Parts of Speech
The following terms may be used in the book, and a brief explanation for each is given as follows:
abbr – abbreviationadj - f – noun, verb, etc. acting prenominally (incl. rentaikei). These are nouns or verbs that can be placed directly infront of a noun to act as an adjective.
adj - i – い -adjectives. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVE
CasualPoliteおおNon-past

大きい
おお大きかった

Politeおお大きいです

おお大きくないōkii desuōkikatta
Te-form

CasualおおōkiiPast

NEGATIVE

大きくないですōkiku nai

おおōkiku nai desu

おお大きかったです

おお大きくなかった

大きくなかったですōkikatta desuōkiku nakattaōkiku nakatta desu

N/AN/AN/A

おお大きくてōkikuteadj - na – な -adjectives. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVE
CasualNon-past

NEGATIVE
Polite

いろいろいろいろです

iroiroiroiro desu

CasualPoliteいろいろ [じゃ/ では] いろいろ [じゃ/ では]
ないありません
iroiro [ja/de wa] naiiroiro [ja/de wa] arimasen

いろいろ [じゃ/ では]ないですiroiro [ja/de wa] nai desu
Past

いろいろだった

いろいろでした

iroiro datta

iroiro deshita

いろいろ [じゃ/ では] いろいろ [じゃ/ では]
なかったありませんでした
iroiro [ja/de wa] nakatta

iroiro [ja/de wa] arimsen deshita

いろいろ [じゃ/ では]なかったですiroiro [ja/de wa] nakatta desu
Te-form

いろいろでN/A

N/A

N/A

iroiro deadj - no – nouns that often, but not always, use the の particle to modify other nouns.
adj - pn – pre-noun adjectives. Basically, this is an adjective that has to go before a noun.
adv – adverbs. These can modify verbs, adjectives, as well as other adverbs.
adv - to – adverbs that use the particle と .

1aux - v – auxiliary verbs
ctr – counters
col – colloquialism
conj – conjunctions. They link up sentences.
exp – expression (phrases, clauses, etc.)
hon – honorific or respectful language (sonkeigo) used to refer to people outside of your in–grouphum – humble language (kenjōgo). This is language used to talk about yourself or your in–group when speaking topeople in your out–group. For example, this could include special words to refer to your family members
when talking to other people.
int – interjectionsn – nounsn - adv – adverbial nouns. These are nouns that can also be used as adverbs. Most temporal nouns (see n-t) areadverbial nouns too.
n - pref – noun prefixes. These are nouns that can act as prefixes to the beginning of other nouns.
n - suf – noun suffixes. These are special nouns that can act as suffixes to the end of other nouns. Typically, thesecan be used to make something plural or talk about approximate amounts.
n - t – temporal nouns, a type of special nouns related to time that can be used as nouns or

今日のかいぎにadverbs:行きます。

Kyō no kaigi ni ikimasu.
I’m going to today’s meeting.

今日かいぎに行きます。

Kyō kaigi ni ikimasu.
I’m going to the meeting today.
num – numberpol – polite language (teineigo). Polite language can usually be used in business situations and with people you

have just met and are not so close to.
pref – prefixes
sens – terms that need some sensitivity with its usage. These words might sound rude or be too polite in somesituations.
suf – suffixes
uk – words that are usually written in kana alone. Typically, the kanji for these words are too difficult or are nolonger in normal use, so these words are written in kana. A common example is ramen. You will normallysee it in katakana – ラーメン rāmen , but it can be written as 拉麺 . However, the first kanji is not in common
use and was used long ago just for the sound. It actually has the meaning of “Latin; kidnap; crush,” which
obviously has nothing to do with ramen.
2v 1 – Group 2 verbs. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVENEGATIVE

CasualNon-past

Past
Te-form

PoliteCasualPoliteたたたた食べる食べます

食べない食べません

taberutabemasutabenaiたたtabemasen

たた

食べた

食べました

食べなかった

食べませんでした

tabetatabemashitatabenakattatabemasen deshita

たたた

食べて食べまして *tabetetabemashite

た

食べないで食べませんで *tabenaidetabemasende

た

食べなくて
tabenakute*Rarely usedv 5 b – Group 1 verbs with the ぶ bu ending. Refer to the following chart for conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVE

Non-past
Past
Te-form

NEGATIVE

CasualPoliteCasualPolite

とぶ

とびます

とばない

とびません

tobu

tobimasu

tobanai

tobimasen

とんだ

とびました

とばなかった

とびませんでした

tonda

tobimashita

tobanakatta

tobimasen deshita

とんでとびまして

とばなくてとびませんで

tonde

tobimashite

tobanakutetobimasende

とばないで
tobanaide*Rarely usedv 5 g – Group 1 verbs with the ぐ gu ending. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVE

Non-past
Past
Te-form

NEGATIVE

CasualPoliteCasualPolite

およぐおよぎます

およがない

およぎませんoyogu

oyogimasu

oyoganaioyogimasen

およいだ

およぎます

およぎなかった

およぎませんでした

oyoidaoyogimasu

oyoginakatta

oyogimasen deshita

およがなくておよぎませんで *oyoganakuteoyogimasende

およいでおよぎまして

oyoideoyogimashite*

およがないでoyoganaide*Rarely used3

v 5 k – Group 1 verbs with the く ku ending. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVENEGATIVE

CasualNon-past

Past
Te-form

PoliteCasualPolite

かかかか書く

書きます

書かない

書きません

kaku

kakimasukakanai

かかkakimasen

かか書いた

書きました

書かなかった

書きませんでしたkaita

kakimashitakakanakatta

kakimasen deshita

かかか書いて書きまして *kaitekakimashite

か書かないで書きませんで *kakanaide

kakimasende

か書かなくてkakanakute*Rarely usedv 5 m – Groups 1 verbs with the む mu ending. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVENEGATIVE

CasualNon-past

Past
Te-form

PoliteCasualPolite

よよよよ

読む

読みます

読まない

読みません

yo yomuyomimasu

yomanaiyomimasen

よよよよ

読んだ

読みました

読まなかった

読みませんでした

yonda

yomimashita

yomanakatta

yomimasen deshita

よよよよ

読んで読みまして *読まなくて読みませんで *yondeyomimashite

yomanakute

yomimasende

よ

読まないで
yomanaide*Rarely usedv 5 n – Groups 1 verbs with the ぬ nu ending. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVE

Non-past
Past
Te-form

NEGATIVE

CasualPoliteCasualPolite

しぬしにますしなないしにません

shinu

shinimasu

shinanaishinimasen

しんだ

しにました

しななかった

しにませんでした

shindashinimashita

shinanakatta

shinimasen deshita

しんでしにまして*

しななくてしにませんで *shindeshinimashite

shinanakuteshinimasende

しなないでshinanaide*Rarely used4

v 5 r – Groups 1 verbs with the る ru ending. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVENEGATIVE

CasualNon-past

Past
Te-form

PoliteCasualPolite

しししし知る

知ります

知らない

知りません

shiru

shirimasu

shiranai

ししshirimasen

しし知った

知りました

知らなかった知りませんでした

shittashirimashitashiranakatta

shirimasen deshita

ししし知って知りまして *shitteshirimashite

し知らなくて知りませんで *shiranakuteshirimasende

し知らないでshiranaide*Rarely usedv 5 r - i – Irregular Group 1 verbs with the ‘ る ’ ru ending. There is only one of these verbs at the N5 level, ある aru.

Refer to the following chart for its conjugations:
AFFIRMATIVE

Non-past
Past
Te-form

NEGATIVE

CasualPoliteCasualPoliteあるありますないありません

aru

arimasunaiarimasen

あった

ありました

なかったありませんでした

attaarimashita

nakattaarimasen deshita

あってありまして *ないでありませんで *attearimashitenaide

arimasende*Rarely usedv 5 s – Group 1 verbs with the す su ending. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVENEGATIVE

CasualNon-past

Past
Te-formだ

PoliteCasual

だ

出す

出します

出さない

dasu

dashimasu

dasanai

だだ

Polite

だ

だ

だ

出しません
dashimasen
だ

出した

出しました

出さなかった

出しませんでしたdashitadashimashita

dasanakatta

dashimasen deshita

だ

だ

だ

出して出しまして *dashitedashimashite

出しませんで *dasanakutedashimasende

だ

出さないで
dasanaide*Rarely used

5だ

出さなくて

v 5 t – Group 1 verbs with the つ tsu ending. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVENEGATIVE

CasualNon-past

Past
Te-form

PoliteCasualPoliteた

たたた

立つ立ちます立たない立ちません

tatsutachimasu

tatanaiたたtachimasen

たた

立った

立ちました

立たなかった立ちませんでしたtatta

tachimashitatatanakattatachimasen deshita

たたた立って立ちまして *tattetachimashite

た立たなくて立ちませんで *tatanakutetachimasende

た

立たないで
tatanaide*Rarely usedv 5 u – Group 1 verbs with the う u ending. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVENEGATIVE

CasualNon-past

Past
Te-formPolite

CasualPolite

ああああ会う会います会わない会いません

auaimasuawanaiaimasen

ああああ

会った

会いました

会わなかった

会いませんでしたatta

aimashitaawanakatta

aimasen deshita

ああ会って会いまして *atteaimashite

ああ会わないで会いませんで *awanaideaimasende

あ会わなくてawanakute*Rarely usedvi – intransitive verbs. These are verbs that don’t take an object. In Japanese, there are a lot of verbs that can only

be used as transitive or intransitive. For example, in English we can say the following:
The door opened. (by itself)
I opened the door.
In both sentences, we use the same verb – ‘to open.’ However, in Japanese we have two different verbs:

あく aku – to open (intransitive)
ドアが あきました。
Doa ga akimashita.
The door opened.

あける akeru – to open (transitive)
わたしは ドアを あけました。
Watashi wa doa o akemashita.
I opened the door.

6

vk – irregular kuru verb. Refer to the following chart for their conjugations:

AFFIRMATIVENEGATIVE

CasualNon-past

Past
Te-form

PoliteCasual

くくくくPolite

来る来ます

来ない

来ませんkurukimasu

konaikimasen

くくくく

来た来ました

来なかった

来ませんでしたkita

kimashita

konakatta

kimasen deshita

くくく

来て来まして *kitekimashiteく

来なくて来ませんで *konakutekimasendeく

来ないでkonaide*Rarely used
vs – nouns or participles which take the auxiliary verb suru
vs - i , vs - s – irregular suru verbs, or an expression that uses the irregular suru verb (vs - i ). Refer to the following

chart for their conjugations:
AFFIRMATIVE
CasualNon-past
Past
Te-form

NEGATIVE
PoliteCasualPolite

する

します

しない

しません

suru

shimasushinaishimasen

した

しました

しなかった

しませんでしたshita

shimashita

shinakatta

shimasen deshita

してしまして*しなくてしませんで *shiteshimashite

shinakuteshimasende

しないでshinaide*Rarely used
vt – t ransitive verbs. These are verbs that take an object. In Japanese, there are a lot of verbs that can only be

used as transitive or intransitive. For example, in English we can say the following:
The door opened. (by itself)
I opened the door.
In both sentences, we use the same verb – ‘to open’. However, in Japanese we have two different verbs:

あく aku – to open (intransitive)
ドアが あきました。
doa ga akimashita.
The door opened.

あける akeru – to open (transitive)
わたしは ドアを あけました。
Watashi wa doa o akemashita.
I opened the door.

7

Note that the object of the sentence is either explicitly stated or implicitly implied. For instance, you can drop
the object if it is understood:

だれがドアをあけましたか。

Dare ga doa o akemashita ka?
Who opened the door?

わたしがあけましたよ。

Watashi ga akemashita yo.
I opened the door.

8