Time expressions as shown above (e.g., "today", "tomorrow", "next week", etc.) are said to be relative. That is, what specific time segment あした refers to changes depending on when the speaker says あした.
B) Days of the Week
Friday is a 5-syllable word きんようび /ki-nn-yo-o-bi/, not a 4-syllable
word with a glide (きにょうび /ki-nyo-o-bi/). なんようび /na-nn-yo-o-bi/ also has 5 syllables.
よう(び) refers to the "day" part of the days of the
week. (び is optional. Both げつよう and げつようび refer to Monday.)
The Japanese usually start counting the days of the week from
Monday.
In contrast, days of the week are specific (i.e., absolute) time reference. That is, げつようび refers to the same day regardless of which day the speaker says げつようび during that week.
The relative time expressions can be combined with specific time expressions as shown below.
9 o'clock tomorrow
あしたの ９じ
this Monday (Monday
of this week)
こんしゅうの げつようび
9 o'clock next Monday (= Monday
of next week)
らいしゅうの げつようびの ９じ
upcoming Sunday
こんどの にちようび
People have different ideas about "Sunday" --- whether
it is the first day of the week or the last day
of the week. Because of this, こんしゅうの にちようび
can mean the last Sunday or upcoming Sunday. To
avoid misunderstanding, you can say こんどの にちよう（び） "upcoming
Sunday."
C) Abbreviations for the Days of the Week
When the Japanese count days of the week, they often use the
following abbreviated form. Click on the audio button below
to listen to the days of the week without the suffix ようび. Utilize
this system for easy memorization. Note the insertion of an
extra vowel あ /a/ (after か) and お /o/ (after ど) to keep the
even two-syllable sound rhythm for all days of the week. (When
you type these words into the computer, do not use these extra
vowels.)
Specific Time に vs. Relative or Repeated Time/Length of Time
The time marker に is NOT used with relative time expressions.
日本ごの クラスは あした あります。 "There is a Japanese class tomorrow."
The time marker に is required for specific time expressions.
日本ごの クラスは げつようびに あります。
"There is a Japanese class on Monday."
When both time expressions are combined, the time marker に is required if the last element of the time expression is the specific time:
日本ごの クラスは らいしゅうの げつようびに あります。
"The Japanese class will start on Monday, next week."
Here is the general rule. Time marker に is required when the activity occurs just once at specific or absolute time (often with a number) (e.g., ９じに, かようびに, etc.). If the activity occurs during relative time frame (e.g., きょう, あした, あさって, こんばん, こんしゅう, らいしゅう, こんしゅうまつ, etc.) or if it occurs repeatedly (e.g., まいにち, まいしゅう, etc.), the time marker に is not used. This is because the relative/repeated time phrases function like an adverb. (This is similar in English as well. You can say "I will do it tomorrow" or "I do it every day" without the preposition "on".) For しゅうまつ (or こんしゅうまつ, etc.), に is optional.
げつようびに あります。vs. らいしゅう あります。
かようびに あそびます。vs. きょう あそびます。
８じに ねます。 vs. ８じかん ねます。
Verbs with no direct object and no destination
Dialogue 4 contains polite, non-past verbs such as ねます ("[someone] goes to bed") and おきます ("[someone] gets up"). These are the verbs with no direct object or destination. We have seen similar verb sentences earlier (e.g., ぎんこうは デパートの となりに あります). The specific time of activity is marked by に (e.g., ７じに). To express the length of time during which someone does something, no particle is required (e.g.., ７じかん ねます "I sleep for seven hours"). The question words for the parts of speech are noted below. いつ is the question word for generic time ("When?") and it does not require any particle.
Topic/Subject
だれが
Time
なんじに
or いつ
Verb
キムさんは
９じに
おきます。
Ms. Kim wakes up at nine o'clock.
Note that the particle は is added to the particles に, で and と when answering negatively to a Yes-No question. (This usage of は will be explained more in details in JAPN 1002.)
A:
としょかん
で
ねますか。
Do you sleep at the library?
B:
いいえ、
としょかん
では
ねません。
No, I don't sleep at the library.
A:
７じ
に
おきますか。
Do you get up at 7 o'clock.
B:
いいえ、
７じ
には
おきません。
No, I don't get up at 7 o'clock.
A:
いぬ
と
あそびますか。
Do you play with the dog?
B:
いいえ、
いぬ
とは
あそびません。
No, I don't play with the dog.
Placeで and Personと
The location of activity (if it is relevant) can be marked by the particle で (e.g., こうえんで), NOT the particle に. If someone does something with someone else, the particle と can be used to mark the accompanying agent.
Topic/Subject
だれが
With whom
だれと
Where
どこで
Verb
田中さんは
いぬと
こうえんで
あそびます。
Ms. Tanaka enages in play with the dog in the park.
Frequency + Affirmative V (Vます)
The frequency expressions can be combined with verbs without particles. The following are commonly used frequency expressions that are normally combined with affirmative ending verbs.
A:
こうえんで あそびますか。
Do you play at the park?
B:
ええ、ときどき あそびます。
Yes, I sometimes play there.
ええ、よく あそびます。
Yes, I often play there.
ええ、たいてい あそびます。
Yes, I usually play there.
ええ、いつも あそびます。
Yes, I always play there.
ええ、まいにち あそびます。
Yes, I play there everyday.
FYI: These frequency words can be combined with negative ending verbs. The resulting interpretations are similar to "comma" interpretations in English as shown below.
ときどきいきません。
Sometimes, I don't go there.
よく いきません。
Often, I don't go there.
たいてい いきません。
Usually, I don't go there.
いつも いきません。
Always, I don't go there.
まいにち いきません。
Everyday, I don't go there.
Grammar
Notes for Dialogue 5
Verbs with destination
Coming and going verbs take a destination marked by the destination marker に or へ (pronounced as /e/, not /he/). Other parts of speech can be added as shown below.
Topic/Subject
だれが
Time
なんじに
or いつ
Where
どこに
or どこへ
Verb
スミスさんは
９じに
がっこうに
いきます。
Mr. Smith goes to (i.e., departs for) school with Mr. Tanaka at 9.
Note that the particle は is added to the destination particles に/へ and と when answering negatively to a Yes-No question. (This usage of は will be explained more in details in JAPN 1002.)
A:
がっこう
に or へ
いきますか。
Do you go to school?
B:
いいえ、
がっこう
には or へは
いきません。
No, I don't go to school.
A:
6じ
に
かえりますか。
Do you go/come home at 6 o'clock?
B:
いいえ、
6じ
には
かえりません。
No, I don't go/come home at 6 o'clock.
A:
おふろ
に
はいりますか。
Do you take a bath?
B:
いいえ、
おふろ
には
はいりません。
No, I don't take a bath.
Notes: かえります means that you are "returning home"
(i.e., where you belong). If you are returning to your own home
(うち), you should use かえります and not いきます.
うちへ かえります
"to return home"
うちへ いきます
unacceptable in the sense of "returning to one's
own home";
acceptable in the sense of "going to someone else's
home"
If you say としょかんへ かえります, you are not only saying "I (will) go
back to the library," but also implying that the library
is where you stay primarily (like your home). へ is a particle
that marks the destination of coming and going.
Frequency + Negative V (Vません)
The following are commonly used frequency expressions that MUST be combined with negative expressions.
A:
こうえんで あそびますか。
Do you play at the park?
B:
いいえ、ぜんぜん あそびません。
No, I don't play there at all.
いいえ、あまり あそびません。
No, I don't play there very often.
Here is the summary of all frequency expressions introduced so far. The frequency words to the left of the blue line require a negative ending verbs while those to the right of the blue line are commonly followed by affirmative ending verbs.
A:
こうえんで あそびますか。
Do you play at the park?
B:
いいえ、ぜんぜん あそびません。
No, I don't play there at all.
いいえ、あまり あそびません。
No, I don't play there very often.
ええ、ときどき あそびます。
Yes, I sometimes play there.
ええ、よく あそびます。
Yes, I often play there.
ええ、たいてい あそびます。
Yes, I usually play there.
ええ、いつも あそびます。
Yes, I always play there.
ええ、まいにち あそびます。
Yes, I play there everyday.
Grammar
Notes for Dialogue 6
Verbs with direct object
Many verbs of actions (e.g., eating, drinking, doing, etc.) take a direct object which is marked by the direct object marker を. Other parts of speech can be added as shown below. To express the length of time during which someone does something, no particle is required (１じかん べんきょうします: I study for an hour).
Topic/Subject
だれが
Time
なんじに
or いつ
(With whom)
(だれと)
(Where
どこで)
What
なにを
Verb
スミスさんは
３じに
田中さんと
アパートで
おんがくを
ききます。
Mr. Smith listens to music at his apartment with Mr. Tanaka at three o'clock.
Today
ワンさんは
きょう
すしを
たべます。
Mr. Wang will eat sushi today.
Note below that the particle はreplaces the particle を, BUT it is added to the destination particles に, で and と when answering negatively to a Yes-No question. (This usage of は will be explained more in details in JAPN 1002.)
A:
ばんごはん
を
たべますか。
Do you eat dinner?
B:
いいえ、
ばんごはん
は
たべません。
No, I don't eat dinner.
A:
うち
で
たべますか。
Do you eat at home?
B:
いいえ、
うち
では
たべません。
No, I don't eat at home.
A:
六じ
に
たべますか。
Do you eat at six?
B:
いいえ、
六じ
には
たべません。
No, I don't eat at six.
A:
スミスさん
と
たべますか。
Do you eat with Mr. Smith?
B:
いいえ、
スミスさん
とは
たべません。
No, I don't eat with Mr. Smith.
N します and Nを します
The verb します ("do") can be added to a noun (テニス "tennis") and produce a new verb (テニスします "to play tennis").
The direct object marker を can also be inserted after テニス.
テニス
→
テニス(を)します
to play tennis
べんきょう
→
べんきょう(を)します
to study
When we speak of what we study as in "to study
Japanese," only the first sentence below is
grammatical. (General rule: A verb can take only one direct object.):
にほんごを べんきょうします。
[grammatical]
＊にほんごを べんきょうを します。
[ungrammatical]
The last sentence can be corrected as follows:
にほんごの べんきょうを します。
I study Japanese.
(LIt. "I do the study of Japanese.")
そうですね（え） (Well...)
Earlier, we learned that そうですね（え） with a falling intonation is a confirmation "That is right." This expression is also used as a conversational filler ("Well...") to buy time before answering a question similar to ええっとですね（え）("Let me see.."). Don't confuse this with an affirmative answer ("Yes, that's right").
Purpose Activity に + いきます
Coming and going verbs (e.g., いきます, きます, etc.) can take a purpose activity noun in addition to a destination. The purpose activity is also marked by に.
Days and Weeks
Friday is a 5-syllable word きんようび /ki-nn-yo-o-bi/, not a 4-syllable
word with a glide (きにょうび /ki-nyo-o-bi/). なんようび /na-nn-yo-o-bi/ also has 5 syllables.
