30 Questions
What does the term 'senpai' refer to in Japanese culture?
Senior member of a group
How is the senpai-kouhai relationship typically determined?
By who became a member of the group first
What is the role of a senpai towards kouhai in Japanese society?
Take care of them for a lifetime
Which term refers to 'over there' in Japanese?
Soko
Where would you find a 'suupaa' in Japan?
Shopping mall
In Japanese culture, which location is typically referred to as 'here'?
Koko
What does the particle 'wa' indicate?
Contrast
Which particle can follow a place noun to indicate the location of existence?
Ni
What verb is typically followed by a place + ni in Japanese?
Arimasu
How is politeness shown in Japanese with honorific verbs?
Through deference and proficiency in polite language
'Toshokan ni imasu' signifies what in Japanese?
He is in the library.
'Amerika ni wa arimasen' indicates what about the location?
It's not in America.
What is the purpose of using honorific forms in Japanese language?
To show deference and respect to the person being talked about
When should honorific verbs be used in Japanese?
When describing people you want to show deference to
Which of the following is an example of an honorific verb in Japanese?
Nomimasu
How can non-honorific verbs be converted into an honorific form in Japanese?
O + verb (masu replaced by ni narimasu)
What is the purpose of using the Ko-So-A-Do series in Japanese?
To indicate location
Which of the following is NOT a reason for using honorific forms in Japanese?
Describing oneself
What does the kochira, sochira, achira, dochira series indicate?
General area or direction
Why may the kochira series be considered more polite than the koko series?
Because it sounds more vague
In what context is the kotchi, sotchi, atchi, dotchi series typically used?
Informal situations or among friends
What does 'dochira' mean in Japanese?
'Which one of the two'
If someone says 'Sochira wa dou desu ka?', what are they asking about?
How are you?
Which series is used to indicate the speaker's side of a telephone conversation?
Kochira series
What does a place noun followed by the particle 'de' indicate?
The location where some activity takes place
How can the sentence 'Iriguchi de aimashou' be translated?
Let's meet at the entrance
Which particles can be added to 'de' to indicate contrast or addition?
Wa and mo
What is the specific role of particles 'wa' and 'mo' when added to 'de'?
They indicate the subject and object of the sentence
What type of particles are 'wa' and 'mo' considered to be?
Discourse particles
Why are 'wa' and 'mo' added to particle 'de' instead of replacing it?
'De' is a semantic particle while 'wa' and 'mo' indicate grammatical roles
Study Notes
Particle De (Location of Activity)
- A place noun followed by particle de indicates the location where some activity takes place.
- Can be translated as 'in', 'at', 'on', etc.
- Examples: Iriguchi de aimashou (Let's meet at the entrance), Amerika de benkyou-shimashita (I studied in America)
Particle De with Wa and Mo
- Wa and mo can be added to particle de to indicate contrast or addition.
- Examples: Nihon de wa ohashi o tsukaimasu (In Japan, we use chopsticks), Chuugoku de mo ohashi o tsukaimasu (In China, they use chopsticks, too)
- Wa and mo are added to particle de, not replacing it, because de has a specific meaning (location of activity) while ga and o indicate grammatical roles (subject and object).
Particle Types
- Discourse Particles: wa (contrast), mo (addition)
- Case Particles: ga (subject), o (object)
- Semantic Particles: de (location of activity) and others
Particle Ni (Location of Existence)
- A place noun followed by particle ni indicates the place where something or someone is located.
- Examples: Toshokan ni imasu (He is in the library), Toshokan ni arimasu (It is in the library)
- Particle ni is used with verbs of existence, such as arimasu, imasu, and their variations.
Irasshaimasu (Honorific Verbs)
- Irasshaimasu is a honorific verb used to show deference to others.
- Examples: Sensei irasshaimasu ka (Is the professor here?), Okaeri ni narimashita (She went home)
- Honorific verbs are used to raise the person being talked about, and are used to describe people to whom you want to show deference.
Ko-So-A-Do Series
- Kore, sore, are, and dore are part of a pattern that indicates location.
- Examples: Hayashi (where), asoko (over there), koko (here), soko (there), achira (over there), dochira (which way)
Senpai-Kouhai Relationship
- The senpai-kouhai relationship is a strong mentoring relationship in Japanese society.
- Senpai is used to show respect to someone who is senior to you.
- Kouhai is used to show respect to someone who is junior to you.
Additional Notes
- The kochira series is used to indicate the general area or direction, and can be used as more polite equivalents of the koko series.
- The kotchi, sotchi, atchi, dotchi series is used among friends or in casual situations.
- The kochira series is used in telephone conversations to indicate the speaker's side or the other side.
Test your knowledge of basic and intermediate Japanese vocabulary with this quiz. Practice words related to locations, people, and common places like shopping malls, parks, and libraries.
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