LinguaThe polite verb ends every sentence
A Japanese verb in the polite style ends in ます, and the negative simply replaces it with ません. いきます I go, いきません I do not go. There is no change for person or number: the same word serves for I, you, he and they, and the subject is left out whenever it is obvious. Like です, the verb always comes last.
| Verb | Meaning | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| いきます | to go | いきません |
| きます | to come | きません |
| かえります | to return home | かえりません |
| します | to do | しません |
へ marks the direction you move in
With a verb of movement the destination takes へ, written with the kana for he but read e. に does the same job here and the two are interchangeable, though へ feels more like a direction and に more like an arrival point. Note that かえります already means going back to where you belong, so くにへかえります is going home to your country and くにへいきます would be a visit.
あしたとうきょうへいきますI am going to Tokyo tomorrow.
いっしょにえいがへいきましょうLet us go to a film together.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| いきます | to go | あしたとうきょうへいきます I am going to Tokyo tomorrow. |
| きます | to come | ともだちがきます A friend is coming. |
| かえります | to go back, to go home | バスでいえへかえります I go home by bus. |
| へ | to (a direction) | うみへいきます I am going to the sea. |
| いえ | house, home | いえはえきのちかくです My house is near the station. |
| くに | country, homeland | らいげつくにへかえります I am going home to my country next month. |
| くうこう | airport | くうこうまでバスでいきます I go to the airport by bus. |
| いっしょに | together | いっしょにいきましょう Let us go together. |
| どこへ | where to | どこへいきますか Where are you going? |
| これから | from now on | これからかえります I am going home now. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- match the pairs: 1
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 2
- translate the sentence: 1
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which sentence says that you do not go?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.