HSC Japanese Beginners (NSW) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

かぞく

Family or household. Used for one's own family group, as in わたしの かぞくは 四人です (my family has four people).

両親 (りょうしん)

Parents, meaning mother and father together as a pair. Distinct from お父さん and お母さん, which name each parent individually.

兄 and 弟

兄 means older brother and 弟 means younger brother, always relative to the speaker. Japanese has no single word meaning simply 'brother'.

〜くないです

Negative form of an i-adjective: たかい (expensive) becomes たかくないです (not expensive). Used to describe people or things politely.

あります vs います

あります states existence of things (本が あります); います states existence of people or animals (ねこが います). Choice depends on whether the subject is animate.

〜の上 / 〜の下

Position words needing の: つくえの 上 (on the desk), いすの 下 (under the chair). The pattern is noun + の + position word.

げんかん

The entrance area or genkan of a Japanese home, where shoes are removed before stepping up into the house.

〜から きました

States where someone comes from: オーストラリアから きました (I came from Australia). Used in self-introductions to give origin.

〜じん

Suffix meaning nationality or person of a place: にほんじん (Japanese person), オーストラリアじん (Australian). Attaches to a place name.

ときどき

Sometimes, expressing moderate frequency. Sits between よく (often) and あまり〜ません (not often) on the frequency scale.

こうえん

Park, a public open space in a neighbourhood. Used with で for actions there: こうえんで あそびます (play in the park).

しゅくだい

Homework. Used in the phrase しゅくだいを します (do homework), with を marking it as the object of the verb.

〜時から 〜時まで

From ~ o'clock until ~ o'clock. から marks the starting point and まで the end point, used for classes and work hours.

〜ました / 〜ませんでした

Polite past affirmative and past negative verb endings: 行きました (went), 行きませんでした (did not go). Applies to all regular polite verbs.

こうこう

Senior high school. Part of the sequence 小学校, 中学校, 高校, 大学, naming the stages of the Japanese education system.

〜ませんか

Polite invitation meaning 'won't you ~?'. Softer than 〜ましょう, which assumes the listener agrees, as in いっしょに 行きませんか.

〜た ことが あります

Expresses past experience: 日本に 行った ことが あります (I have been to Japan). Uses the plain past form before ことが あります.

しゅみ

Hobby or pastime. Used in しゅみは 何ですか (what is your hobby?) and answered with a noun plus です.

〜が じょうずです

Says someone is good at something: テニスが じょうずです (good at tennis). The skill or liked thing is marked by が.

でんしゃで 行きます

Go by train. The particle で marks means of transport; walking instead uses the verb form あるいて (on foot).

〜かん

Suffix meaning 'for a period of': 三日かん (for three days), 一週間 (for one week). Follows the number and counter.

みぎ / ひだり

Right and left, used when giving directions. まっすぐ means straight ahead, and つぎの かど means the next corner.

きっぷ

Ticket, for trains, buses or events. Fare questions use 〜まで いくらですか (how much is it to ~?).

りょかん

A traditional Japanese inn, often with tatami rooms and a communal bath. Contrasts with ホテル, a Western-style hotel.

〜つもりです

Expresses intention: 来年 日本に 行く つもりです (I intend to go to Japan next year). Preceded by a dictionary-form verb.

〜たいです

Expresses wanting to do something, attached to a verb stem: 行きたいです (want to go), なりたいです (want to become).

〜に なりたいです

States a desired future role: 先生に なりたいです (I want to become a teacher). The role is marked by に.

しょうらい

The future, in the sense of one's later life. Common in statements about ambitions, alongside いつか (someday) and 来年 (next year).

〜から

Conjunction meaning 'because', placed at the end of the reason clause: 日本が すきだから, 日本に 行きます (I go to Japan because I like it).

りゅうがく

Studying abroad. Used in 日本に りゅうがくしたいです (I want to study in Japan) and related plans such as ホームステイ.

おいくつですか

Polite way to ask someone's age, used for adults. For children the plainer なんさいですか is used instead.

おしごとは なんですか

Polite question asking what someone's job is. Answered with a noun plus です, such as 学生です or 先生です.