Guide – Particle 「に」

The に particle in Japanese is used to indicate a specific time or location. Here are several examples of how the に particle is used in Japanese:

Indicating Time:

The に particle is used to indicate a specific time when an action will take place or when an event happened. Here are some examples:

今日、会いに行く (kyou ai ni iku)
I will go to meet you today

8時に起きる (hachi-ji ni okiru)
I will wake up at 8 o’clock

昨日の日記に書いた (kinou no nikki wo kaita)
I wrote in my diary yesterday

Indicating Location:

The に particle is also used to indicate a specific location where an action will take place or where an event happened. Here are some examples:

公園に行く (kouen ni iku)
I will go to the park

学校にいる (gakkou ni iru)
I am at school

京都に旅行する (Kyouto ni ryokou suru)
I will travel to Kyoto

Indicating Purpose:

The に particle can also be used to indicate the purpose of an action. In this usage, the verb before the に particle is usually a movement verb, such as 行く (iku) or 来る (kuru). Here are some examples:

スーパーに買い物に行く (suupaa ni kaimono ni iku)
I will go to the supermarket to shop

図書館に本を借りに行く (toshokan ni hon wo karini iku)
I will go to the library to borrow a book

病院に診察を受けに行く (byouin ni shinsatsu wo ukeni iku)
I will go to the hospital to receive a medical examination

Indicating Duration:

The に particle can also be used to indicate the duration of an action. In this usage, the verb before the に particle is usually a verb indicating how long the action will take, such as 結婚式が2時間にかかる (kekkonshiki ga ni jikan ni kakaru) – The wedding will take 2 hours.

パーティーに3時間いた (paatii ni sanjikan ita)
I was at the party for 3 hours

映画を2回見るのに1週間かかった (eiga wo nikai miru noni isshukan kakatta)
It took one week to watch the movie twice

In conclusion, the に particle is an essential part of the Japanese language, used to indicate a specific time, location, purpose, or duration of an action. Understanding the usage of the に particle is essential for effective communication in Japanese.

Guide – Particle 「で」

The で particle in Japanese is commonly used to indicate the location or place where an action takes place. Here are several examples of how the で particle is used in Japanese:

Indicating Location:

The で particle is used to indicate the location or place where an action takes place. It is often used with verbs of action such as 遊ぶ (asobu, to play), 勉強する (benkyou suru, to study), 食べる (taberu, to eat), and so on. Here are some examples:

公園で遊ぶ (kouen de asobu)
to play at the park

カフェで勉強する (kafe de benkyou suru)
to study at a cafe

レストランで食べる (resutoran de taberu)
to eat at a restaurant

Indicating Means:

The で particle can also be used to indicate the means or method by which something is done. In this usage, the verb before the で particle is often a verb of action or movement. Here are some examples:

電車で行く (densha de iku)
to go by train

飛行機で旅行する (hikouki de ryokou suru)
to travel by plane

自転車で通勤する (jitensha de tsuukin suru)
to commute by bicycle

Indicating Time Period:

The で particle can also be used to indicate a time period during which an action takes place. In this usage, the verb before the で particle is often a verb of action or state. Here are some examples:

三日間で終わる (mikka kan de owaru)
to finish in three days

夏休みで旅行する (natsuyasumi de ryokou suru)
to travel during summer vacation

1時間で仕上げる (ichijikan de shiage ru)
to finish in one hour

Indicating Cause:

The で particle can also be used to indicate the cause or reason for something. In this usage, the verb before the で particle is often a verb of action or state. Here are some examples:

財布を忘れて、駅で待っていた (saifu wo wasurete, eki de matte ita)
I forgot my wallet and was waiting at the station

雨で濡れた (ame de nureta)
I got wet because of the rain

事故で道路が閉鎖された (jiko de douro ga heisa sareta)
The road was closed due to an accident

In conclusion, the で particle is an essential part of the Japanese language, used to indicate the location, means, time period, or cause of an action. Understanding the usage of the で particle is essential for effective communication in Japanese.

Guide – Particle 「へ」

The へ particle in Japanese is commonly used to indicate the direction towards which an action is headed. Here are several examples of how the へ particle is used in Japanese:

Indicating Direction:

The へ particle is used to indicate the direction in which an action is headed. It is often used with verbs of movement such as 行く (iku, to go), 来る (kuru, to come), 帰る (kaeru, to return), and so on. Here are some examples:

学校へ行く (gakkou e iku)
to go to school

空港へ行く (kuukou e iku)
to go to the airport

家へ帰る (ie e kaeru)
to return home

Indicating Purpose:

The へ particle can also be used to indicate the purpose of an action. In this usage, the verb before the へ particle is often a verb of movement or action. Here are some examples:

プールへ泳ぎに行く (puuru e oyogi ni iku)
to go swimming at the pool

公園へ散歩する (kouen e sanpo suru)
to take a walk to the park

祖母の家へ手紙を送る (sobo no ie e tegami wo okuru)
to send a letter to my grandmother’s house

Differences between へ and に:

While both the へ and に particles can be used to indicate the direction of an action, there are some differences between them:

Movement vs Destination:

The へ particle is used to indicate the direction of an action, while the に particle is used to indicate the destination of an action. For example:

学校へ行く (gakkou e iku)
to go to school (indicates the direction towards school)

学校に行く (gakkou ni iku)
to go to school (indicates the destination of going to school)

Time vs Destination:

The に particle can also be used to indicate the time at which an action takes place, while the へ particle cannot. For example:

9時に会う (kuji ni au)
to meet at 9 o’clock (indicates the time at which the meeting takes place)

9時へ会う (kuji e au)
incorrect usage

Formality:

The に particle is more formal than the へ particle. In formal writing or speech, it is more common to use the に particle to indicate direction or destination. In casual conversation, however, the へ particle is more commonly used.

In conclusion, the へ particle is an important particle in Japanese, used to indicate the direction towards which an action is headed or the purpose of an action. While it is similar to the に particle, there are important differences in their usage and formality.

Guide – Particle 「ね」

The ね sentence ending particle is a very common and versatile particle used in Japanese. It is used to express a variety of things including seeking agreement, confirmation, or understanding. Here are some examples of how the ね particle is used:

Seeking Agreement:

One of the most common uses of the ね particle is to seek agreement or confirmation from the listener. It can be used in a statement to turn it into a question, seeking agreement or confirmation. For example:

今日は暑いね。(Kyou wa atsui ne.)
It’s hot today, isn’t it?

この店のラーメンは美味しいね。(Kono mise no raamen wa oishii ne.)
This restaurant’s ramen is delicious, isn’t it?

Seeking Understanding:

The ね particle can also be used to seek understanding from the listener, similar to “you know” or “you see” in English. For example:

日本語は難しいね。(Nihongo wa muzukashii ne.)
Japanese is difficult, you know.

あの人はまだ来ていないね。(Ano hito wa mada kite inai ne.)
That person still hasn’t come, you see.

Softening a Statement:

The ね particle can also be used to soften a statement, making it sound more friendly and approachable. It is often used in conversations between friends or people with close relationships. For example:

あのね、聞いてくれる?(Ano ne, kiite kureru?)
Hey, can you listen to me?

Expressing Empathy:

The ね particle can also be used to express empathy towards the listener. It is often used to show that the speaker understands how the listener feels. For example:

体調が悪いね、大丈夫?(Taichou ga warui ne, daijoubu?)
You don’t look so good, are you okay?

大変だったね、心配したよ。(Taihen datta ne, shinpai shita yo.)
That must have been tough, I was worried about you.

In conclusion, the ね particle is a versatile particle used in Japanese to seek agreement or confirmation, seek understanding, soften a statement, and express empathy towards the listener. Its usage can vary depending on the context and relationship between the speaker and listener.

今年の夏時間の始まり

夏時間(なつじかん)は、夏季に時間を1時間前倒しにする制度です。これによって、夜間の日照時間を長くし、日中の活動時間を増やすことができます。夏時間は、世界各国で導入されており、エネルギー消費を削減したり、観光業を促進したりすることが目的とされています。

日本では、第二次世界大戦中に夏時間が一時期導入されましたが、戦後は廃止されました。その後も、夏季の長い日照時間に合わせて夏時間を導入する議論がたびたび起こっています。

現在の日本の時間システムは、日本標準時(JST)で、協定世界時より9時間進んでいます(UTC +9)。これは、夏時間が導入されていない場合、日本では他の多くの国々と比べて太陽が早く昇り、早く沈むことを意味します。

日本では現在、夏時間は導入されていませんが、エネルギー消費の削減や観光業の促進などのメリットがあるとの意見があります。一方で、交通機関のスケジュールへの影響や人々の健康や睡眠に対する影響などの懸念もあるため、導入については議論が続いています。

Onomatopoeia in conversations!

These are from our recent discussions at tonbo cafe!  Let’s take a closer look.
最近のトンボカフェでの会話からです。詳しく見てみましょう。

ボチボチ

leisurely; slowly; gradually

休憩はこれくらいにして、ボチボチ仕事を始めますか。
Pretty soon we’d better wrap up this break and get back to work.

ブスブス

sputtering; smoldering

小遣いが足りないといつもぶすぶす言っている。
He is always grumbling about his small allowance.

焼け落ちた柱がまだぶすぶすとくすぶっていた。
The fallen column was still smoldering.

ゴチャゴチャ

messy; confused; disorderly

あれもこれもごちゃごちゃになっている。
All sorts of things are jumbled [mixed] up together.

パサパサ

state of being dried out

このパンはぱさぱさだ。
This bread is all dried out.

ゴワゴワ

stiff; starchy

このシーツはごわごわしている。
This sheet is stiff.

バキバキ

with a crack (e.g. branches, knuckles)

スマホの画面がバキバキに割れた。
The screen of the smartphone shattered.