Language/Japanese/Grammar/Negation

Japanese Grammar - Negation

Hi Japanese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about negation in Japanese. Negation in Japanese works differently from English, so it's important to understand its rules and structures to communicate effectively. Don't worry, though, we will make it easy to understand with cultural information and interesting facts.

Basic Negation

In Japanese, negation is expressed by adding "nai" (ない) after the stem of the verb. For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
行く (iku)	i-ku	to go
行かない (ikanai)	i-ka-na-i	not to go

As you can see, "nai" transforms the verb into its negative form. Another example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
食べる (taberu)	ta-be-ru	to eat
食べない (tabenai)	ta-be-na-i	not to eat

In English, we usually use the word "not" to make a sentence negative. For example, "I do not eat sushi." In Japanese, however, you just add "nai" to transform the verb into negative. So, "I eat sushi" is "watashi wa sushi wo taberu" (私は寿司を食べる) and "I do not eat sushi" is "watashi wa sushi wo tabenai" (私は寿司を食べない).

Another important point to remember is that, in Japanese, the negative form always comes at the end of a sentence. For example:

• 私はテニスが好きではない (watashi wa tenisu ga suki dewa nai) - I do not like tennis.

Also, the particle "wa" (は) is used to mark the topic of the sentence, and "ga" (が) is used to mark the subject. So, in the sentence above, "watashi" (私) is the subject and "tenisu" (テニス) is the topic.

Plain Negative Form

There is another way of expressing negation in Japanese, and it's called the "plain negative form." In this case, you add "nai" to the plain (dictionary) form of the verb, without changing its stem. For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
行く (iku)	i-ku	to go
行かない (ikanai)	i-ka-na-i	not to go
行かない (ikanai)	i-ka-na-i	do not go (plain negative form)

As you can see, there is no stem change in the last verb. The plain negative form is more informal than the basic negation, and it's often used in everyday conversations.

Another important point to remember is that, in Japanese, the plain negative form can be used to give a command or prohibition. For example:

• 行かないで下さい (ikanai de kudasai) - Please do not go.

In this case, the plain negative form is used to give a polite command. The particle "de" (で) is used to mean "by means of" or "with," and "kudasai" (下さい) is a polite way of saying "please."

Negative Adjectives

In Japanese, adjectives can also be negated. For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
高い (takai)	ta-ka-i	expensive
高くない (takaku nai)	ta-ka-ku na-i	not expensive

As you can see, you just add "nai" to the end of the adjective to make it negative.

Negative Nouns

In Japanese, nouns are negated by adding the particle "ja nai" (じゃない) or "de wa nai" (ではない) after the noun. For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
これは本じゃない (kore wa hon ja nai)	ko-re wa hon ja na-i	This is not a book

Another way of negating a noun is by using the particle "mo" (も) after the noun, and then adding "na" (な) to it. For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
日本語も難しい (nihongo mo muzukashii)	ni-ho-n-go mo mu-zu-ka-shi-i	Even Japanese is difficult (lit. Japanese is difficult too)
日本語ではない (nihongo de wa nai)	ni-ho-n-go de wa na-i	It's not Japanese

Dialogue

• Person 1: このレストランはおいしいですか？ (Kono resutoran wa oishii desu ka?) - Is this restaurant good?
• Person 2: いいえ、おいしくないです。 (Iie, oishiku nai desu) - No, it's not delicious.

• Person 1: 田中さんは来るんですか？ (Tanaka-san wa kuru n desu ka?) - Will Mr. Tanaka come?
• Person 2: いいえ、来ません。 (Iie, kimasen) - No, he won't come.

• Person 1: あの人は日本人じゃないですか？ (Ano hito wa nihonjin ja nai desu ka?) - Isn't that person Japanese?
• Person 2: いいえ、外国人です。 (Iie, gaikokujin desu) - No, he is a foreigner.

Cultural Insight

In Japanese culture, negation is often expressed indirectly, either by using negative adjectives or by avoiding the use of the word "no" (いいえ). For example, instead of saying "no" to a request, a Japanese person may say "chotto" (ちょっと), which means "a little," or "muzukashii" (難しい), which means "difficult." This is because being direct and confrontational is seen as impolite in Japanese culture, and avoiding conflict is highly valued.

Practice

To practice negation in Japanese, try to create sentences with the examples above or with other verbs, adjectives, and nouns. You can also find a language partner on Polyglot Club and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Japanese grammar - Negation
• Japanese honorifics
• Japanese culture