Q/A and advice for 2012/Future VCE Japanese Students

[jibba]

@Razz

You cannot use きれいじゃないでした, it's grammatically incorrect.
Always use じゃなかったです
it's because じゃない is treated similarly to い adjectives. So the polite past tense is じゃなかったです similar to い adjectives such as おもしろかったです or さむかったです. You can't say おもしろいでした, さむいでした (they are grammatically incorrect)

And that's correct, you can't use にがて or とくい when talking about other people.

[RazzMeTazz]

@Razz

You cannot use きれいじゃないでした, it's grammatically incorrect.
Always use じゃなかったです
it's because じゃない is treated similarly to い adjectives. So the polite past tense is じゃなかったです similar to い adjectives such as おもしろかったです or さむかったです. You can't say おもしろいでした, さむいでした (they are grammatically incorrect)

And that's correct, you can't use にがて or とくい when talking about other people.

Ohh okay thankyou!!!

[RazzMeTazz]

For the 'そう　な　+ noun ' pattern, when you are describing what things are like

my book says to use the 'そう’　form of verbs/adjectives/descriptive nouns and then add な + noun.

So for example to say 'An expensive looking hat' would be:' 高そうなぼうし'

and would  ' An inexpensive looking hat'  be: '高くなさそうなぼうし’　??

 

[RazzMeTazz]

When you're describing something do you always have to use 'が；？
so when saying ' the food is delicious' would be '食べ物がおいしいです’ not '食べ物はおいしいです’

[jibba]

Yes for both.

It's better to always use が for describing something at this stage.
There are some instances where you can use は instead of が, but in the majority of circumstances if you use は instead of が it will be unnatural.
So I think it's better to always use が for adjectives in VCE.

[RazzMeTazz]

Yes for both.

It's better to always use が for describing something at this stage.
There are some instances where you can use は instead of が, but in the majority of circumstances if you use は instead of が it will be unnatural.
So I think it's better to always use が for adjectives in VCE.

Thankyou!!! 

[souka]

Jibba you have my respect.

I really want to get 40+ in japanese but just at this rate I don't think I can.

Do you know of any more resources?

Doushio

[RazzMeTazz]

What does the particle 'には’ mean?

I read some sentences which went like this: ’日本には。。。’ instead of ’日本に。。。’

eg: 日本には夏がきれいです。instead of: 日本に夏がきれいです。

What is the difference between the ’には’ and the ’に’ particle? 

 

[RazzMeTazz]

Is there always a different verb for the intransitive form of a transitive verb, in Japanese?

Or is sometimes the intransitive and transitive form of a verb spelled and pronounced the same?

[RazzMeTazz]

My textbook has two different meanings for the word 'すっと' which are
1.) The whole time
2.) By far, all the way

And I was just wondering how you when know which meaning is being used?

  Thanks!

[Fyrefly]

「ずっと」 not 「すっと」.

You know based on context.

ずっと待っていました.
= I waited the whole time.  --> Makes sense.
≠ I waited by far.  --> Doesn't make sense in context.

私は君よりもずっと若い。
= I'm younger than you by far. --> I'm much younger than you.  --> Makes sense.
≠ I'm younger than you the whole time.  --> Well yeah... unless you're a time traveler, this is unlikely to be the intended meaning.  --> Doesn't make sense in context.

[RazzMeTazz]

Can someone please give me an example of how you would use the verb 'ちがいます’ (meaning: different to) in a sentence?

My textbook says the particle before it , is 'と’ but I wasn't sure how I would use this verb in a sentence!
thanks!

[souka]

I have seen it used with TO and GA particles.
In the dictionary.
その二人の兄弟は好みがちがっている。
zono futarinokyoudai wa konomi ga chigatteiru
the two brothers differ in their tastes
so subjects wa thing that is different ga chigaimasu

or

with TO

これはそれと違います。
kore wa sore to chigaimasu
this is different from that
so subject wa other subject to chigaimasu

[souka]

also i think chigaimasu can be interchanged with onaji desu in these situations.
someone please correct me if im wrong

[Poplar]

What does the particle 'には’ mean?

I read some sentences which went like this: ’日本には。。。’ instead of ’日本に。。。’

eg: 日本には夏がきれいです。instead of: 日本に夏がきれいです。

What is the difference between the ’には’ and the ’に’ particle? 

In a Japanese sentence, は is a topic marker. Both には and just に are grammatically correct, but using には brings more attention to the topic 日本. This is especially important if you're making a comparison.

For example, if I were to say このホテルには、プールがあります, it would mean 'In THIS hotel, there's a pool.' This may be in comparison to another hotel which has no pool.

このホテルにプールがあります is also grammatically correct, but it would be closer to 'There is a pool in this hotel.' Here the sentence is just stating a fact.