Beginning Japanese
The Core Building Blocks
A foundational guide to starting Japanese, focusing on the writing system, sentence structure, particles, grammar, and verbs.
Table of Contents
1. The Writing System
Japanese does not use a single alphabet. It uses three different scripts that work together.
The Three Scripts
| Script | Function | Characteristics | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiragana | Native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb endings. | Curvy, smooth lines. There are 46 basic characters. Learn this first. | ありがとう Arigatou — Thank you |
| Katakana | Foreign loanwords, names, scientific terms, and emphasis (like italics). | Sharp, angular lines. Represents the same sounds as Hiragana. | カメラ Kamera — Camera |
| Kanji | Adopted Chinese characters used for nouns, stems of adjectives, and verbs. | Complex symbols representing meaning rather than just sound. | 日本 Nihon — Japan |
How They Appear in a Sentence
A typical sentence mixes all three:
"I ate pasta."
私はパスタを食べました。
(Watashi wa pasuta o tabemashita.)
Kanji
私 (I), 食 (Eat)
Hiragana
は (Particle), べました (Verb ending)
Katakana
パスタ (Pasta)
2. Sentence Structure: SOV
English is SVO (Subject-Verb-Object). Japanese is SOV (Subject-Object-Verb).
English
I (S) drink (V) water (O).
Japanese
I (S) water (O) drink (V).
The Golden Rule
The verb always comes at the end of the sentence. You can often switch the order of the other parts without changing the meaning, as long as the verb remains last and the particles are correct.
Watashi wa sushi o tabemasu.
(I / as for / sushi / [object marker] / eat)
"I eat sushi."
3. Particles: The Grammar Glue
Because word order is flexible, Japanese uses "particles" (small suffixes) to tell you what role a word plays in a sentence. Think of them as tags attached to words.
| Particle | Sound | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| は | "Wa" | Topic Marker. Marks the topic of the sentence ("As for X..."). | Watashi wa... (As for me...) |
| が | "Ga" | Subject Marker. Marks the specific grammatical subject or emphasizes the subject. | Neko ga imasu. (There is a cat.) |
| を | "O" | Object Marker. Marks the thing receiving the action of the verb. | Sushi o tabemasu. (Eat sushi.) |
| に | "Ni" | Target/Time/Location. Marks movement toward a place, a specific time, or location of existence. | Tokyo ni ikimasu. (Go to Tokyo.) |
| で | "De" | Context/Means. Marks where an action takes place or how it is done. | Basu de ikimasu. (Go by bus.) |
| と | "To" | And/With. Connects nouns or indicates doing something "with" someone. | Sato-san to... (With Mr. Sato...) |
| か | "Ka" | Question Marker. Goes at the very end of a sentence to turn it into a question. | Wakarimasu ka? (Do you understand?) |
Visualizing Particles
Think of particles as directional flags:
Object ←── (o) ──→ Verb (The verb acts ON the object)
Topic ←── (wa) ──→ Sentence (The sentence is ABOUT the topic)
4. Basic Grammar Concepts
No Plurals
Japanese generally does not distinguish between singular and plural.
You understand the quantity through context or by adding specific numbers.
No Future Tense
Japanese has two main tenses:
1. Past
It happened
2. Non-Past
It is happening / It will happen
Context tells you if "I eat" means "I am eating" or "I will eat."
Politeness Levels (Keigo)
Japanese changes based on who you are talking to.
Casual (Dictionary Form)
Used with family/friends.
Taberu (Eat)
Polite (Masu Form) — Start here!
Used with strangers, colleagues, acquaintances.
Tabemasu (Eat)
5. Verb Basics
To build sentences, you need to conjugate verbs. Here is the basic "Masu" (Polite) form pattern.
| English | Dictionary (Casual) | Polite Present | Polite Past | Polite Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To Eat | Taberu | Tabemasu | Tabemashita | Tabemasen |
| To Drink | Nomu | Nomimasu | Nomimashita | Nomimasen |
| To Go | Iku | Ikimasu | Ikimashita | Ikimasen |
| To See | Miru | Mimasu | Mimashita | Mimasen |
Example Sentences
Present/Future Affirmative
Ashita, Tokyo ni ikimasu.
(Tomorrow / Tokyo / to / will go)
I will go to Tokyo tomorrow.
Past Affirmative
Kino, sushi o tabemashita.
(Yesterday / sushi / [obj] / ate)
I ate sushi yesterday.
Present Negative
Koohi o nomimasen.
(Coffee / [obj] / do not drink)
I do not drink coffee.
6. Putting It All Together
Here is a complex sentence broken down using the concepts above.
"I will eat lunch at a restaurant with a friend."
私は友達とレストランで昼ご飯を食べます。
Watashi wa tomodachi to resutoran de hirugohan o tabemasu.
Breakdown
Watashi (I) + wa (Topic)
As for me...
Tomodachi (Friend) + to (With)
With a friend...
Resutoran (Restaurant) + de (Location of action)
At a restaurant...
Hirugohan (Lunch) + o (Object)
Lunch...
Tabemasu (Verb — Polite)
Will eat.
Final Thoughts
Japanese may look complex, but it's systematic and predictable. Once you understand:
- The writing systems
- SOV sentence order
- Particle usage
You'll start building sentences faster than you expect.
Learning Tips
Ready to Start Practicing?
Practice Hiragana and Katakana, study grammar points, and get AI-powered lessons, all free in your browser.