Japanese FAQ
- Spelling
- Why are Japanese words so long to spell?
- Making a sentence
- How do I say "I get paid 10 dollars per hour." in Japanese?
- Forms
- What is the difference between plain form and polite form?
- Grammar
- The word "から" is so confusing to use.
- What is the word for "play (to have fun)" and "play (sports)"?
Why are Japanese words so long to spell?
That depends on a word.
For example, "I" is "わたし". English is easy to spell in this case.
What about "father"? It is "父" in Japanese. Just one symbol with four strokes in Japanese.
How do I say "I get paid 10 dollars per hour" in Japanese?
You need to say "The hourly rate is 10 dollars" instead.
So the answer is "時給（じきゅう）は１０ドルです".
What is the difference between plain form and polite form?
They are for verbs and adjectives. Other than being used with various sentence patterns, plain form is used in a conversation amongst friends, or in a family. Basically, you can use it if you feel they are close to you.
Polite form should be used when you meet someone for the first time. You can start to use plain form once you feel more familiar with the person.
It is safe to use polite form with elderly people, teachers and your boss at workplace.
The word "から" is so confusing to use.
There are three ways to use から. See the chart below.
| If you see から after | から means | Example |
| a noun | from | 私は五時から働く。 |
| a sentence | because | 明日は雨ですから私はうちにいる。 |
| Verb て form | after | 父は朝ごはんを食べてから新聞を読む。 |
What is the word for "play (to have fun)" and "play (sports)"?
See the chart below.
| Verb | Meaning |
| あそぶ | play (to have fun) |
| する | play (sports) |
| ひく | play (a musical instrument) |
What is the difference between the two sentences below?
わたし は もも を たべて、みず を のんで、ほん を よみます。
わたし は もも を たべたり、みず を のんだり、ほん を よんだり します。
Both of them mean "I eat peach, drink water and read books."
However, the first sentence tells that the person does those things in thart order. In other words, the first thing to do is to eat peach. The second thing to do is to drink water. The third thing to do is to read books. It has to be that order if you list verbs, using て form. Time sequence matters.
On the other hand, the order of doing things does not matter if you list verbs using たり form, which is the second sentence above. So readers don't know what the person does first, second or third. It is used when you want to say what you do without thinking about time sequence.
What is the difference between と and や?
日本語 と 歴史 と 科学 を 勉強しています。
日本語 や 歴史 や 科学 を 勉強しています。
The meaning of the two sentences above is "I study Japanese, history and science." There is a slight difference between them though.
や implies more than what you list, but と doesn't.
So the first sentence tells that the person studies the three subjects only. The second sentence tells that the person may study more than the three subjects.
