Speak Japanese in 90 Days, volume 2

I'll try to run a marathon.
I think I will run a marathon.


I'll try to fix the vending machine.
I think I'll fix the vending machine.



If we want to say that we tried not to do something, use the Mai-Form + . Like
the previous grammar, this can't be used for things over a long period of time.

I tried not to eat the cake, but I couldn't resist.


I'm trying not to laugh, but it's not easy.



There is also the verb to try [], this has the sense of to try out or to test out. You
can combine this with for an extra emphasis.

I want to try out my new baseball glove.


Let's try out a new hobby.


Day 35 Grammar Cards:
1. to try (to sample / to give a try)
Te-Form +
2. to try (to attempt)
O-Form +
3. I think I will (verb)
O-Form + []

4. to try not to
Mai-Form +
5. to try (test out)
[]

Day 36: To Pretend, Nothing Like, Nothing More Than


To say that you are pretending in Japanese is quite easy. We simply attach to
the end of any word or clause. With nouns, drop the copula and add before .

He pretends he doesn't understand anything.


Don't pretend you can speak German.


He is pretending that he is a doctor.


She is pretending to be sad.



The verb [] means to restrict or to limit. In most contexts, it is very easy to
understand, but you may see it paired with at the end of a sentence, and this
changes the meaning. When you see it like this, it will mean there's nothing like
or nothing beats, as in, the thing you just talked about is the best.

Nothing beats hot chocolate in the winter.


There's nothing like a bath after exerciseeh?



We already know the verb [] (to go beyond). The negative form can be
combined with and placed at the end of a sentence to say that something is
nothing more than. This grammar must show the reality of things, not opinions.
In the following example, the boy is actually a child, if he was an adult, we
would have to clarify that he is like a child, which we will learn in Day 66.

He is nothing more than a child.


That's nothing more than your opinion.


There are some alternate translations for this, in English, we often use only or
just to express the same idea:

He is only a child.


That's just your opinion.


Day 36 Grammar Cards:
1. Pretend to
End of sentence [] (UK)
Nouns: drop () add
2. Nothing like
End of sentence []
3. Nothing more than
End of sentence []

Day 37: Reading 7

Reading 7 Vocabulary:
10) [] hot water
12) [] kitchen knife
12) [] sharpness
14) junk / garbage / crap
18) [] strength
19) [] with all one's might
21) [] to save money
22) [] penny wise and pound foolish

Reading 7:



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Day 38: On the Contrary


shows a result occurred that was opposite expectations. This is the opposite of .
The dictionary definition is on the contrary, which sounds a bit unnatural in
English, and usually this won't be translated at all, but simply used to show the
result was opposite of what you might expect. The first clause will contain
something that carries with it an expectation, and the second clause will show
the result. This is often used with if questions to ponder about an unexpected bad
result, in English we usually make these types of sentences by saying What if.

It's possible to invest in a prosperous company and (instead) lose
everything.


What if I do the training and (instead) my skills get worse?


The second definition of is all the more, and will also show that an unexpected
result occurred. This usage is often combined with because or because of.

If you get last place in a tournament, usually you will give up, but his will
became even stronger.


Because his excuse was too perfect, it was all the more unbelievable.



While shows a difference in your expectations, we can use to just show the
difference in reality. The word itself means unthinkable, unexpected,
outrageous, etc.

A: Is the match over?
B: Quite the contrary, it has just begun.
A;
B:

A:
B:

He is anything but a chef.


Said by itself, is used to show your anger, your absolute refusal, that you are
offended, or that something unexpected has happened. But most often, it is used
to say you're welcome, as in it was nothing, so pay attention to the context:

I can't believe it!
Absolutely not!
What a thing to say!
Don't mention it.


Day 38 Grammar Cards:
1. On the contrary (expectations)
[] (UK)
2. On the contrary (reality)
[] (UK)

Day 39: Only, Except For


You only want to have fun, right? Of course not, you're a hard worker! The word
only in Japanese is , and is very easy to use. You can basically substitute it one
to one. In English, we usually place only before the verb, in Japanese, use it as a
suffix of the word it modifies.

I only eat vegetables.


He only sleeps three hours.



With nouns, we can also use to say only. This word is better translated as just,
because it can also be used with time expressions, which we will learn in Day
86.

I just eat vegetables.


I just do pull ups.



To say except for we use the suffix [].

I can eat anything except for natto.


My dog doesn't do anything except sleep.


Day 39 Grammar Cards:
1. only

[] (UK)
2. just / only
(nouns) [] (UK)
3. except (for)
[]

Day 40: Anything But, Besides


If you look up in the dictionary, it will say the definition is only or nothing but,
however, it is always used with negative verbs, which creates a double negative
sentence, which is incorrect in English. So when using it in Japanese, remember
that you need to use a negative verb as well. is almost always shortened to just
in conversation.

She doesn't eat anything but chocolate!
She eats nothing but chocolate!
She only eats chocolate!


I don't want to do anything besides watch TV.
I want to do nothing but watch TV.
I only want to watch TV.


We can also write the two previous example sentences using :

She only eats chocolate!


I only want to watch TV.


As far as meaning, the two sentences She eats nothing but chocolate and She
only eats chocolate are virtually the same. We just need to remember that can
only be used with negative verb. Using this construction to say only in the sense
of the only one is actually more common than using . You will hear it a lot in
sentences like There is only this (object). Instead of saying , most people will say
.

There is only this one pen.

You're my only friend.



After a verb, plus the negative copula () translates to phrases such as: There's
nothing to do but, or All we can do is:

There's nothing to do but wait.
All we can do is wait.


There's nothing for her to do but cry.
All she can do is cry.



comes from the kanji (to cut). We can attach this as a suffix, usually with
numbers of things, to mean only or just. So we can think of this as the cut off or
the limit. It can be written as or . It is very often used in the phrase [] (just two
people).

Let's go watch a movie, just the two of us.


I've only been to Hawaii one time.


Day 40 Grammar Cards:
1. only / anything but / nothing but
(noun) + + (negative verb)
2. Nothing to do but (verb) / All we can do is (verb)
(verb) + ()
3. only / just (numbers of things)

Day 41: For the Sake of, In Order to, Because of


Today we will study a very diverse word . This word is actually just , the and
are particles, the is often dropped, and is used with nouns. The meanings of this
word in the dictionary are benefit, sake, and result, but most translations will be
for, in order to, or because of.

is often used with nouns to say for. Using the core meanings, we could say for
someone's benefit, for someone's sake.

I will fight for your love!
(Lit. For the sake of your love, I will fight.)


can also be translated as in order to. Using the core meanings, we could say for
the benefit of, for the sake of, or for the the result of:

I eat vegetables in order to stay healthy.
(Lit. For the sake of health, I eat vegetables.)


I went to the supermarket in order to make a pie.
(Lit. For the sake of making a pie, I went to the supermarket.)


Because of is probably the most difficult definition to work with, especially
because is mostly used with the previous definitions, but the third core meaning
result works well to help us derive because of.

We couldn't climb the mountain because of the bad weather.
(Lit. The result of the bad weather was that we couldn't climb the
mountain.)


Because of the traffic, I took the train.
(Lit. The result of the traffic was that I took the train.)

Day 41 Grammar Card:
1. for the sake of / for / because of / in order to
[] (UK)

Day 42: About, Concerning, Regarding, Relating


What's life all about? No one knows! In Japanese, when you want to say the
word about, you will use as a suffix.

This is a movie about war.


What do you think about this?


In English, about can often be substituted with concerning or regarding, the
same goes for translations of .

I received a letter concerning my mother.


Regarding that problem, I don't know the solution.



The next phrase [] has one of the kanji from the word [] (relationship), and is
best translated as related to. In some contexts it can be translated as about or
concerning. Note that [] is explicitly saying that something has a relationship
with something else, rather than being about something.

We discussed a problem related to trade.


That is a disease related to cancer.


Day 42 Grammar Card:
1. about / regarding / concerning
[] (UK)

2. related to
[]

Day 43: Through, By, Depending On, According to


is a verb which has many meanings depending on the context of the sentence.
You will most always see it expressed in the Te-Form, . To help you understand
the meaning, two of the possible kanji to write this word are (cause) and
(reliant / depend on / due to). The translations can be through, by means of,
because of, due to, and will usually take the place of English prepositions like by
and through. It is often used to show how something is accomplished.

You become skilled through experience.


He became rich from his successes that were due to hard work.


I read that sales have increased from this report.
(Lit. Through this report, I learned that sales have increased.)


She heard the president died on the radio.
(Lit. Through the radio broadcast, she learned the president died.)


This word is also used in passive sentences where we use the preposition by:

It was made by Jim.


This book was written by Goethe.


Yet another translation is the verb depending on. Again, is actually a verb, so
the conjugation and translation depends on how you order the clauses:

Tastes differ depending on the person.


Tastes depend on the person.


Depending on the weather, I might take a vacation.


Whether or not I take a vacation depends on the weather.



and translate to according to, and will be placed after the source. If you notice,
the () look similar to if grammar, so we can think of this as learning something if
we were to go through a source. Using over adds an air of uncertainty. Again,
we can remember this by thinking about if grammar. If sentences with are 100%
certain. Because Japanese speakers prefer to speak without certainty, you may
hear this version more often in spoken Japanese.

According to my friend, that movie was good.
()
()

Sales have increased according to this report.
()
()

Day 43 Grammar Cards:
1. through / by (passive) / depending on
[] (UK)
[] (UK)
2. according to
[] (UK)
[] (UK)

Day 44: Fault, Because of, Thanks to

If something bad happens, we can attribute the responsibility, or the fault, with
the word . The word for fault is just , the and are particles. When we use this in
a sentence, it can be translated as because of (you / him / her) or It's (your / his /
her) fault.

It's his fault that we can't go.
Because of him we can't go.


It wasn't my fault!


Was this their fault?



If something good happens, we can attribute the responsibility with the word .
Again, the and are just particles. When we use this in a sentence, it can be
translated as because of (you / him / her) or thanks to (you / him / her).

Thanks to you, we can buy the tickets.


Thanks to her, we won!


Day 44 Grammar Cards:
1. Because of (fault)
[] (UK)
2. Thanks to / Because of
[] (UK)

Day 45: Reading 8

Reading 8 Vocabulary:
1) [] to spend money
1) [] growth
1) [] to be related
2) [] economic slump
4) [] futile / useless
5) [] economic
5) [] resources
5) [] amount / quantity
5) [] eternity / forever
5) [] savings
6) [] solution / way out
7) [] politician
9) [] abundance / wealth
9) [] financial resources / source of funds
9) [] (UK) few / small quantity
9) [] general / common
9) [] insufficient / not enough
11) [] to print
12) [] to urge / to stimulate
13) [] now / present time
13) [] appreciation of the yen / strong yen
14) [] advice
14) [] to oppose
15) [] government spending

Reading 8:



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Day 46: Place


is a very common word that literally means place, as in, a physical location. It is
also used abstractly to talk about a place in time or a place in an event. In this
way, it can also be translated as part.

This movie has a great part.


I'm very busy of late.


If we add to a present tense verb, it means we are about to do the verb. It may
help you to think of it as, This is the part where ~.

I am about to leave.


She is about to sleep.


If we add to a past tense verb, it means that the action has just occurred. It may
help you to think of it as, This is the part where ~ happened.

The bus just left.


He just finished his homework.


If a sentence is in the continuous tense, can be added to say that we are in the
process of or in the middle of doing that action. If you notice in the following
examples, parentheses are used because we don't really say things explicitly like
this in English, it is already implied. It may help you to think of this as, I am

currently at the part where ~, or, Now is the part where ~.

I am (in the process of) working now.


I'm (in the middle of) writing a book.



means even so, however, nevertheless. As you know, can mean but, so it may
help you to think of this as, But this is the part where I offer a conflicting
statement. It has a similar meaning to , however, yet, still, despite that, but is
used to begin clauses rather than end them.

I have free time, but I still can't help you.


He attended the lecture. Even so, he learned nothing new.



at the beginning of a sentence is used to change the subject. In English we say
by the way.

By the way, did you call him?


By the way, what are you doing tomorrow?


can also be placed between clauses to mean even if. It may help you to think of
it as Even with that part ~. Sentences using like this have a negative nuance.

Even if he is strong, he can't push the train forward.

Even if everyone cooperated, we still can't solve the situation.


Day 46 Grammar Cards:
1. About to do
Present tense +
2. Just did
Past tense +
3. In the process of doing
Continuous tense +
4. however / yet / still despite that
Beginning of sentence
5. by the way / even if (negative nuance)

Day 47: By No Means, Not Easily, By All Means

The words in today's lesson translate in the dictionary as by no means and by all
means. Let's take a look at how we can translate sentences using these words.


You've probably been using (very) with affirmative sentences without any
trouble. However, when we use with a negative sentence, it doesn't just have the
negative meaning, the nuance changes slightly to say that the sentence is by no
means possible. We can probably think of some more natural translations, like:
This is too ~ to ~, or, There's no way I can ~.

He is beyond saving.
There's no way he can be saved.


This cola is too sweet to drink.
There's no way I can drink a cola this sweet.


~
The same rule applies to (very, considerably, rather). When we use it with an
affirmative sentence, the translation is very easy:

His Japanese is getting rather good, isn't it.


Solving this problem will take a considerable amount of time.


Using with negative sentences changes the definition to not easily. However, the
English translation will usually be something like not at all.

His Japanese is not getting better at all.
(Lit. His Japanese is not easily getting better.)

I don't understand this problem at all.
(Lit. I don't easily understand this problem.)



In the dictionary, translates to by all means, at any cost, or no matter what. If
we deconstruct this word into (how, or in this case, anything), and (even if I do
~) the previous translations are easy to derive. This word is usually placed at the
beginning of sentences. When used with affirmative sentences, the verb will
usually be in the Tai-Form, expressing your strong desire to do something.
I will learn Japanese no matter what.


We have to win this war at any cost.


When used in negative sentences, it is showing that despite your best efforts, you
can't succeed.

No matter what I do, I can't read kanji.


Despite his best efforts, he can't get stronger.


Day 47 Grammar Cards:
1. By no means
[] (UK) + (negative sentence)
2. Not easily / Not at all
[] (UK) + (negative sentence)
3. By all means / No matter what / At any cost

Day 48: Together With


has many meanings: together with, both, at the same time, and as well as. It is
usually used with the particle , so when you say it, you will say twice, .

The first meaning, together with, will be used with nouns, and can usually be
interchanged with []. The difference is that [] is used only for actions that take
place at the same time in the same location, while can describe two people
doing the same action by different means. The following examples have the
nuance that maybe you arrived by different means, and maybe stood in different
parts of the venue, but you both saw the same concert and graduated the same
university together.

I was at the concert at the same time as him.


I graduated university with her.


Using in place of [] also has a nuance of showing a closeness in relationship.

I walked with her along the shore.


The old couple died together.


The second meaning, both, is pretty straightforward, however, when using both
as a pronoun, will drop the . This is often combined with the noun [] (two
people) to mean both of (you / them):

They are both married.


Both of them are rich.

The third meaning, as well as or in addition to, is used to combine clauses,
which are usually unrelated:

He writes novels in addition to being a philanthropist.


She plays soccer as well as the piano.


The final meaning links two events that happen at the same time. The two things
need to share the same verb. This meaning has many different translations
depending on the context, for example: along with, at the same time, or
coincided with:

The stock market crash occurred along with deflation.


The TV show and the radio program were broadcast at the same time.


Day 48 Grammar Card:
1. together with / both / at the same time / as well as
[] (UK)

Day 49: In That State


If you look up in the dictionary, it will give you the definition as is. This is a
good definition to work with. You can use it to say that something was left in a
state or position, or to tell someone that something is fine the way it is:

I slept with the TV on.


It's fine like that.



is a suffix that will attach to the I-Form. The English translation will have the
verb in the continuous tense. The meaning is the similar to but has a negative
nuance. If the choice of leaving something in that state was made by us, we need
to add or .

I was standing in line all day at Disneyland.


You left the heater running!


Day 49 Grammar Cards:
1. in that state / as is
[] (UK)
2. to leave something ~ing (negative nuance)
[] (UK)
I-Form + + ()

Day 50: Used to, Memories, Accustomed to


You can attach plus the copula to the Ta-Form to say that you used to do that
verb. This is used when the verb was a common occurrence, not just a one time
thing. This is often used when talking about your old memories, so the English
translations can vary:

I used to study every day.
I remember when I studied every day.


I used to buy chocolate at this store.
I remember buying chocolate at this store.


We can also use to talk about things that generally tend to happen, or indicate
our expectations that something should happen.

Turtles (tend to / usually) live longer than humans.


Weak willed politicians (tend to / usually) become corrupted.



In English, we also use the phrase get used to to show that we have become
accustomed to something. To express this in Japanese we add []. Note that the
thing we are becoming used to must be a noun, or a verb in noun form:

I've become accustomed to living in Japan.


I've gotten used to wasabi's spiciness.

Day 50 Grammar Card:
1. Used to (verb) (memories)
Ta-Form + + ()
2. Show a general tendency or expectation
End of sentence + + ()
3. Become accustomed to (noun) / Get used to (noun)
(noun) + []

Day 51: Reading 9

Reading 9 Vocabulary:
3) [] responsibility
4) [] to push oneself / to work too hard
5) [] to pack
5) [] transport
5) [] to arrive
7) [] to respond
8) [] to load a car / to pile up
9) [] to cover / to plug up
11) [] bag
18) [] current status / condition / situation
22) [] reluctantly / unwillingly
24) [] to hide / to conceal

Reading 9:



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Day 52: Conditional Adjectives

The Conditional-Form of I-Adjectives is made just like it is with verbs! There
are just a couple small differences. For I-Adjectives, we drop the final for the
Ta-Form and E-Form versions. Also, the ending for the E-Form version is .

if it is fun
Ta-Form + → []
E-Form + → []
U-Form + → []
U-Form + → []

For Na- and No-Adjectives we need to conjugate the copula (). Note that the E-
Form version only has one, .

if it is beautiful
Ta-Form + → ( )
E-Form + → ( XX)
U-Form + → ()
U-Form + → ( )

To make a negative Conditional-Form, we start with the Nai-Form, drop the
final and add or , or simply add or .

not fun → if it is fun
Ta-Form + → []
E-Form + → []
U-Form + → []
U-Form + → []

For Na- and No-Adjectives, we conjugate the copula.

beautiful → if it is beautiful
Ta-Form + → ( )
E-Form + → ( X)
U-Form + → ()
U-Form + → ( )

Let's look at some examples:

If the party is fun, I will call you.


If it is okay, may I call you?


If it is dangerous, don't go!


If this game is interesting, it will sell out soon.


If it is necessary, I will buy it.


If it is easy, I can do it.


If it is quiet, I can sleep.


If the pop-star is beautiful, she will be popular with men.


Here are the negative versions of the previous examples:

If the party isn't fun, I will call you.


If it is isn't okay, I won't call.

If it isn't dangerous, let's go!


If this game isn't interesting, it won't sell out soon.


If it isn't beautiful, I won't buy it.



If it isn't easy, I can't do it.


If it isn't quiet, I can't sleep.


If the pop-star isn't beautiful, she won't be popular with men.


Day 52 Grammar Cards:
1. if (I-Adjective)
drop add
drop add
add
add
2. if (Na- No-Adjective)
Conjugate the copula.

Day 53: Nouns as Adjectives


[] has a lot of uses and meanings. The kanji itself means bull's eye or target, and
you may find it in a lot of compound words such as [] (purpose). If we
deconstruct the meaning of the kanji in the previous word, it means the target of
your eye, which is your purpose. But more commonly, it is used as a suffix with
nouns, to change them into Na-Adjectives. Let's look at some examples to help
us understand:

action → active

→
→


stimulus → stimulating

→
→


It can't be used with every noun, and there are a lot of exceptions, so be careful
trying to make new words on your own. In English we usually add suffixes such
as -ic, -ly, -al, to make adjectival versions, but certain words don't work, like
computer. We can't say computeric, computerly, computeral. (Since computer
comes from compute, the correct word would probably be computationally). The
Japanese rules basically follow the same conventions as in English, if you can
change a noun into an adjective in English, you can probably do it in Japanese
too. Here are some more examples of very common words in Japanese with []:

material → tangible
→
→

world → global
→
→

the public → public
→
→

general → generally

→
→

You can also use [] as a slang with pronouns or names, to say to say something
is typical of that noun. With people the nuance is that it is that person's opinion
or way of thinking, and will usually be paired with . This usage is not standard
Japanese grammar, however. The proper way to emphasize your point of view is
with , which we will learn in Day 82. One final note, [] is an actual word
meaning personal or private, not to be confused with the slang word [].

That was a private conversation.


That's not good (in my opinion).


I want to buy typical / traditional Japanese clothes.


Day 53 Grammar Card:
1. Noun → Na-Adjective
add []

Day 54: Comparisons, As ~ As

In English, when we are comparing two things that are the same, we use the
construction A is as (adjective) as B. In Japanese there are two different ways to
make comparisons like this, one is used to say that things are the same, the other
is used to say things are not the same.


To say that something is the same, we use the construction:

A B + (adjective)
A B + (adjective)

If you recall, [] means same, and means about or approximately. We are
literally saying that A is about the same as B. Let's look at some examples:

Sushi is as delicious as pizza.


Math is as interesting as science.



To say that something is not the same, we have to use a different construction.
This can only be used negatively, to say that something was not as much as. The
lesser thing will be said first, just as in English.
A B + (negative adjective)

Cars are not as fast as the bullet train.


Movies are not as interesting as books.


If you notice, we could have made these comparisons with instead of .
However, if we had used , our translations would have been Cars are slower
than the bullet train, and, Movies are less interesting than books.

For Na- and No-Adjectives, we have to remember to conjugate the or .

He is not as proactive as her.


Your way of solving the problem is not as simple as mine.


Day 54 Grammar Cards:
1. as ~ as
AB [] + (adjective)
2. not as ~ as
A B + (negative adjective)

Day 55: Reading 10

Reading 10 Vocabulary:
2) [] Akihabara
3) [] variety / kind / category
3) [] former / old
6) [] to solve / to resolve
10) [] exciting / dramatic
14) [] philosophical
21) anyhow / no matter what

Reading 10:



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Day 56: Prefer, Would Rather, But Rather


I hope that by now you understand Japanese grammar is much different that
English grammar, and there simply aren't one-to-one grammar comparisons. In
English, we have this nice word would to use when we want to talk about
hypothetical situations, but unfortunately, Japanese doesn't have a word like that.
Today we will study , which means rather or would rather. Unlike most
Japanese grammatical words, this one is used before your preference. Let's look
at some examples.

I would rather eat vegetables.
I prefer eating vegetables.


I would rather take a trip to Europe.
I prefer taking a trip to Europe.


Pretty easy, right? When asking would you rather questions, however, Japanese
people will not use , but rather just ask a question about which is better.

Would you rather eat vegetables or fruits?
(Lit. Which is good, eating vegetables or fruits?)



We can also make comparisons, saying that we prefer A rather than B by using
BA:

I would rather eat vegetables than meat.
I prefer vegetables over meat.


I would rather take a trip to Europe than Asia.
I prefer taking a trip to Europe over Asia.

can not only be used to show preferences, but also used to explain something
further, offering a clarification. We do this in English with phrases like not so
much ~ but rather ~. In the English translation, we negate the first clause, but in
Japanese, if we use , the negation is already implied. Compare the following two
examples with and without . In the first example, with , the first clause is
affirmative, in the second example, without , the first clause is negative.

He's not a professional, he's more like an amateur.


This doesn't cut paper, more like bends it.


Day 56 Grammar Cards:
1. prefer
[] (UK)
2. Prefer A
A
3. Prefer A over B
B A
4. Not so much A, but rather B
A B
A B

Day 57: To the Extent That, Too~to~, More Than

Is Japanese easy? Is it so easy that even a child can speak it? Or rather, is it easy
to the extent that a child can speak it? Of course it is!


means to the extent that. We already learned to use when comparing things
negatively, and if you review that lesson after reading this one, it will help you
understand why is used for comparisons. As for translation, we rarely say to the
extent that in English, instead, we use the construction: so~that. For example:
It's so easy that a child can do it, or, I'm so hungry that I could eat a horse. In
Japanese, the word order of these sentences is opposite of English. Let's look at
English sentences using Japanese grammar to help us understand:

A child can do it , it's so easy.
I can eat a horse , I'm so hungry.

As you can see, this clause order is the opposite of English, so it can be
confusing. But if you keep in mind that means to the extent that, it may help you
remember this grammar. Now, let's look at these sentences in Japanese:

It's so easy that a child can do it.
(Lit. To the extent that a child can do it, it's easy.)


I'm so hungry that I could eat a horse.
(Lit. To the extent that I could eat a horse, I'm hungry.)


Also, this eating a horse phrase is an expression in English that Japanese people
don't use. So if you say it, people will give you funny looks. Here are a couple
more realistic examples:

He earns enough to live on his own.
(Lit. To the extent that he lives alone, he earns enough.)

I want to play baseball as skillfully as Ichiro.
(Lit. To the extent of Ichiro, I want to play skillfully.)


When our subordinate clause is describing a noun, we need to add after .

There is not enough time to wait.
(Lit. To the extent that we can't wait, there isn't time.)


There is so much food that we can't eat it all.
(Lit. To the extent that we can't eat it all, there is food.)


In English, we also have the construction too ~ to ~. One of the many ways to
say this is with . Again, the clause order is opposite.

I'm too tired to do homework.
(Lit. To the extent that I can't do homework, I am tired.)


He is too dumb to understand this problem.
(Lit. To the extent that he can't understand the problem, he is dumb.)



Another way to express too~to~ is to use . If you recall, is used with negative
verbs to mean not many, not much, or not often. The kanji for [] actually means
the opposite, too much or remainder. It is from this meaning that we can derive
the other uses. The is often dropped.

I'm too tired to do homework.


He is too dumb to understand this problem.

With numbers, [] can be used as a suffix to mean more than. This usage will use
the kanji:

He has more than ten Gundam models.


I have lived in Japan for more than a year.


Day 57 Grammar Card:
1. To the extent that / Too~to~
(sub. clause) + + (main clause)
2. To the extent that (describing nouns)
(sub. clause) + + (noun)
3. too
()
4. More than (numbers)
Suffix []

Day 58: The More~The More

The more you study the more you will learn! In today's lesson we will learn how
to use the phrase the more ~ the more. Like in English we can use this
construction with verbs and adjectives. The difference in Japanese is that you
say the verb or adjective twice. The grammar for this phrase is:

Conditional E-Form + U-Form + + (result)

It's pretty easy to understand if we look at some examples:

The more you study, the more you learn.


The more sugar you eat, the worse you will feel.


If you notice, we had to say the actions study and eat twice, with the conditional
E-Form and then the U-Form, before we say the resulting outcome.

We can use this with adjectives too. Do you remember that we can conjugate I-
Adjectives just like verbs? Just a reminder, to make the conditional E-Form for
I-Adjectives we drop the final and add .
The bigger the better.


The more fun it is, the more people will come.


We can't conjugate Na-Adjectives like verbs, so we have to use for the
conditional E-Form. Grammatically, we also have to attach to each adjective,
however, most speakers will only attach it to the part, because saying twice in
is awkward. Don't forget, most people drop from as well. So while the official
grammar is (Na-Adjective) + (Na-Adjective) , almost all speakers say (Na-
Adjective) + (Na-Adjective) .

The more beautiful, the more expensive.


The quieter it is, the more easily I can fall sleep.

Day 58 Grammar Cards:
1. The more ~ the more (verbs)
Conditional E-Form + U-Form + + (result)
2. The more ~ the more (I-Adjectives)
Conditional E-Form I-Adjective + I-Adjective + + (result)
3. The more ~ the more (Na-Adjectives)
Na-Adjective + + Na-Adjective + + (result)

Day 59: Reading 11

Reading 11 Vocabulary:
2) curriculum / class list
8) [] frown / scowl
13) [] diligent / serious
14) [] liar
17) [] trust / reliance
21) [] shallow
25) [] muscle training
26) [] pole / stick

Reading 11:



1)



2)



3)



4)



5)



6)



7)



8)



9)



10)



11)



12)



13)

14)



15)



16)