Basic Japanese. Eriko Sato

Japanese is on something other than the subject. We say ‘Makoto saw Kōhei.’ with a slightly heavier stress on ‘Kōhei.’ That is the most COLORLESS way we can say it. In a similar way, the Japanese will say Makoto wa Kōhei o mimashita. But in English we always have to have a subject. A Japanese sentence is complete without a subject—Go-han o tabemashita ‘I’ve eaten dinner’ (heaviest stress on ‘dinner’). In this case, it is quite common to shift the emphasis over to just the verb itself, by taking the object and turning it into a topic: ‘I’ve eaten dinner’ (heaviest stress on ‘eaten’), as in Go-han wa tabemashita.

      The particle o is also used to show the place where a verb of motion takes place:

      道を歩きます。

       Michi o arukimasu.

      (He) walks (in) the street

      空を飛びます。

       Sora o tobimasu.

      (He) flies (in) the sky.

      公園を (or で) 散歩します。

       Kōen o (or de) sanpo shimasu.

      (He) strolls (in) the park.

      うちを出ます。

       Uchi o demasu.

      (He) leaves the house.

      Verbs that can take a direct object or a noun marked by the particle o are called transitive verbs. Note that not all transitive verbs in English are also transitive verbs in Japanese. The following are examples of transitive verbs in Japanese with a sample direct object in the parentheses.

（コーヒーを）飲む (kōhī o) nomu	drinks (coffee)
（本を）読む (hon o) yomu	reads (a book)
（手紙を）書く (tegami o) kaku	writes (a letter)
（日本語を）話す (Nihongo o) hanasu	speaks (Japanese)
（音楽を）聞く (ongaku o) kiku	listens (to music)
（晩ご飯を）作る (ban go-han o) tsukuru	makes (dinner)
（靴を）買う (kutsu o) kau	buys (shoes)
（はさみを）使う (hasami o) tsukau	uses (scissors)
（皿を）洗う (sara o) ara(w)u	washes (dishes)
（ピアノを）習う (piano o) nara(w)u	learns (how to play the piano)
（数学を）教える (sūgaku o) oshieru	teaches (mathematics)

3.7. Particle と to, meaning ‘with’ and ‘and’

      In ginkō to depāto no aida ‘(the place) between the bank and the department store,’ the particle to means ‘and.’ This is an exhaustive ‘and’ that means you have listed everything in a series. There is also an inexhaustive ‘and’ that means you have listed only some of the things in a series; this is the particle ya. In an exhaustive listing of two or more things, each noun is followed by the particle to except the last, which is followed by whatever particle is appropriate to link the phrase up with the rest of the sentence.

      肉と魚と野菜とご飯を食べました。

       Niku to sakana to yasai to go-han o tabemashita.

      We ate meat and fish and vegetables and rice (and that’s all).

      肉や野菜を食べました。

       Niku ya yasai o tabemashita.

      We ate meat and vegetables (among other things).

      In the phrase watashi to issho ni ‘together with me,’ the particle to means ‘with.’ You can say watashi to kimashita ‘he came with me,’ but with verbs of motion it is more usual to add the phrase issho ni ‘together,’ as in watashi to issho ni kimashita. Notice that just issho ni often corresponds to ‘with me’ or ‘with you’ or ‘with us.’

      父と話しました。

       Chichi to hanashimashita.

      I spoke with my father.

      彼女と一緒に旅行しました。

       Kanojo to isshoni ryokō shimashita.

      I went on a trip with my girlfriend.

      (私と)一緒に行きませんか。

       (Watashi to) issho ni ikimasen ka.

      Why don’t you come with me?

      Occasionally, the particle to is used in expressions that call for an unexpected equivalent in the English translation:

      私はあなたと違います。

       Watashi wa anata to chigaimasu.

      I’m different FROM you.

      ここはあそこと違いますね。

       Koko wa asoko to chigaimasu ne.

      It’s different here FROM (what it is) there, isn’t it?

3.8. Expressions for accompaniment

      Tanaka-san to issho ni ikimasu means ‘goes with Mr. Tanaka’; Makoto o tsurete ikimasu means ‘brings Makoto along.’ You use an expression of the latter type, or an expanded form, Makoto o tsurete issho ni ikimasu, when the person you are ‘bringing along’ is younger or socially inferior to you. If the person is your equal or superior, then you say he ‘comes along with’ you: Yamada-san wa (watashi to) issho ni ikimasu ‘Ms. Yamada is going along (with me).’ The noun issho means something like ‘a group (as contrasted with a single person),’ so issho ni means ‘in a group; with others’; issho desu means ‘are together.’ Issho refers to either people or things; (to) tomo ni is a less colloquial synonym.

      家族で一緒に公園へ行きました。

       Kazoku de issho ni kōen e ikimashita.

      I went to the park with my family.

      主人と一緒に料理をしました。

       Shujin to issho ni ryōri o shimashita.

      I cooked with my husband.

      今度一緒に映画を見に行きませんか。

       Kondo issho ni eiga o mi ni ikimasen ka.

      How about going to see a movie together next time?

3.9 Verbs, polite moods

      You have heard forms like ikimasu ‘goes,’ ikimashita ‘went,’ and ikimashō ‘let’s go.’ These are various moods of the same verb. Each verb, adjective, and the copula as well, can be changed in shape to correspond