Language/Japanese/Grammar/Nouns

Japanese Grammar - Nouns

Hi Japanese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we'll be discussing one of the basic building blocks of Japanese grammar: nouns! Nouns are words that refer to a person, place, thing, or idea. They are essential in everyday conversation, so it's important to have a good grasp of them. But don't worry, we'll make it fun by incorporating cultural information and interesting facts along the way!

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Future Tense, How to Use "Have", Adjectives 形容詞 & Negation 否定.

Basic Nouns

Let's start with the basics. Nouns in Japanese are divided into two groups: living things (such as people and animals) and non-living things (such as objects and concepts).

Here are some examples of basic nouns in Japanese with their English translations:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
人	hito	Person
猫	neko	Cat
家	ie	House
青空	aozora	Blue sky
愛	ai	Love

Counter Words

One unique feature of Japanese nouns is the use of counter words. These are words that count specific items, and must be used with a number before a noun. For example, the counter word for small animals, like cats and rabbits, is "hiki". So, if you want to say "I have two cats", you would say "neko o futatsu motteimasu" (literally, "cats 2 small-animals have").

There are many different counter words in Japanese, and some are used for very specific items. For instance, there is a counter word for long, cylindrical objects, like bottles and pencils, which is "hon".

Here are some common counter words and their meanings:

Counter Word	Use
つ	General items (like "things" in English)
本	Long, cylindrical objects
匹	Small, animal-like objects (like cats, rabbits, and fish)
枚	Flat or thin objects (like sheets of paper or photographs)
人	People

Note that some nouns do not require a counter word, like time ("jikan").

Plural Nouns

Unlike English, Japanese nouns do not have plural forms (like "cats" or "houses"). To indicate multiple items, you can add a number or a word like "tachi" at the end of a noun.

For example, instead of saying "cats", you can say "neko tachi" (literally, "cats and others"). Other words that can be added to indicate plural include "ra", "domo", and "gata".

Here is a dialogue to show how plural nouns are used in Japanese:

• Person 1: あのねこは可愛いですね。 (Ano neko wa kawaii desu ne.) (That cat is cute, isn't it?)
• Person 2: はい、あのねこたちはとても可愛いです。(Hai, ano neko tachi wa totemo kawaii desu.) (Yes, those cats are very cute.)

Gendered Nouns

Another unique feature of Japanese is the use of gendered nouns. There are certain nouns for males and different ones for females. For example, "otoko" means "man" and "onna" means "woman".

Here are some more examples of gendered nouns in Japanese:

Male Nouns	Female Nouns
Otokonoko (boy)	Onna no ko (girl)
Danshi (young man)	Joshi (young woman)
Otoko no hito (man)	Onna no hito (woman)
Otousan (father)	Okaasan (mother)

Honorific Nouns

In Japanese, there are also special nouns that show respect or honor towards the person you are speaking to. These are called "keigo" and are often used in formal situations, such as speaking to someone older or in a higher position than you. This can take some time to master, as there are many different forms depending on the situation and relationship between speaker and listener.

Some examples of honorific nouns include:

Normal Noun	Honorific Noun
本 (hon)	お本 (o-hon)
人 (hito)	お人 (o-hito) or 御仁 (on-jin)
お金 (okane)	御金 (o-kane)
家族 (kazoku)	ご家族 (go-kazoku)

Practice Makes Perfect

The best way to get comfortable with Japanese nouns is to practice, practice, practice! Try to incorporate new vocabulary into your everyday conversations or keep a journal with new words you come across. To improve your Japanese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Japanese Nouns: State-of-Being
• Japanese grammar - Wikipedia
• Nouns In Japanese: Explained Clearly For New Beginners

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Other Lessons

• Adjectives 形容詞
• Adverbs 副詞
• Negation
• Pronouns
• Adjectives (形容詞)
• Future Tense
• Negation 否定
• Give your Opinion
• Plurals
• Feminine 女性