Japanese. Boye Lafayette De Mente

(kee-kah-nie) きかない.havemotsu (moe-t’se) もつ, mochi (moe-chee) もち,motte (moat-tay) もって,motanai (moe-tah-nie) もたない.

      Note that, instead of the stem form, motte-i (もってい te-form + i い ) is used in the non-past and past forms (e.g. motte-imasu (moat-tay ee-mahss) もっています “have,” motte-imasen (moat-tay ee-mah-sen) もっていません “do not have”).

know	shiru (she-rue) しる, shiri (she-ree) しり,shitte (ssh-tay) しって,shiranai (she-rah-nie) しらない.

      Note that in the affirmative forms shitte-i (しってい te-form + i い) replaces the stem form, with the exception of the desiderative form (e.g. shitte-imasu? (ssh-tay-ee-mahss) しっていま す “know,” shitte-imashita (ssh-tay-ee-mah-sshtah) しってい ました “knew,” but shiritaidesu (she-ree-tie-dess) しりたいで す “want to know”).

read	yomu (yoe-muu) よむ,yomi (yoe-me) よみ,yonde (yoan-day) よんで,yomanai (yoe-mah-nie) よまない.
return (go/come back)
	kaeru (kah-eh-rue) かえる,kaeri (kah-eh-ree) かえり,kaette (kah-eh’t-tay) かえって,kaeranai (kah-eh-rah-nie) かえらない.
say	iu (yuu) いう, ii (ee) いい,itte (eet-tay) いって,iwanai (e-wah-nie) いわない.

see (someone)
	au (a-uu) あう, ai (ai) あい,atte (at-tay) あって,awanai (ah-wah-nie) あわない.
see (something)
	miru (me-rue) みる, mi (me) み,mite (me-tay) みて, minai (me-nie) みない.
sleep	neru (ney-rue) ねる, ne (ney) ね,nete (nay-tay) ねて, nenai (nay-nie) ねない.
speak	hanasu (hah-nah-sue) はなす,hanashi (hah-nah-ssh) はなし,hanashite (hah-nah-sshtay) はなして,hanasanai (hah-nah-sah-nie) はなさない.
understand
	wakaru (wah-kah-rue) わかる,wakari (wah-kah-ree) わかり,wakatte (wah-kot-tay) わかって,wakaranai (wah-kah-rah-nie) わからない.
walk	aruku (ah-rue-kuu) あるく,aruki (ah-rue-kee) あるき,aruite (ah-rue-ee-tay) あるいて,arukanai (ah-rue-kah-nie) あるかない.
wait	matsu (mah-t’sue) まつ,machi (mah-chee) まち,matte (maht-tay) まって,matanai (mah-tah-nie) またない.
write	kaku (kah-kuu) かく, kaki (kah-kee) かき,kaite (kie-tay) かいて,kakanai (kah-kah-nie) かかない.

      COMMON PHRASES

      ► Do you speak English?

      Eigo-o hanashimasu-ka. えいごを はなしますか。

      (Aa-go oh hah-nah-she-mahss kah)

      Note that the Japanese full stop is a small circle, which is used whether the sentence is a statement or a question.

      ► I can speak a little Japanese.

      Nihongo-ga sukoshi hanasemasu.

      (Nee-hoan-go gah suu-koe-she hah-nah-say-mahss)

      にほんごが すこし はなせます。

      ► I don’t understand.

      Wakarimasen. (Wah-kah-ree-mah-sen) わかりません。

      ► Please say it again.

      Mō ichido itte kudasai. もういちど いって ください。

      (Moe ee-chee-doe eet-tay kuu-dah-sie)

      ► Please speak more slowly.

      Mō sukoshi yukkuri hanashite kudasai.

      (Moe suu-koe-shee yuke-kuu-ree hah-nah-sshtay kuu-dah-sie)

      もうすこし ゆっくり はなして ください。

      ► I understand.

      Wakarimashita. (Wah-kah-ree-mah-sshtah)

      わかりました。

      Note the change in the tense.

      ► Do you understand?

      Wakarimashita-ka. わかりましたか。

      (Wah-kah-ree-mah-sshtah kah)

      ► I want to study Japanese.

      Nihongo-o benkyō-shitai-desu.

      (Nee-hoan-go oh bane-k’yoe she-tie dess)

      にほんごを べんきょう したいです。

      ► Please speak in Japanese.

      Nihongo-de hanashite kudasai.

      (Nee-hoan-go day hah-nah-sshtay kuu-dah-sie)

      にほんごで はなして ください。

      ► Is it all right?

      Ii-desu-ka. (ee-dess-kah) いいですか。

      ► It’s OK.

      Daijōbu-desu. (Die-joe-buu dess) だいじょうぶです。

      ► Please.

      Onegai-shimasu. おねがいします。

      (Oh-nay-guy-she-mahss)

      ► It doesn’t matter. / I don’t mind.

      Kamaimasen. (Kah-my-mah-sen) かまいません。

      ► I see. / Is that so?

      Sō-desu-ka. (Soh dess kah) そうですか。

      ► I don’t want/need it.

      Irimasen. (Ee-ree-mah-sen) いりません。/

      Kekkō-desu. (more polite) けっこうです。 (Keck-koe dess)

      ► I think so.

      Sō omoimasu. そう おもいます。

      (Soh oh-moy-ee-mahss)

      ► I don’t think so.

      Sō-wa omoimasen. そうは おもいません。

      (Soh wah oh-moy-mah-sen)

      Chigau-to omoimasu. ちがうと おもいます。

      (Chee-gah-uu toe oh-moy-ee-mahss)

      ► Not yet. (Used as a sentence.)

      Mada-desu. (Mah-dah dess) まだです。

      ► Just a moment, please.

      Chotto matte kudasai. ちょっと まって ください。

      (Choat-toe mot-tay kuu-dah-sie)

      Chotto (choat-toe) ちょっと is also used by itself when you want to get someone’s attention and/or call the person to you—Chotto! (choat-toe) ちょっと . This is very familiar, however, and is primarily used among families and when addressing serving people in an informal setting, such as a restaurant. When said in a reluctant, cautious tone of voice, chotto means you don’t want to positively respond to a question or comment, and are leaving it to the listener to interpret your meaning. If someone says chotto muzukashii-desu-ne (choat-toe muu-zuu-kah-she dess nay) ちょっと むずかし いですね。“it’s a little difficult,” they really mean it can’t be done or they can’t do it.

      ► I’ve had enough / No more, thank you.

      Mō kekkō-desu. もうけっこうです。