# Military Japanese/Part 1

Part I Language Lessons
Lesson I
Pronunciation
1. The basic sounds of the Japanese language in Romanized form are as follows:
| a | i | u | e | o |
| ka sa ta na ha ma ya ra wa | ki shi chi ni hi mi i ri i | ku su tsu nu fu mu yu ru u | ke se te ne he me e re e | ko so to no ho mo yo ro (w)o |
| n |
The vowels a, i, u, e, o have only one sound each, as:
a in father ai in machine u in bull e in met o in obey
The other sounds are self-explanatory if one is careful about combining the initial consonants with the proper vowel sounds. Every Japanese syllable ends in a vowel sound, excepting n. However, to be very precise, f in fu is pronounced somewhere between f and h; r in r line to be pronounced between l and r.
2. There are sounds that are developed from some of the above-mentioned basic sounds:
a. “Impure” sounds are those developed from several lines of the arrangements of the basic sounds:
| ga | gi | gu | ge | go | (from ka, ki, ku, ke, ko) |
| za | ji | zu | ze | zo | (from sa, shi, su, se, so) |
| da | ji | zu | de | do | (from ta, chi, tsu, te, to) |
| ba | bi | bu | be | bo | (from ha, hi, fu, he, ho) |
| pa | pi | pu | pe | po | (from ha, hi, fu, he, ho) |
​b. So-called “crooked” sounds are as follows:
| kya | kyu | kyo | (from k line) |
| sha | shu | sho | (from s line) |
| cha | chu | cho | (from t line) |
| nya | nyu | nyo | (from n line) |
| hya | hyu | hyo | (from h line) |
| mya | myu | myo | (from m line) |
| rya | ryu | ryo | (from r line) |
| gya | gyu | gyo | (from g line) |
| gyaja | gyuju | gyojo | (from z line) |
| byaja | byuju | byojo | (from d line) |
| bya | byu | byo | (from b line) |
| pya | pyu | pyo | (from p line) |
c. Words with double consonants are sometime called “stopped sounds.” These require a pause equivalent in length to one syllable.
| pp | Nippon is pronounced Nip-pon |
| pp | teppō is pronounced tep-pō |
| tt | wakatte is pronounced wakat-te |
| tt | chotto is pronounced chot-to |
| kk | gakkō is pronounced gak-kō |
d. There are many sounds that are exactly twice as long as the ordinary sounds. In this manual, they are indicated by diacritical marks, as:
* dōshite
* bangō
* taishō
* jū
* teppō
e. Accent: Accent in Japanese differs a little from that of English. Accent in Japanese is based rather on pitch than on stress. Many polysyllabic words have no more stress on one syllable than another. For these reasons there is a popular misconception that the Japanese language has no accent at all. There is no way of telling the accented syllables in this manual, but despite this fact one will have no trouble in being understood if his pronunciation is what it should be. It is well, however, to avoid undue stress on the penult, a mistake frequently made by students of Japanese.
* Yamada and not Yamáda
* watakushi and not watakúshi
* Yamamoto and not Yamamóto
Lesson II
1. Memorize the following interrogatives:
| dare | who? |
| nani (nan) | what? |
| doko | where? |
| itsu | when? |
| naze | why? |
| dōshite | how? |
| ikutsu | how many? how old? |
| ikura | how much? |
| desu; de arimasu (de aru) | am; are; is |
2. Memorize:
| watakushi | I; me |
| anata | you |
| teppō | rifle; gun |
| kore | this; these | wa----desu | am; are; is |
3. The fact that a question is being asked is indicated by adding ka to the sentence and a rising inflection.
| ka | ? |
4. Type sentences:
| Kore wa teppō desu | This is a gun. |
| Kore wa anata desu | This is you. |
| Kore wa watakushi desu. | This is I. |
“Wa” is a nominative case ending, and completes a sentence with the final verb, “desu.” In other words, English “am,” “is” or “are” is expressed by wa-----desu. In general there is no number in Japanese. Therefore the sentences: This is a rifle or These are rifles in Japanese are expressed in the identical form: Kore wa ​teppō desu. Remember the verb always comes last in the sentence.
| Kore wa dare desu ka | Who is this? Who are these? |
| Kore wa nan desu ka | What is this? What are these? |
| Kore wa ikura desu ka | How much is this? |
| Kore wa doko desu ka. | Where is this? |
In asking a question, no change in word order, such as is usual in English, is necessary. The only thing needed is to add ka to the end of the statement and a rising inflection, for example:
| Kore wa teppō desu | This is a rifle. |
| Kore wa teppō desu ka | Is this a rifle? Are these rifles? |
| Kore wa anata desu | This is you. |
| Kore wa anata desu ka | Is this you? |
| Dare desu ka | Who is (it)? |
| Nani (nan) desu ka | What is (it)? |
| Doko desu ka | Where is (it)? |
| Itsu desu ka | When is (it)? |
| Naze desu ka | Why is (it)? |
| Dōshite desu ka | How is (it)? In what way? |
| Ikutsu desu ka | How many is (it)? How old are you? |
| Ikura desu ka | How much is (it)? |
However, in military questions one can omit the verb and say abruptly:
| Dare ka | Who? |
| Nani ka | What? |
| Doko ka | Where? |
| Itsu ka | When? |
| Naze ka | Why? |
| Dōshite ka | How? |
| Ikutsu ka | How many? How old? |
| Ikura ka | How much? |
Although the above structure is permissible, the complete form is the more polite, and better results may be attained, in questioning a prisoner, etc., by its use. Generally speaking, complete form should be used in questioning officers and abrupt form by officers questioning enlisted men.
Lesson III
1. Memorize the following:
| na; namae | name |
| butai | unit of indefinite size |
| kurai | rank |
| to | and (when used to connect nouns and pronouns) with (only when employed for animate objects) |
| no | (possessive case ending); of; ’s |
| hai | yes |
| iie | no |
| Ohayō (gozaimasu) | Good morning! |
| Konnichi wa | Hello; How do you do? |
| Konban wa | Good evening! |
| Ikaga desu ka | How are you? |
| Arigatō (gozaimasu) | Thanks; Thank you. |
| Jōbu desu | (I) am well. |
| Oyasumi (nasai) | Good night! |
| Sayōnara | Good-bye |
2. Negation is expressed by:
| de arimasen; dewa arimasen | is not; am not; are not |
| Kore wa teppō desu | This is a rifle |
| Kore wa teppō de arimasen | This is not a rifle |
3. Before going on with this lesson, let us review briefly what we have learned in the previous lesson.
| Kore wa anata desu | This is you. |
| Kore wa dare desu ka | Who is this? |
| Kore wa ikura desu ka | How much is this? |
| Kore wa doko desu ka | Where is this? |
| Kore wa teppō desu ka | Is this a rifle? |
| Dare desu ka | Who is (it)? |
| Nani (Nan) desu ka | What is (it)? ​ |
| Ikutsu desu ka | How many it (it)? How old (are you)? |
| Dare ka | Who? |
| Doko ka | Where? |
| Ikura ka | How much? |
4. The greetings introduced in this lesson are very idiomatic and should be memorized as such. In learning a language, it is often necessary merely to “swallow” certain expressions as they come. Do not try to fit the language into English to satisfy yourself. No matter how illogical the construction may seem from the standpoint of the English language, the constructions are correct in the other language. In the expression, Konnichi wa (How do you do?), konnichi means today and wa is a postposition, if broken up, word by word. However, the whole expression corresponds to How do you do? Of course, this should be used only during the day.
5. Type sentences:
| Anata no na wa nan desu ka | What is your name? |
| Anata no butai wa nan desu ka | What is your unit? |
| Anata no butai wa doko desu ka | Where is your unit? |
| Kore wa dare no desu ka | Whose is this? |
| Watakushi no desu | (It is) mine. |
| Anata no kurai wa nan desu ka | What is your rank? |
| Anata no na wa nan desu ka | What is your name? |
| Yamada desu | (It is) Yamada. |
| Kore wa anata no desu ka | Is this yours? |
| Hai, watakushi no desu | Yes, mine. |
| Iie, watakushi no dewa arimasen | No, not mine. |
| Kore wa dare desu ka | Who is this? |
| Kore wa dare to dare desu ka | Who are these (Who and who are these)? |
| Kore wa teppō desu ka | Is this a rifle? |
| Iie, teppō dewa arimasen | No, (it) is not a rifle. |
| Ohayō ikaga desu ka | Good morning; how are you? |
| Arigatō, jōbu desu | Thank you; I am well. |
| Sayōnara | Good-bye! |
​6. In a brusque military fashion one may say:
| Na wa nani ka | What is your name? |
| Butai wa doko ka | Where is (your) unit? |
| Kore wa dare no ka | Whose is this? |
| Kurai wa nani ka | What is (your) rank? |
| Kore wa teppō ka | Is this a rifle? |
In Japanese pronouns should be used much more sparingly than in English. It is better and more natural under many circumstances not to use them at all. This fact will be illustrated better when more verbs are introduced in the later chapters.
    Jōbu desu. for (Watakushi wa jōbu desu.)
    Na wa nan desu ka. for (Anata no na wa nan desu ka.
Also, in Japanese the expressions (it is) or (this is) are not totally employed. In answer to: Kore wa nan desu ka (What is this?), simply say: Teppō desu.
Lesson IV
1. Memorize the following:
| gunjin | members of the armed forces |
| Eigo | English |
| Nippon | Japan |
| Nippongo | Japanese language |
| tabemasu (taberu) | eat |
| wakarimasu (wakaru) | understand |
| agemasu (ageru) | give (you, him); raise |
| ga; shikashi | but; however |
| imasu (iru) | am; is; are (animate) |
| orimasu (oru) | am; is; are (animate) |
2. Demonstrative pronouns:
| kore | this; these |
| sore | that; it; those |
| are | that yonder, etc. |
Sore and are both mean that, it and those. However, the latter ​indicates something relatively farther away in space than the former.
| — ga arimasu | There is (are) — (inanimate object) |
| — ga imasu | There is (are) — (animate object) |
| — ga orimasu | There is (are) — (animate object) |
4. Postpositions. The case endings are usually called postpositions and may be classified as:
| Nominative | wa; ga |
| Genitive | no |
| Dative (indirect object) | ni |
| Accusative (direct object) | wo |
Now let us go back to the vocabulary. Tabemasu, wakarimasu, agemasu, are all verbs in the present tense. Remember that all verbs in the conversational present tense end in -masu.
As we have learned, there is a difference between sore and are.
| Sore wa nan desu ka | What is that? |
| Are wa nan desu ka | What is that yonder? |
—ga arimasu and —ga imasu (orimasu) both mean there is (are). There is is employed not in the sense of over there but of the usual beginning of a sentence, as in: There is a soldier in the house.
| Teppō ga arimasu | There is a gun. |
| Dare ga imasu ka | Who is there? |
Postpositions must be used in the following way:
a. Nominative case ending:
| Kore wa teppō desu | This is a rifle. |
| Kore ga teppō desu | This is a rifle. |
Ga is emphatic, and gives distinction to the things nominated. In the former sentence, we wish to make it clear that this is a rifle and not anything else. In the latter, we want to say that this one is a rifle and not that one.
b. Genitive case ending:
| Kore wa watakushi no teppō desu | This is my rifle. |
c. Dative case ending:
| Kore wo anata ni agemasu | I give this to you. |
​d. Accusative case ending:
| Kore wo anata ni agemasu | I give this to you. |
5. Type sentences:
| Eigo ga wakarimasu ka | (Do you) understand English? |
| Hai, wakarimasu | Yes, (I) understand. |
| Nani wo tabemasu ka | What do (you eat?) What will (you) eat? |
| Kore wo tabemasu | (I) eat this. |
| Sore wa Nippongo desu ka | Is that Japanese language? |
| Hai, Nippongo desu | Yes, (it) is Japanese. |
| Kore wa teppō desu ga are wa teppō dewa arimasen | This is a rifle but that is not a rifle. |
| Kore wa nan desu ka | What is this? |
| Sore wa nan desu ka | What is that? |
| Are wa nan desu ka | What is that? |
| Teppō ga arimasu | There is a rifle. |
| Kore wa teppō desu | This is a rifle. |
| Kore wa teppō desu ka | Is this a rifle? |
| Are wa dare desu ka | Who is that? |
| Are wa gunjin desu | That (He) is a soldier (sailor). |
| Gunjin ga imasu | There is a soldier. |
| Anata wa gunjin desu ka | Are you a soldier (sailor)? |
| Hai, gunjin desu | Yes, I am a soldier (sailor). |
| Na wa nan desu ka | What is your name? |
| Yamada desu | I am Yamada. |
| Anata wa Nippon no doko desu ka | What part of Japan are you from? (Where of Japan are you (from)? |
| Tōkyō desu | Tōkyō. |
Lesson V
1. Memorize the following:
| chizu | map |
| kazu | number; figure ​ |
| bangō | number (numerical order) |
| ichiren-bangō | serial number |
| de | with; in; at |
De can be used in several ways as in the following examples:
| Teppō de | With a rifle (instrumentality). |
| Nippongo de | In Japanese (abstraction). |
| Tōkyō de | At Tōkyō (place). |
2. Demonstrative adjectives:
| kono | this; these |
| sono | that; those |
| ano | that; those (yonder) |
Do not confound these adjectives with kore, sore and are, which are used as pronouns.
| Kore wo agemasu | I give you this. |
| Kono teppō wo agemasu | I give you this rifle. |
| Kore wa dare desu ka | Who is this? |
| Kono gunjin wa dare desu ka | Who is this soldier? |
3. Pronouns of place:
| koko | this place (here) |
| soko | that place (there) |
| asoko | that place (there yonder) |
| Koko wa doko desu ka | Where is this (this place)? |
| Koko wa Yokohama desu | This place is Yokohama. |
4. Numerals: There are two methods of counting the numbers, the pure Japanese way (kun) and the Chinese way (on). The Japanese way is used for single numbers and the Chinese as “enumeratives.” However, from eleven on, the numbers are counted only in the Chinese way.
| On (Chinese) | Kun (Japanese) |
| ichi | hitotsu | 1 |
| ni | futatsu | 2 |
| san | mittsu | 3 |
| shi | yottsu | 4 |
| go | itsutsu | 5 ​ |
| roku | muttsu | 6 |
| shichi | nanatsu | 7 |
| hachi | yattsu | 8 |
| ku | kokonotsu | 9 |
| jū | tō | 10 |
| jūichi | | 11 |
| jūni | | 12 |
| jūsan | | 13 |
| jūshi | | 14 |
| jūgo | | 15 |
| jūroku | | 16 |
| jūshichi | | 17 |
| jūhachi | | 18 |
| jūku | | 19 |
| nijū | | 20 |
| sanjū | | 30 |
| shijū | | 40 |
| gojū | | 50 |
| rokujū | | 60 |
| shichijū | | 70 |
| hachijū | | 80 |
| kujū | | 90 |
| hyaku | | 100 |
| sen | | 1,000 |
| man | | 10,000 |
5. Type sentences:
| Sore wa nan desu ka | What is that? |
| Chizu desu | It is a map. |
| Doko no chizu desu ka | Map of where is (it)? |
| Nippon no desu | (It) is of Japan. |
| Butai no kazu wa ikutsu desu ka | What is the number of the units? |
| Mittsu desu | (There) are three. |
| Anata no ichiren-bangō wa nan desu ka | What is your serial number? |
| San-shi-hachi-ni-ni desu | 34822. |
| Kore wa Nippongo de nan desu ka | What is this in Japanese? ​ |
| Kore wa dare no desu ka | Whose is this? |
| Sore wa watakushi no desu | That is mine. |
| Kono teppō wa dare no desu ka | Whose rifle is this? |
| Watakushi no desu | It is mine. |
| Sore wa doko desu ka | Where is that? |
| Sono butai wa doko desu ka | Where is that unit? |
| Koko wa doko desu ka | Where is this? |
| Asoko wa doko desu ka | Where is that place? |
| Ikutsu tabemasu ka | How many do (will) you eat? |
| Mittsu tabemasu | I eat three. |
| Jūshi tabemasu | I eat fourteen. |
| Nanatsu tabemasu | I eat seven. |
| Jūgo tabemasu. | I eat fifteen. |
6. Exercises in numbers:
a.
| muttsu | 6 |
| nanatsu | 7 |
| yottsu | 4 |
| kokonotsu | 9 |
| futatsu | 2 |
| roku | 6 |
| shi | 4 |
| go | 5 |
| jūichi | 11 |
| jūsan | 13 |
| jūhachi | 18 |
| nijū | 20 |
| nijūgo | 25 |
| sanjūni | 32 |
| rokujūku | 69 |
| hachijūsan | 83 |
| hyakusanjū | 130 |
| sanbyaku | 300 |
| rokujūkuman | 690,000 |
| gosenshihyaku | 5,400 |
| sanman | 30,000 |
| hyakuman | 1,000,000 |
b. Read the following in Japanese:
* 05
* 11
* 16
* 24
* 40
* 48
* 61
* 68
* 83
* 99
* 0,100
* 0,111
* 0,234
* 0,776
* 8,832
* 05,555
* 05,478
* 66,669
* 98,671
* 99,999
If one wants to be sure of the accuracy of any numbers involved, write the Arabic numerals, as every Japanese knows them.
c. Exercises:
| Bangō | Count off! |
| Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi | One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. ​ |
| Anata no ichiren-bangō wa nan desu ka | What is your serial number? |
| Ni-ni-go-go-shi desu | My number is 22554. |
| Hachi-ku-ku-ni-san desu | My number is 89923. |
| Roku-go-go-shi-ichi desu | My number is 65541. |
Lesson VI
1. Memorize the following verbs:
| kakimasu (kaku) | write; draw; scratch |
| kimasu (kuru) | come |
| ikimasu (iku) | go |
| shirimasu (shiru) | know |
| yomimasu (yomu) | read |
| hanashimasu (hanasu) | speak; talk; tell |
| nomimasu (nomu) | drink; take; taste |
2. Verb conjugations. In the study of any language the verbs are the most important thing. In the other parts of speech only the memorizing of the vocabulary is usually necessary, but the verbs must be studied as to inflections, tenses, etc. It might be said that a person’s language ability can be judged by the way he employs his verbs. Let us take the verbs we have studied so far, including the ones introduced in this chapter, and conjugate them.
| a. | desu; de arimasu (de aru) | am; is; are |
| b. | arimasu (aru) | is; are; there is (inanimate) |
| c. | imasu (iru) | is; are; there is (animate) |
| d. | orimasu (oru) | is; are; there is (animate) |
| e. | tabemasu (taberu) | eat |
| f. | wakarimasu (wakaru) | understand |
| g. | agemasu (ageru) | give (you, him) |
| h. | kakimasu (kaku) | write; draw; scratch |
| i. | kimasu (kuru) | come |
| j. | ikimasu (iku) | go |
| k. | shirimasu (shiru) | know |
| l. | yomimasu (yomu) | read |
| m. | hanashimasu (hanasu) | speak; talk; tell |
| n. | nomimasu (nomu) | drink; take; taste |
​The conjugation of Japanese verbs is carried out by the change of endings. All Japanese verbs invariably end in -u. The consonant which precedes the final u determines the conjugation. The vowel just before the final syllable is called the stem vowel of the verb. The inflective parts of verbs are roughly classified into the following:
* bu,
* gu,
* ku,
* mu,
* nu,
* ru,
* su,
* suru,
* tsu,
* u
Let us take the verb taberu (to eat), and see the different endings as conjugated:
| present tense | tabe-masu | eat |
| pres. negative | tabe-masen | do not eat |
| past tense | tabe-mashita | ate |
| pres. progressive | tabe-te imasu | are eating |
| imperative | tabe-nasai | eat |
| negative past | tabe-masen deshita | did not eat |
| interrogative pres. | tabe-masu ka | do you eat? |
As we see, the inflection is uniform for every verb except for the progressive tenses. To conjugate the verb in progressive forms, we must remember the following general rule. Although every verb has its own particular ending some generalization is possible as to what is to be expected. If the last syllable is:
| su; suru | then, progressive is | shite |
| mu; nu; bu | then, progressive is | nde |
| gu | then, progressive is | ide |
| u; ru; tsu | then, progressive is | te or tte |
| ku | then, progressive is | ite |
| (yomu) | Kore wo yonde imasu | I am reading this. |
| (hanasu) | Nani wo hanashite imasu ka | What are you talking (about)? |
| (taberu) | Nani wo tabete imasu ka | What are you eating? |
| (iku) | Doko e itte imasu ka | Where are you going? |
Other examples are not given here because we have not yet learned enough verbs for such a purpose. Now, let us take the ​fourteen verbs previously listed in this chapter and conjugate them one by one:
| | pres. t. | pres. neg. | past | pres. prog. | imperative | neg. past | pres. interrogative |
| a. | desu (de arimasu) | de arimasen | deshita | de atte | ................ | de arimasendeshita | desu ka |
| b. | arimasu | arimasen | arimashita | atte | ................ | arimasendeshita | arimasu ka |
| c. | imasu | imasen | imashita | ite | inasai | imasendeshita | imasu ka |
| d. | orimasu | orimasen | orimashita | otte | orinasai | orimasendeshita | orimasu ka |
| e. | tabemasu | tabemasen | tabemashita | tabete imasu | tabenasai | tabemasendeshita | tabemasu ka |
| f. | wakarimasu | wakarimasen | wakarimashita | wakatte imasu | ................ | wakarimasendeshita | wakarimasu ka |
| g. | agemasu | agemasen | agemashita | agete imasu | agenasai | agemasendeshita | agemasu ka |
| h. | kakimasu | kakimasen | kakimashita | kaite imasu | kakinasai | kakimasendeshita | kakimasu ka |
| i. | kimasu | kimasen | kimashita | kite imasu | kinasai | kimasendeshita | kimasu ka |
| j. | ikimasu | ikimasen | ikimashita | itte imasu | ikinasai | ikimasendeshita | ikimasu ka |
| k. | shirimasu | shirimasen | shirimashita | shitte imasu | ................ | shirimasendeshita | shitte imasu ka |
| l. | yomimasu | yomimasen | yomimashita | yonde imasu | yominasai | yomimasendeshita | yomimasu ka |
| m. | hanashimasu | hanashimasen | hanashimashita | hanashite imasu | hanashinasai | hanashimasendeshita | hanashimasu ka |
| n. | nomimasu | nomimasen | nomimashita | nonde imasu | nominasai | nomimasendeshita | nomimasu ka |
3. Type sentences:
| Eigo wo hanashimasu | (You, I, He) speak(s) English. |
| Eigo wo hanashimasen | (You, I, He) do (does) not speak English. ​ |
| Eigo wo hanashimashita | (You, I, He) spoke English. |
| Eigo wo hanashite imasu | (You, I, He) are (am, is) speaking English. |
| Eigo wo hanashinasai | Speak English |
| Eigo wo hanashimasendeshita | (You, I, He) did not speak English. |
| Eigo wo hanashimasu ka | Do you (Does he) speak English? |
| Nippongo de kakimasu | I write in Japanese. |
| Nippongo de kakimasen | I do not write in Japanese. |
| Nippongo de kakimashita | I wrote in Japanese. |
| Nippongo de kaite imasu | I am writing in Japanese. |
| Nippongo de kakinasai | Write in Japanese. |
| Nippongo de kakimasendeshita | I did not write in Japanese. |
| Nippongo de kakimasu ka | Do you write in Japanese? |
| Kore wo tabemasu | I eat this. |
| Kore wo tabemasen | I do not eat this. |
| Kore wo tabemashita | I ate this. |
| Kore wo tabete imasu | I am eating this. |
| Kore wo tabenasai | Eat this. |
| Kore wo tabemasendeshita | I did not eat this. |
| Kore wo tabemasu ka | Do (Will) you eat this? |
| Kore ga wakarimasu ka | Do you understand this? |
| Kore wo kakimashita ka | Did you write this? |
| Anohito wo shitte imasu ka | Do you know him? |
| Naze nomimasen ka | Why don’t you drink? |
| Are wa nan deshita ka | What was that? |
| Kore wo yominasai | Read this. |
| Eigo de kakinasai | Write in English. |
| Naze kakimasendeshita ka | Why didn’t you write? |
| Wakarimasen | I do not understand. |
| Nonde imasu | I am drinking. |
| Nani wo tabete imasu ka | What are you eating? |
| Tabemashita | I ate. ​ |
| Tabemasendeshita | I did not eat. |
| Wakarimasen ka | Don’t you understand? |
| Wakarimasu | I understand. |
| Wakatte imasu | I understand (I know it). |
| Watakushi ga kakimashita | I wrote (it). |
| Gunjin ga kite imasu | A soldier is coming. |
| Koko wa doko desu ka | Where is this? |
| Sore wa doko deshita ka | Where was it? |
Lesson VII
1. Memorize the following:
| migi | right |
| hidari | left |
| mae | before; in front |
| atsumarimasu (atsumaru) | fall in; assemble |
| ki wo tsukemasu (tsukeru) | Pay attention |
| mukimasu (muku) | face; turn |
| susumimasu (susumu) | advance |
| tomarimasu (tomaru) | stop; halt |
| yasumimasu (yasumu) | rest |
| wakaremasu (wakareru) | separate; leave |
2. Military commands: In this chapter it is intended to introduce a few military commands for convenience in handling a group of prisoners of war.
| Atsumare | Fall in! |
| Ki wo tsuke | Attention! |
| Bangō | Count off! |
| Migi muke migi | Right face! |
| Hidari muke hidari | Left face! |
| Mae e susume | Forward march! |
| Tomare | Halt! |
| Yasume | Rest! |
| Wakare | Dismiss! |
Japanese military imperative verbs end in -e (atsumare from atsumaru). As in military commands used in the United States, some have a preparatory command and a command of execution. Three of the abovementioned commands have both:
| Migi muke - - - migi | Right - - - face! |
| Hidari muke - - - hidari | Left - - - face! |
| Mae e - - - susume | Forward - - - march! |
By trying to prolong the last syllable, one will get a better preparatory command, as: Migi mukē - - - migi!
3. Memorize the following:
a. Branches of the armed forces:
| Rikugun | Army |
| Kaigun | Navy |
| Kugun | Air Force |
b. Army ranks (officers only):
| shikan | officers |
| Taishō | General |
| Chūshō (Chūjō) | Lieut.-General |
| Shōshō | Major-General |
| Taisa | Colonel |
| Chūsa | Lieut. Colonel |
| Shōsa | Major |
| Taii | Captain |
| Chūi | First Lieutenant |
| Shōi | Second Lieutenant |
There is no rank in the Japanese army that corresponds to our Brigadier-General.
c. Navy ranks (officers only):
| Taishō | Admiral |
| Chūshō (Chūjō) | Vice-Admiral |
| Shōshō | Rear-Admiral |
| Taisa | Captain |
| Chūsa | Commander |
| Shōsa | Lieut.-Commander |
| Taii | Lieutenant |
| Chūi | Lieutenant (j.g.) |
| Shōi | Ensign |
​The ranks for the army and the navy are the same in Japanese. Therefore, to be particular, the ranks must be preceded by Rikugun- or Kaigun- as Rikugun Taisa (Colonel) and Kaigun Taisa (Captain).
4. Review exercises: In this lesson, let us go back and review the various type sentences we have studied so far. Be sure to get accustomed to the syntax of the Japanese sentence and to the lack of pronouns, in extreme contrast to English.
| a. | Dare desu ka | Who is it? |
| | Dare ka | Who is it? |
| | Ikura desu ka | How much is it? |
| | Naze | Why? |
| | Kore wa dare desu ka | Who is this? |
| | Kore wa teppō desu | This is a rifle. |
| | Ikutsu desu ka | How many? How old are you? |
| b. | Namae wa nan desu ka | What is your name? |
| | Yamada desu | I am Yamada. |
| | Butai wa | Your unit? |
| | Satō Butai desu | Satō Unit. |
| | Kurai wa nan desu ka | What is your rank? |
| | Shōi desu | I am a second lieutenant. (I am an ensign.) |
| | Anata wa ikutsu desu ka | How old are you? |
| | Nijūshi desu | I am twenty-four. |
| | Ohayō | Good morning! |
| | Kore wa Nippongo de nan desu ka | What is this in Japanese? |
| | Anata wa Nippon no doko desu ka | What part of Japan are you from? |
| | Koko wa doko desu ka | Where is this? |
| | Sore wa doko no chizu desu ka | What map is it? (Map of where is it?) |
| c. | Ikutsu tabemasu ka | How many will you eat? |
| | Itsutsu tabemasu | I eat five. |
| | Ichiman-gosen | 15,000. |
| | Rokusen-hachijū-go | 6085. |
| | Sanbyaku-shijū-san | 343. |
| | Sanman-sanzen-gohyaku | 33,500. |
| d. | Ikaga desu ka | How are you? |
| | Kore wa teppō desu ka | Is this a rifle? |
| | Kore wa dare no desu ka | Whose is this? |
| | Watakushi no desu | It is mine. |
| | Are wa anata no desu ka | Is that yours? |
| | Hai, watakushi no desu | Yes, it is mine. |
| | Teppō dewa arimasen | It is not a rifle. |
| e. | Sore wa Nippongo desu ka | Is that Japanese? |
| | Dare ga orimasu ka | Who is there? |
| | Anata ni agemasu | I give (it) to you. |
| | Eigo ga wakarimasu ka | Do you understand English? |
| | Kore wo kakinasai | Write this. |
| | Wakarimasu ka | Do you understand? |
| | Nomimasen ka | Don’t you drink? Won’t you drink? |
| | Dare ga kore wo kakimashita ka | Who wrote this? |
| | Ano gunjin no shitte imasu ka | Do you know that soldier? |
| | Sore wa dōshite kakimashita ka | How did you write it? |
| | Anohito no kurai wa nan desu ka | What is his rank? |
| | Rikugun Shōsa desu | He is a major. |
| | Anata wa shikan desu ka | Are you an officer? |
| | Hai, shikan desu | Yes, I am an officer. |
| | Iie, shikan dewa arimasen | No, I am not an officer. |
Lesson VIII
1. Memorize the following:
a. Army ranks (non-commissioned officers and men):
| kashikan | non-commissioned officers |
| Tokumu Sōchō (Junshikan) | Warrant Officer |
| Sōchō | Sergeant-Major |
| Gunsō | Sergeant |
| Gochō | Corporal |
| hei | privates |
| Jōtōhei | (Superior Private) |
| Ittōhei | Private, F.C. |
| Nitōhei | Private, S.C. |
b. Navy ranks (non-commissioned officers and sailors):
| kashikan; suihei | non-com. officers; seamen |
| Heisōchō | Chief Warrant Officer |
| Ittō Heisō | Chief Petty Officer |
| Nitō Heisō | Petty Officer, 1/C |
| Santō Heisō | Petty Officer, 2/C |
| Ittō Suihei | Petty Officer, 3/C |
| Nitō Suihei | Seaman, 1/C |
| Santō Suihei | Seaman, 2/C |
| Shitō Suihei | Seaman, 3/C |
2. Memorize the following adjectives:
| yoi | good; all right |
| chikai | near; close |
| tōi | far; distant |
| itai | painful; sore |
| himojii | hungry |
Memorize the following:
| taihen | very |
It should be remembered that most adjectives end in -i or -na. The position of adjectives is exactly the same as in the English language; they come before the nouns they modify.
    Yamada Taii wa yoi shikan desu ka Is Captain Yamada a good officer?
​When they are used as predicate nominative, the position is the same, too.
    Watakushi wa himojii desu I am hungry.
The comparison of adjectives is done by the use of special adverbs: For example, take the adjective yoi (good), and compare:
| Positive | yoi | good |
| Comparative | motto yoi; yori yoi | better |
| Superlative | ichiban yoi | best |
| Kore ga yoi | This is good. |
| Kore ga motto yoi | This is better. |
| Kore ga ichiban yoi | This is the best. |
The negation of adjectives is obtained by changing the final -i to ku and adding nai
| Kore wa yoi desu | This is good. |
| Kore wa yokunai desu | This is not good. |
| Himojii desu ka | Are you hungry? |
| Himojikunai desu ka | Are you not hungry? |
3. Type sentences:
| Taihen yoi desu | Very good. |
| Ano shikan wo shitte imasu ka | Do you know that officer? |
| Hai, shitte imasu. Tanaka Shōsa desu. | Yes, I know (him); he is Major Tanaka. |
| Anata wa shikan desu ka kashikan desu ka | Are you an officer or a non-commissioned officer? |
| Anata wa kaigun shikan desu ka rikugun shikan desu ka | Are you a navy officer or an army officer? |
| Kaigun shikan desu | I am a navy officer. |
| Soko wa chikai desu ka tōi desu ka | Is that place near or far? |
| Chikai desu | It is near. |
| Doko ga itai desu ka | Where does it pain? |
| Himojii desu ka | Are you hungry? |
| Iie, himojikunai desu | No, I am not hungry. |
| Soko wa tōi desu ka | Is that place far? |
| Iie, tōkunai desu | No, it is not far. ​ |
| Motto tōi desu ka | Is it farther? |
| Ichiban tōi desu ka | Is it the farthest? |
| Taihen tōi desu ka | Is it very far? |
| Koko yori asoko ga tōi desu ka | Is that place farther than this place? |
| Ikutsu tabemashita ka | How many did you eat? |
| Futatsu tabemashita | I ate two. |
| Itai desu ka | Is it painful? |
| Motto itai desu ka | Does it hurt more? |
| Kore ga ichiban yoi desu ka | Is this the best? |
| Kore de yoi desu ka | Is this all right? (With this is it all right?) |
| Hai, yoi desu | Yes, it is all right. |
| Asoko ni orinasai | Stay over there. |
| Asoko ni ikinasai | Go over there. |
| Kore wo nominasai | Drink this. |
| Koko ni kinasai | Come here. |
| Kore wo tabenasai | Eat this. |
| Naze kore wa yokunai desu ka | Why is this not good? |
| Asoko wa chikakunai desu ka | Is it (that place) not near? |
4. Review of vocabulary:
    a. Review the army ranks, including officers, non-commissioned officers and men.
    b. Review the navy ranks, including officers, non-commissioned officers and seamen.
    c. Review the conjugation of the following verbs:
* kuru (come)
* shiru (know)
* ageru (give)
* yomu (read)
* nomu (drink)
    d. Review the progressives of the verbs. Be sure to go over the endings.
Lesson IX
1. Memorize the following:
| mura | village ​ |
| machi | town |
| gentai | home unit |
| tabemono | food |
| jūbun | enough; sufficient |
| ni; e | to |
| kara | from |
| Nipponjin | the Japanese |
| sukimasu (suku) | like |
| isogimasu (isogu) | hurry |
| tachimasu (tatsu) | stand; leave |
2. Memorize the following usages:
| a. | dore | which one (of many) |
| | dochira | which one (of the two); which side |
| | ni | at; in; to |
| | Dore ga ichiban yoi desu ka | Which one is the best? |
| | Dochira ga yoi desu ka | Which is better? (of the two) |
| | Dochira ga sukidesu ka | Which do you like? (of the two) |
| | Anata wa doko ni orimasu ka | Where are you? Where do you live? (At what place are you?) |
| | Kono mura ni Nipponjin ga orimasu ka | Are there Japanese in this village? |
| | Koko ni kinasai | Come here. (Come to this place.) |
b. Difference between ni and de when used as in. Ni is used to show existence only and de is used when action follows:
| Dare ga koko ni orimasu ka | Who is here? |
| Koko ni nani ga arimasu ka | What is here? |
| Soko de nani wo tabemashita ka | What did you eat there? |
3. Interrogatives may be used in the following ways:
| dare | who |
| dare ka | some one |
| dare mo; dare demo | every one; all |
| dare mo + (negative) | no one |
Other interrogatives such as naze, nani, doko, dōshite, ikutsu, ikura and itsu may be used following similar patterns.
| Dare desu ka | Who is it? |
| Dare ka imasu ka | Is there some one? |
| Dare demo imasu | Every one is here. |
| Dare mo imasen | No one is here. |
4. Type sentences:
| Kore wa nani mura desu ka | What village is this? |
| Kore wa nani machi desu ka | What town is this? |
| Anata wa Nipponjin desu ka | Are you a Japanese? |
| Isoginasai | Hurry! |
| Koko ni tomarinasai | Stop here. |
| Koko ni tachinasai | Stand here. |
| Koko e kinasai | Come here. |
| Gentai wa nan desu ka | What is your home unit? |
| Gentai wa doko desu ka | Where is your home unit? |
| Anata wa gochō desu ka jōtōhei desu ka | Are you a corporal or a superior class private? |
| Ano shikan wa dare desu ka | Who is that officer? |
| Rikugun shikan desu ka kaigun shikan desu ka | Is he an army officer or a navy officer? |
| Kono machi ni itsu kimashita ka | When did you come to this village? |
| Wakarimasen. Koko ni kakinaasi | I don’t understand. Write here. |
| Anata wa himojikunai desu ka | Aren’t you hungry? |
| Himojii | I am hungry. |
| Nani ka tabemasen ka | Won’t you eat something? |
| Tabemono wa jūbun deshita ka | Did you have enough to eat? (Was food sufficient?) |
5. Conjugate the following verbs:
* sukimasu (suku)
* isogimasu (isogu)
* tomarimasu (tomaru)
* tachimasu (tatsu)
6. Type sentences:
| Dore ga sukidesu ka | Which do you like? |
| Kore ga sukidesu | I like this. |
| Are ga sukidesu | I like that. ​ |
| Dochira ga sukidesu ka | Which one do you like? (of the two) |
| Kochira desu | This one. |
| Soko ni dare ga orimashita ka | Who was there? |
| Doko de nomimashita ka | Where did you drink? |
| Doko kara koko ni kimashita ka | Where did you come (here) from? |
| Nipponhei wa koko kara doko ni ikimashita ka | Where did the Japanese soldiers go from here? |
| Nipponhei wa dochira ni ikimashita ka | Which way did the Japanese soldiers go? |
| Doko ni tatte imashita ka | Where were you standing? |
| Naze koko ni tatte imasen ka | Why don’t you keep on standing here? |
| Soko wo itsu tachimashita ka | When did you leave there? |
| Soko ni nani ga arimasu ka | What is there? |
| Soko ni nani ka arimasu ka | Is something there? |
| Nani mo arimasen | There isn’t anything. |
| Itsu kimasu ka | When are you coming? |
| Itsu ka kimasu | I’ll come sometime. |
| Doko ni ikimasu ka | Where are you going? |
| Doko ka shirimasen | I don’t know where. |
| Doko ni mo ikimasen | I am not going anywhere. |
| Nani ga sukidesu ka | What do you like? |
| Nan demo yoi desu | Anything would do. |
| Nan demo sukidesu | I like everything. |
Lesson X
1. Memorize the following:
| shimasu (suru) | do |
| narimasu (naru) | become; be; get |
| sumimasu (sumu) | live |
| kudasai | give me |
| mo | also; too |
| mō ichido | once more; repeat |
| tsugi | next ​ |
| chotto | just a minute; a short time; (calling one’s attention) |
| kore made | this is all; that is all; thus far |
| Romaji | Romanization |
| heitai | soldier; sailor |
| horyo | prisoner of war |
2. Time of the day:
| jikan | time |
| ji | o’clock |
| han | half past |
| fun (pun) | minute |
| gozen | a.m. |
| gogo | p.m. |
| Gozen rei-ji | midnight |
| Gogo rei-ji | noon |
3. Months of the year: In English, we have to learn twelve different words in order to name the months of the year. In Japanese, it is only necessary to combine the numbers and the word for month (gatsu). Thus we have:
| Ichigatsu | January |
| Nigatsu | February |
| Sangatsu | March |
| Shigatsu | April |
| Gogatsu | May |
| Rokugatsu | June |
| Shichigatsu | July |
| Hachigatsu | August |
| Kugatsu | September |
| Jūgatsu | October |
| Jūichigatsu | November |
| Jūnigatsu | December |
4. The days of the month are counted in both the pure Japanese way or in Chinese. For the first ten days it is more common to use the former; from the eleventh day the latter is more usual.
| tsuitachi | first day |
| futsuka | second day |
| mikka | third day ​ |
| yokka | fourth day |
| itsuka | fifth day |
| muika | sixth day |
| nanuka | seventh day |
| yōka | eighth day |
| kokonoka | ninth day |
| tōka | tenth day |
| jūichinichi | eleventh day |
| jūninichi | twelfth day |
| jūsannichi | thirteenth day |
| jūyokka | fourteenth day |
| jūgonichi | fifteenth day |
| nijūsannichi | twenty-third day |
| nijūyokka | twenty-fourth day |
| nijūgonichi | twenty-fifth day |
5. Type sentences:
| Gozen san-ji | 3 a.m. |
| Gozen hachi-ji han | 8:30 a.m. |
| Gozen jū-ji nijūgo-fun | 10:25 a.m. |
| Gogo ni-ji | 2 p.m. |
| Gogo san-ji go-fun | 3:05 pm. |
| Gogo jūichi-ji nijūgo-fun | 11:25 p.m. |
| Dore ga sukidesu ka | Which one do you like? |
| Kore desu | This one. |
| Doko ni sunde imasu ka | Where do you live? |
| Asoko ni sunde imasu | I live over there. |
| Kore wa dare no desu ka | Whose is this? |
| Watakushi no desu | It is mine. |
| Dare ga shimashita ka | Who did it? |
| Dare ka kore wo tabemasu ka | Is someone going to eat this? |
| Nipponjin wa dare demo kore wo tabemasu ka | Do all Japanese eat this? |
| Dare mo tabemasen ka | Does no one eat? |
| Sono teppō wo kudasai | Give me that gun. ​ |
| Nani wo shite imasu ka | What are you doing? |
| Gozen nani wo shite imashita ka | What were you doing in the morning (forenoon)? |
| Nan-ji desu ka | What time is it? |
| Shichi-ji desu | It is seven o’clock. |
| Mō ichido | Once more! |
| Shichi-ji desu | Seven o’clock. |
| Itsu koko ni kimashita ka | When did you come here? |
| Shigatsu ni kimashita | I came in April. |
| Rokugatsu ni kimashita | I came in June. |
| Sangatsu mikka ni kimashita | I came on March 3. |
| Shigatsu nijūgonichi ni kimashita | I came here on April 25. |
| Sore wa itsu deshita ka | When was it? |
| Nigatsu deshita | It was in February. |
| Kore wo anata ni agemasu | I give you this. |
| Anohito ni mo agenasai | Give him, too. |
| Hai, wakarimashita | Yes, I understand. (Yes, I understood.) |
| Chotto, anata wa dare desu ka | (Calling one’s attention) What is your name, please? |
| Nakamura desu | I am Nakamura. |
| Mō yoi; tsugi | That is enough; next! |
| Romaji de anata no namae wo kakinasai | Write your name in Romanization. |
| Koko e | Here! |
| Koko ni Nippon no heitai ga orimasu ka | Are there Japanese soldiers here? |
| Iie, orimasen | No, they are not here. |
| Dochira ni ikimashita ka | Which way did they go? |
| Shirimasen | I don’t know. |
| Doko de horyo ni narimashita ka | Where were you captured? |
| Himojii desu ka | Are you hungry? |
| Iie | No. |
| Kore made | This is all. |
6. Review the months of the year and the dates.
Lesson XI
1. Memorize the following:
| ue | on; top |
| shita | under; below |
| naka | inside |
| ushiro | back; behind |
| soba | beside; vicinity |
| mizu | water |
| machimasu (matsu) | wait |
| kochira | this place; this way; this side |
| sochira | that place; that way; that side |
| achira | that place; that way; that side |
2. The months are enumerated in two ways: (1) the Japanese way of counting numerals plus the word for month (tsuki) and (2) the Chinese way of counting numerals plus (ka-gettsu). However, from eleven months on, only the Chinese way is used.
| Japanese | Chinese |
| hitotsuki | ikkagetsu | one month |
| futatsuki | nikagetsu | two months |
| mitsuki | sankagetsu | three months |
| yotsuki | shikagetsu | four months |
| itsutsuki | gokagetsu | five months |
| mutsuki | rokkagetsu | six months |
| nanatsuki | shichikagetsu | seven months |
| yatsuki | hakkagetsu | eight months |
| kokonotsuki | kukagetsu | nine months |
| totsuki | jikkagetsu | ten months |
| | jūikkagetsu | eleven months |
| | jūnikagetsu | twelve months |
3. Memorize the following:
| ima | now; at present |
| kyō | today |
| kinō | yesterday |
| ototoi | day before yesterday |
| asu; ashita | tomorrow |
| asatte | day after tomorrow ​ |
| kotoshi | this year |
| kyonen | last year |
| ototoshi | year before last |
| rainen | next year; coming year |
| sarainen | year after next |
| shūkan | number of weeks |
| nen | number of years; year |
4. Memorize the following construction:
| no ue ni | on top of |
| no shita ni | under |
| no naka ni | in; inside of; among |
| no mae ni | in front of |
| no ushiro ni | behind |
| no soba ni | beside; nearby |
5. Type sentences:
| Koko ni kinasai | Come here. |
| Koko ni tachinasai | Stand here. |
| Kochira ni tachinasai | Stand on this side. |
| Koko de chotto machinasai | Wait here a moment. |
| Sochira de machinasai | Wait a moment over there. |
| Namae wa nan desu ka | What is your name? |
| Yoshida desu | I am Yoshida. |
| Kurai wa | Your rank? |
| Gunsō | I am a sergeant. |
| Ichiren-bangō wa | Your serial number? |
| Roku-shichi-go-san-san | 67533. |
| Itsu Nippon wo tachimashita ka | When did you leave Japan? |
| Ichinen mae tachimashita | I left a year ago. |
| Kukagetsu mae tachimashita | I left nine months ago. |
| Yatsuki mae tachimashita | I left eight months ago. |
| Kotoshi no Sangatsu futsuka ni tachimashita | I left on March 2 of this year. |
| Itsu horyo ni narimashita ka | When were you captured? (When did you become a prisoner?) |
| Kinō no gogo deshita | It was yesterday afternoon. |
| Itsu koko ni kimashita ka | When did you come here? ​ |
| Ototoi kimashita | I came here the day before yesterday. |
| Kyonen kimashita | I came last year. |
| Hitotsuki mae kimashita | I came a month ago. |
| Kyō no gozen jū-ji deshita | It was 10 a.m. today. |
| Nani ka tabemasu ka | Will you eat something? |
| Hai, tabemasu | Yes, I will. |
| Mizu wa? | And water? |
| Hai, kudasai | Yes, give me some. |
| Achira ni itte matte inasai | Go that side and wait. |
| Anata wa koko ni nan-nen sunde imasu ka | How many years have you lived here? |
| Kyonen no Gogatsu kara desu | Since May of last year. |
| Shikagetsu mae kara sunde imasu | I have been living here since four months ago. |
| Roku-shūkan mae kara desu | Since six weeks ago. |
| Koko ni nan-nen mae kimashita ka | How many years ago did you come here? |
| Ku-nen mae desu | Nine years ago. |
| Kono naka ni nani ga arimasu ka | What is in here? |
| Ano shita wa nan desu ka | What is under there? |
| Ano ue ni nani ga arimasu ka | What is on top of that? |
| Anata no soba ni dare ga tatte imashita ka | Who was standing at your side? |
| Koko ni dare ga sunde imashita ka | Who was living here? |
| Ima doko ni orimasu ka | Where is he now? |
| Itsu kimasu ka | When will he come? |
6. Review:
    a. Tenses of the verbs studied so far.
    b. Months of the year.
    c. Time of the day.
    d. Days of the month.
    e. The army and navy ranks.
Lesson XII
1. Memorize the following:
| arukimasu (aruku) | walk |
| watashimasu (watasu) | hand over |
| shirasemasu (shiraseru) | notify |
| tsukaremasu (tsukareru) | be tired |
| oshiemasu (oshieru) | show; teach |
| kakemasu (kakeru) | sit down |
| ken | prefecture |
| gun | county |
| buki | arms |
| shigaretto | cigarette |
| toki | when; at the time of |
2. Days of the week:
| Nichiyō | Sunday |
| Getsuyō | Monday |
| Kayō | Tuesday |
| Suiyō | Wednesday |
| Mokuyō | Thursday |
| Kinyō | Friday |
| Doyō | Saturday |
3. “With” is expressed in two different ways:
| de | with (inanimate) |
| to | with (animate) |
| Nan de koko ni kimashita ka | With what (means of transportation) did you come here? |
| Dare to koko ni kimashita ka | With whom did you come here? |
4. “Wishing” is exprssed by adding -tai to the verbal base:
| Mizu wo nomitai desu | I wish to drink some water. |
5. “Shall,” “probably will” and “let us” are expressed by the use of the ending, -mashō to the verbal base:
| Watakushi mo ikimashō | I shall go, too. |
| Anohito mo kimashō | He will probably come. |
| Ikimashō | Let us go. |
​6. “When” or “at the time of” is expressed by adding toki to the verb:
| Anata ga koko ni kimashita toki wa nan-gatsu deshita ka | What month was it when you came here? |
7. Type sentences:
| Arukinasai | Walk! |
| Buki wo watashinasai | Hand over your arms. |
| Koko ni kakenasai | Sit down here. |
| Shigaretto wo agemashō ka | Shall I give you a cigarette? |
| Hai, kudasai | Yes, please give me. |
| Doko de horyo ni narimashita ka | Where were you captured? |
| Chizu de oshienasai | Show me on the map. |
| Itsu horyo ni narimashita ka | When were you captured? |
| Kinō no gogo deshita | It was yesterday afternoon. |
| Nippon no nani ken desu ka | What prefecture in Japan are you from? |
| Nani gun desu ka | What county? |
| Nani mura | What village? |
| Nippon no dare ni kore wo shirasemashō ka | Whom shall we notify of this in Japan? |
| Himojii desu ka | Are you hungry? |
| Mizu wo nomitai desu ka | Do you wish to drink some water? |
| Hai | Yes |
| Iie | No |
| Tsukaremashita ka | Are you tired? |
| Nan de koko ni kimashita ka | How (by what) did you come here? |
| Aruite kimashita | I came walking. |
| Dare to koko ni kimashita ka | With whom did you come here? |
| Yamamoto Gochō to kimashita | I came with Corporal Yamamoto. |
| Nippon no heitai wa mō koko ni orimasen ka | Are not the Japanese soldiers here now? |
| Mo orimasen | They are not here any more. |
| Nippon no heitai wa kochira e kimashō ka | Do you think the Japanese soldiers will come this way? |
| Hai, kimashō | Yes, probably they will. ​ |
| Achira ni ikimashō | They probably will go that way. |
| Ikimashō | Let us go. |
| Achira ni ikimashō | They probably will go that way. |
| Anata ga Nippon wo tachimashita toki wa nan-gatsu deshita ka | What month was it when you left Japan? |
| Itsu koko ni kimashita ka | When did you come here? |
| Ototoi kimashita | I came the day before yesterday. |
| Anata ga koko ni kimashita toki wa nan-ji deshita ka | What time was it when you came here? |
| Gozen hachi-ji deshita | It was 8 a.m. |
8. Review:
    a. Number of months.
    b. Days of the week.
Lesson XIII
1. Memorize the following:
| umaremasu (umareru) | born |
| okimasu (okiru) | get up; rise |
| jōriku-shimasu (jōriku-suru) | land |
| te | hand |
| gohan | meal; cooked rice |
| butaichō | unit commander |
| shigoto | work; occupation |
| hyakushō | farmer |
| kesa | this morning |
| hontō | real; true |
| donna | what kind |
| Taishō | name of era (1912–26) |
| byōki | sick; ill |
2. Some army units:
| shidan | division |
| rentai | regiment |
| chūtai | company |
| buntai | squad |
​3. Counting persons. Persons are counted by adding -nin to the numeral:
| go-nin | five persons |
| jūgo-nin | fifteen persons |
| nan-nin | how many persons (what number of persons) |
4. “Because” or “as” is expressed by kara or node:
| Tabemono ga arimasendeshita node himojii deshita | I was hungry as there was no food. |
| Byōki deshita kara tabemasendeshita | I did not eat because I was sick. |
These conjunctive words come at the end of dependent clauses and not at the beginning as in English.
5. Ordinal numbers are formed by prefixing dai- to the numeral:
| ichi | one |
| daiichi | first |
| ni | two |
| daini | second |
6. Type sentences:
| Okinasai | Get up |
| Buki wo watashinasai | Hand over your arms. |
| Te wo agenasai | Raise your hands. |
| Koko ni kakenasai | Sit down here. |
| Itsu horyo ni narimashita ka | When were you captured? |
| Mokuyo no gozen deshita | It was Thursday morning. |
| Kesa deshita | It was this morning. |
| Nan-nin horyo ni narimashita ka | How many were captured? |
| Rokunin deshita | six were captured. |
| Gohan wa jūbun arimashita ka | Did you have enough for the meal? |
| Hai, shikashi mō himojii desu | Yes, but I am hungry now. |
| Koko ga itai desu ka | Does it hurt here? |
| Iie, itakunai desu | No, it does not. ​ |
| Doko de umaremashita ka | Where were you born? |
| Fukuoka-ken de umaremashita | I was born in Fukuoka prefecture. |
| Itsu umaremashita ka | When were you born? |
| Taishō ku-nen desu | Ninth year of Taishō (1920). |
| Gentai wa doko desu ka | Where is your home unit? |
| Kurume Jūni Shidan desu | Kurume, the 12th Division. |
| Nan Rentai desu ka | What Regiment? |
| Shijūhachi Rentai desu | 48th Regiment. |
| Nan Chūtai desu ka | What Company? |
| Dai-ni Chūtai desu | Second Company. |
| Nippon no doko kara tachimashita ka | Where did you leave from in Japan? |
| Sasebo kara desu | From Sasebo. |
| Doko de jōriku-shimashita ka | Where did you land? |
| Shirimasen | I do not know. |
| Heitai ni naru mae donna shigoto no shite imashita ka | What kind of work were you engaged in before you became a soldier? |
| Hyakushō deshita | I was a farmer. |
| Butaichō no kurai wa nan desu ka | What is the rank of your unit commander? |
| Chūsa desu | He is a lieutenant-colonel. |
| Butaichō wa donna hito desu ka | What kind of a man is your unit commander? |
| Yoi hito desu | He is a nice man. |
| Hontō desu ka | Is it true? |
| Hai | Yes. |
| Naze tabemasen ka | Why don’t you eat? |
| Himojikunai desu kara | Because I am not hungry. |
| Byōki desu kara | Because I am sick. |
| Naze tabemasendeshita ka | Why didn’t you eat? |
| Byōki deshita node tabemasendeshita | I did not eat because I was ill. |
Lesson XIV
1. Memorize the following:
| gakkō | school |
| gunkan | warship |
| shorui | documents |
| chinjufu | naval station |
| hito | person; man |
| tsuma | wife |
| ko | child |
| myōji | family name |
| Shōwa | name of present era (1926–) |
| hayaku | quickly |
| mimasu (miru) | see |
| iimasu (iū) | say |
2. To is usually used after a quotation or an idea. It corresponds to English, “thus—” or “that—.”
| Yoi desu to iimashita | (He) said that it is good. |
| Heitai wa nan to iimashita ka | What did the soldier say? |
3. The subjunctive is expressed in several ways. One way is to use ra or nara as suffix to the depending clause:
| Tabemashita ra koko e kinasai | If you are through eating please come here. |
4. Adverbs derived from adjectives end in -ku:
| Hayaku kinasai | Come quickly. |
5. Type sentences:
| Asoko de yasuminasai | Rest over there. |
| Migi e mukinasai | Face right. |
| Arukinasai | Walk. |
| Hayaku arukinasai | Walk fast. |
| Ki wo tsukenasai | Be careful. |
| Tomarinasai | Stop. |
| Itsu jōriku-shimashita ka | When did you land? |
| Namae wa? | Your name? |
| Nakamura desu | I am Nakamura. ​ |
| Sore wa anata no myōji desu ka | Is that your family name? |
| Hai, myōji desu | Yes, it is my family name. |
| Na wa | Your first name? |
| Takao desu | Takao. |
| Kurai wa? | Your rank? |
| Nitō suihei desu | I am a first class seaman. |
| Gunkan no namae wa nan desu ka | What is the name of your warship? |
| Chinjufu no namae wa nan desu ka | What is the name of your naval station? |
| Kure desu | Kure Naval Station. |
| Nippon wo itsu tachimashita ka | When did you leave Japan? |
| Shōwa jūroku-nen ni tachimashita | I left in the 16th year of Shōwa (1941). |
| Horyo ni natte nan to omoimasu ka | What do you think of being captured? |
| Kore made | This is all. |
| Achira de gohan wo tabenasai | Have your meal over there. |
| Tabemashita ra koko e kinasai | If you are through eating, come here. |
| Anata no namae wa nan desu ka | What is your name? |
| Nakano-Toshirō desu | I am Toshirō Nakano. |
| Doko ni sunde imasu ka | Where do you live? |
| Kono mura ni sunde imasu | I live in this village. |
| Anata no shigoto wa nan desu ka | What is your work? |
| Hyakushō desu | I am a farmer. |
| Koko ni nan-nen orimasu ka | How many years have you lived here? |
| Ku-nen orimasu | I have lived here for nine years. |
| Tsuma ga arimasu ka | Have you a wife? |
| Hai, arimasu | Yes, I have. |
| Ko wa | Any children? ​ |
| Hai, san-nin orimasu | Yes, I have three. |
| Shorui wo mitai desu | I like to see your documents. |
| Kono mura no gakkō wa doko ni arimasu ka | Where is the school in this village? |
| Chikaku ni arimasu | It is near. |
| Kono mura de dare ka Eigo ga wakarimasu ka | Is there someone who understands English in this village? |
| Hai, orimasu | Yes, there is one. |
| Sono hito to hanashitai desu | I would like to talk to him. |
| Anata to ikimashō | Let us go (to see him). |
| Tōi desu ka | Is it far? |
| Iie, tōkunai desu | No, it is not far. |
| Nippon no heitai ga koko ni imashita ka | Did the Japanese soldiers stay here? |
| Hai, chotto | Yes, for a while. |
| Koko kara doko e ikimashita ka | Where did they go from here? |
| Shirimasen. Achira e ikiashita | I don’t know. They went that way. |
| Heitai wa nan to itte imashita ka | What were the soldiers saying? |
Lesson XV
1. Memorize the following:
| zokushimasu (zokusuru) | belong; detached |
| mochimasu (motsu) | hold; have |
| sore kara | and then |
| okii | big; large |
| ichi | position; location |
| saigo | last; end |
| tanku | tank |
| kimono | clothing |
| shishōsha | casualties |
| yen (en) | dollar (not corresponding value, but corresponding unit) |
| sen | cent (not corresponding value, but corresponding unit) |
​2. There is no perfect tense of verbs in Japanese. The present perfect tense is expressed by the present tense, and the past perfect by the past tense.
| Kinō kara koko ni imasu | I have been here since yesterday. |
| Shōwa jūgo-nen kara jūshi-chinen made koko ni imashita | I had been here from 1940 to 1942. |
3. There are no relative pronouns in Japanese. Relationship to another noun or pronoun in a sentence is expressed by placing the verb before the word to which the relative pronoun would refer.
| Koko ni sunde iru hito | Persons who live here. |
| Eigo wo hanasu heitai | Solder who speaks English. |
4. Verbs in succession. Whenever verbs appear in succession be sure to make all of them progressive except the last one. The tense of the final verb decides the tenses of all.
| Asoko ni itte tabemashita | I went there and ate. |
| Koko ni kite, tatte, machinasai | Come here, and stand and wait. |
5. Type sentences:
| Koko ni kite tachinasai | Come here and stand. |
| Nan no butai ni zokushite imasu ka | What unit do you belong to? |
| Doko de horyo ni narimashita ka | Where were you captured? |
| Anata no butai ni nan-nin orimashita ka | How many men were in your unit? |
| Shishōsha wa nan-nin deshita ka | How many casualties have you had? |
| Anata no butai no ichi wa doko desu ka | What is the location of your unit? |
| Butaichō no namae wa nan desu ka | What is the name of your unit commander? |
| Saigo ni tabemashita no wa itsu deshita ka | When did you eat last? |
| Nani wo tabemashita ka | What did you eat? |
| Tanku wa ikutsu arimasu ka | How many tanks have you? |
| Kimono wa jūbun desu ka | Do you have enough clothing? ​ |
| Kono mura no namae wa nan desu ka | What is the name of this village? |
| Nan no heitai ga orimashita ka | What kind of soldiers were here? |
| Dōshite ikimashita ka | How (by what means) did they leave? |
| Donna buki wo motte imashita ka | What kind of weapons did they have? |
| Itsu kara koko ni orimashita ka | How long (from when) had they been here? |
| Koko no mizu wa doko kara kimasu ka | Where does the water come from? |
| Kono mura ni nan-nin hito ga sunde imasu ka | How many persons live in this village? |
| Anata wa itsu kara koko ni sunde imasu ka | How long (since when) have you lived here? |
| Asoko ni tatte iru hito wa dare desu ka | Who is that man standing there? |
| Eigo wo hanasu heitai ga orimasu ka | Are there soldiers who speak English? |
| Chikaku ni ōkii machi ga arimasu ka | Are there any big towns near here? |
| Koko ni Nipponjin ga nan-nin orimasu ka | How many Japanese live here? |
| Nani wo shite imasu ka | What do they do? |
| Kore wa nan yen desu ka | How much is this? (How many dollars is this?) |
| Kore wa go sen desu ka | Is this five cents? |
| Sore kara? | And then? |
Lesson XVI
By way of reviewing the type sentences we have studied, let us spend the last two chapters in English–Japanese translation of some of the more important interrogative and imperative sentences that would most probably be used in questioning prisoners or civilians.
Military Commands :
| 01. | Fall in! | Atsumare |
| 02. | Attention! | Ki wo tsuke ​ |
| 03. | Count off! | Bangō |
| 04. | Right face! | Migi muke migi |
| 05. | Left face! | Hidari muke hidari |
| 06. | Forward march! | Mae e susume |
| 07. | Halt! | Tomare |
| 08. | Rest! | Yasume |
| 09. | Dismiss! | Wakare |
| Simple Questions and Commands |||
| 01. | Who? | Dare |
| 02. | What? | Nani |
| 03. | Where? | Doko |
| 04. | When? | Itsu |
| 05. | Why? | Naze |
| 06. | How? | Dōshite |
| 07. | Which? | Dore |
| 08. | How much? | Ikura |
| 09. | How old? | Ikutsu |
| 10. | How many? | Ikutsu |
| 11. | Who goes there? | Dare ka |
| 12. | Who is it? | Dare ka |
| 13. | Come! | Koi |
| 14. | Hurry! | Hayaku |
| 15. | Stop! | Tomare |
| 16. | Wait! | Mate |
| 17. | Advance! | Susume |
| 18. | Surrender arms! | Buki wo watase |
| 19. | Hands up! | Te wo age |
| 20. | Walk! | Aruke |
| Questioning Prisoners |||
| 01. | Come here. | Koko ni kinasai |
| 02. | Stand here. | Koko ni tachinasai |
| 03. | Stand on this side. | Kochira ni tachinasai |
| 04. | Wait a moment over there. | Sochira de chotto machinasai |
| 05. | Sit down here. | Koko ni kakenasai |
| 06. | Have a cigarette. | Shigaretto wo agemashō |
| 07. | Aren’t you hungry? | Himojikunai desu ka |
| 08. | Are you tired? | Tsukarete imasu ka ​ |
| 09. | Shall I give you some water? | Mizu wo agemashō ka |
| 10. | Are you in pain? | Doko ka itai desu ka |
| 11. | Do you understand English? | Eigo ga wakarimasu ka |
| 01. | What is your name? | Anata no namae wa nan desu ka |
| 02. | Which is your family name? | Dore ga myōji desu ka |
| 03. | What is your rank? | Kurai wa nan desu ka |
| 04. | What is your serial number? | Anata no ichiran-bangō wa nan desu ka |
| 05. | How old are you? | Ikutsu desu ka |
| 06. | When were you born? | Itsu umaremashita ka |
| 07. | Where were you born? | Doko de umaremashita ka |
| 08. | What prefecture? | Nani ken |
| 09. | What county? | Nani gun |
| 10. | What town? | Nani machi |
| 11. | What village? | Nani mura |
| 12. | What were you doing before you became a soldier? | Heitai ni naru mae nani wo shite imashita ka |
| 13. | How many years were you in the army before you left Japan? | Nippon wo tatsu mae nan-nen heitai deshita ka |
| 14. | Where is your home unit? | Nippon no gentai wa doko desu ka |
| 15. | What is your home unit? | Nippon no gentai wa nan desu ka |
| 16. | What division? | Nani shidan desu ka |
| 17. | What regiment? | Nani rentai desu ka |
| 18. | What company? | Nan chūtai desu ka |
| 19. | What is the name of your warship? | Anata no gunkan no namae wa nan desu ka |
| 20. | What naval station does it belong? | Nani kaigun chinjufu desu ka |
| 21. | When did you leave Japan? | Itsu Nippon wo tachimashita ka |
| 22. | From where? | Doko kara |
| 23. | When did you come here? | Itsu koko ni kimashita ka ​ |
| 24. | When did you land here? | Itsu koko ni jōrikushimashita ka |
| 25. | How many landed here? | Koko ni nan-nin jōrikushimashita ka |
| 26. | What kind of soldiers are they? | Donna heitai desu ka |
| 27. | Who is the unit commander? | Butaichō wa dare desu ka |
| 28. | What is his rank? | Kurai wa nan desu ka |
| 29. | Is he a good commander? | Yoi butaichō desu ka |
| 30. | Is it true? | Hontō desu ka |
| 31. | Once more! (Repeat it!) | Mō ichido |
| 32. | Are there any tanks? | Tanku ga arimasu ka |
| 33. | Where is the location of your unit? | Butai no ichi wa doko desu ka |
| 34. | Show me on the map. | Chizu de oshienasai |
| 35. | Where were you captured? | Doko de horyo ni narimashita ka |
| 36. | When were you captured? | Itsu horyo ni narimashita ka |
| 37. | What were you doing when captured? | Horyo ni narimashita toki nani wo shite imashita ka |
| 38. | And then? | Sore kara |
| 39. | How many were captured? | Nan-nin horyo ni narimashita ka |
| 40. | Were there any casualties? | Shishōsha ga arimashita ka |
| 41. | What do you think of being captured? | Horyo ni natte nan to omoimasu ka |
| 42. | Whom shall we notify of this in Japan? | Nippon no dare ni kore wo shirasemashō ka |
| 43. | When did you eat last? | Saigo ni tabemashita no wa itsu deshita ka |
| 44. | What did you eat? | Nani wo tabemashita ka |
| 45. | Did you have enough to eat? | Tabemono wa jūbun deshita ka |
| 46. | Did you have enough clothing? | Kimono wa jūbun deshita ka |
| 47. | Have you a wife? | Tsuma ga arimasu ka |
| 48. | Have you any children? | Ko ga arimasu ka ​ |
| 49. | This is all. | Kore made |
| 50. | Sit down there. | Soko ni kakenasai |
Lesson XVII Questioning Civilians
| 01. | Hello! | Konnichi wa |
| 02. | What is your name? | Anata no namae wa nan desu ka |
| 03. | Where do you live? | Doko ni sunde imasu ka |
| 04. | How old are you? | Ikutsu desu ka |
| 05. | When were you born? | Itsu umaremashita ka |
| 06. | What is your occupation? | Anata no shigoto wa nan desu ka |
| 07. | How many years have you lived here? | Koko ni nan-nen orimasu ka |
| 08. | Have you a wife? | Tsuma ga arimasu ka |
| 09. | Have you any children? | Ko ga arimasu ka |
| 10. | Where is the school in this village? | Kono mura no gakkō wa doko desu ka |
| 11. | Is there someone who understands English in this village? | Kono mura de dare ka Eigo ga wakarimasu ka |
| 12. | Who is he? | Sore wa dare desu ka |
| 13. | Where does he live? | Doko ni sunde imasu ka |
| 14. | I should like to talk with him. | Sono hito to hanashitai desu |
| 15. | Aren’t the Japanese soldiers here now? | Nippon no heitai wa mō koko ni orimasen ka |
| 16. | Which way did they go? | Dochira ni ikimashita ka |
| 17. | How long were they here? | Itsu kara koko ni orimashita ka |
| 18. | How many were here? | Nan-nin koko ni orimashita ka |
| 19. | What kind of soldiers were they? | Donna heitai deshita ka |
| 20. | What were the soldiers saying? | Heitai wa nan to itte imashita ka |
| 21. | What is the name of this village? | Kono mura no namae wa nan desu ka |
| 22. | What kind of weapons did the Japanese soldiers have? | Nippon no heitai wa donna huki wo motte imashita ka ​ |
| 23. | Where does the water come from? | Koko no mizu wa doko kara kimasu ka |
| 24. | How many persons live in this village? | Kono mura ni nan-nin hito ga sunde imasu ka |
| 25. | Are there any big towns near here? | Chikaku ni ōkii machi ga arimasu ka |
| 26. | How many Japanese live here? | Koko ni Nipponjin ga nan-nin sunde imasu ka |
| 27. | What do they do? | Nani wo shite imasu ka |
| 28. | How much is this? | Kore wa ikura desu ka |
| 29. | Thank you! | Arigatō |
| 30. | Good-bye! | Sayōnara |
* ↑ In Tōkyō pronunciation this line is nasalized, as in the English ng in sing.
* ↑ Desu is the contracted form of de arimasu. Disregard the verb forms in parentheses in this and the following several chapters. Explanation will be given in Lesson VI. Actually desu and masu are pronounced closer to des’ and mas’.
* ↑ The name of a unit is usually derived from the name of the unit commander, as Yamada Butai (the unit led by an officer named Yamada).
* ↑ Yamada, Tarō. When two names are given like this the first is the family name.
* ↑ This sentence may seem unreasonble. Since “you” is the subject and “English” the direct object, one would expect the sentence to read, “Eigo wo wakarimasu ka.” However, ga is the correct idiomatic form and is an exception to the rule. This usage is very popular in Japanese, and may be interpreted in this sentence as: As for English, do you understand?
* ↑ This is the ending that appears in parenthesis. All the verbs in the dictionary section of this manual except those used in the lessons are only in this form.
* ↑ Always used in progressive form.
* ↑ Hereafter the translation has been done only in one person.
* ↑ This verb is always expressed by the progressive form; shitte imasu (I know); shitte imashita (I knew), instead of shirimasu and shirimashita.
* ↑ In this sentence, it seems that wa should be wo because sore is the direct object (You did it). However, this is an example of a popular idiomatic expression meaning, as for. Therefore, this sentence reads: As for that, how did you write? This is to reiterate the explanation already given in Lesson IV.
* ↑ Junshikan = Warrant Officer (general) Tokumu Sōchō = Warrant Officer (combatant).
* ↑ These are corresponding ranks and not the translation of ranks.
* ↑ The readings for these two dates are an exception. See: Numerals and Time, pages 56, 57, 58.
* ↑ See: “Japanized” English, page 63.
* ↑ See: Japanese and Western Chronology Compared, page 55.
* ↑ See: Japanese and Western Chronology Compared, page 55.
* ↑ Japanese always say and write the family name first.
* ↑ See: Table of Money, Weights and Measure, page 60.