To start it is ok if you don’t know the words I have the translations of the sentences. I recommend you try to learn the words as we go and look them up. The important thing we are after for now is grammar so we know what to do with the words once we start learning them.
Structure: ~です (desu)
Meaning: it is…
Example 1
Hirigana: にほんごです
Kanji: 日本語です
Romaji: Nihongo Desu
Translation: Japanese Language Major
Example 2
Hirigana: がくせいです
Kanji: 学生です
Romaji: Gakusee Desu
Translation: am a student
Example 3
Hirigana: アメリカじんです
Kanji: アメリカ人です
Romaji: Americajin Desu
Translation: an American
I first bring up です (desu) because it is a polite copula, honestly don’t know what that means, so basically it is a formal way of talking about something or someone. Take note that it is at the end of the sentence. That is where it usually is so when you hear or see です (desu) something was specifically talked about. This is fairly easy to understand, but please be sure you understand it. Maybe make up a few sentences. A good dictionary(じしょ, jisho) online is jisho.org, but be careful can bite you in the butt if you aren’t paying attention.
There isn’t any subjects in the above because in this case it is implied it is about us. One thing I have learned is “Context is King” when it comes to the Japanese Language. A half sentence can carry a lot of weight and mean a lot depending on the context of the conversation. The key is to find the context clues in the conversation or the text around it.
Structure: ~は~です (~wa~desu)
Meaning: ~is~ (Subject is Something)
Example 1
Hirigana: わたしはアメリカじんです
Kanji: 私はアメリカ人です
Romaji: watashi wa amerikajin desu
Translation: I am American
Example 2
Hirigana: ヤましたさんはせんせえです
Kanji: ヤましたさんは先生です
Romaji: Yamashita-san wa sensee desu
Translation: Mr. Yamashita is a teacher
Example 3
Hirigana: メアリさんはアメリカじんです
Kanji: メアリさんはアメリカ人です
Romaji: Mearisan wa americajin desu
Translation: Mary is an American
This is pretty formulaic X wa Y desu. X is the person or thing you are talking about basically your subject, you, your teacher, or a friend. Y is something about them; they are a teacher, American, french, weird, fun, etc… The は(wa) is a particle that is formal linking the subject and the something about them together and the desu says you are talking about a subject. To note there is nothing in English that can go with particles so it is one of those things that you just have to learn. It is easier than you might think; after a couple more Grammar posts I am going to explain how I remember particles it is pretty easy, but you have to use several to “get it”. Until then just bare with me and remember wa.
Also note that wa in this case is using は instead of わ remember when writing and using the wa particle use は instead of わ not sure why this is. Just do it.
Structure: ~の~ (~no~)
Meaning: Connecting two nouns (connecting to descriptive words together)
Example 1
Hirigana: だいがくのせんせい
Kanji: 大学の先生
Romaji: daigaku no sensee
Translation: a college professor
Example 2
Hirigana: にほんごのがくせい
Kanji: 日本語の学生
Romaji: nihongo no gakusee
Translation: a student of Japanese language
Example 3
Hirigana: にほんのがくせい
Kanji: 日本の学生
Romaji: nihon no gakusee
Translation: a student in Japan
Above in the meaning I kind of nailed the short answer to what this partical does. Basically we are linking descriptive words together. They may not form a sentence, but they do pertain to each other. Daigaku is college and sensei is a professor combine them with the particle no and you now have a college professor. You can also link together descriptors to form full sentences based on what we learned earlier.
たけしさんのおかあさんはこおこおのせんせえです
Takeshi-san no okaasan wa kookoo no sensee desu
Takeshi’s mother is a high school teacher
Take note we are using two different descriptive linkers on 4 different descriptors to make them more than what they are. (eh?) Basically we pointed out that takeshi’s mom (Takeshi-san no okaasan) was a high school teacher (kookoo no sensee). And lets go one step further since takeshi is the subject she is in front. The about her is after the wa and we have a desu at the end to say hey we talked about something. Make sure to note the first description we make sure we were talking about Takeshi’s mom by linking Takeshi and mom with the no particle.
With this information you can start forming basic sentences and getting hold of maybe one or two things in anime if you have a bit of a vocabulary. I know I picked up desu and more and more after learning about this.
I hope this helps at least a bit.
またね
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey~ Just wanted to point out two errors in your examples (they might be a bit confusing to learners). Example one of the “~wa~desu” portion lists the reading as “americanjin,” even though you wrote “amerikajin.” Also, in the second example, you’ve written “sensei” as “sensee,” and have used incorrect kanji. FYI~
First one was a stupid mistake on my part, thanks for pointing it out to me. Second one I didn’t know the correct kanji for it as the reference I was using showed 3 different ones, and I didn’t know the correctly kanji at the time I do now and corrected it. I have learned a lot since this post so hopefully won’t make those kinds of mistakes anymore.
Thanks for pointing them out.