Please someone tell me a good way to understand Japanese sentence structure and how to know what particles to say after each verb and etc. Please give me a breakdown that will make learning Japanese so much easier.
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. Ohayo! Let's begin with the sentence structure. In a Japanese sentence or clause, the verb is placed at the end, and its grammatical order is: subject + object + verb, so that instead of saying: "I bought a new hat." the Japanese will say: "I a new hat bought."
Nominative and Accusative: In most European languages no distinction exists between words used in the nominative (subject) and in the accusative (object). In Japanese the distinction between these two cases exists, and the nominative is indicated by the postposition "wa" or "ga" while the accusative is indicated by the postposition "wo." In a very few cases "wa" or "ga" may indicate the accusative.
Supposing that English words were Japanese, let's consider the following sentence in which the Japanese particles indicating the nominative and accusative are placed in the position that they should have in the Japanese translation.
English construction: Horses eat grass.
Japanese construction: Horses "wa" grass "wo" eat.
Interrogation: The interrogative form is indicated by "ka" at the end of a sentence or clause, which in this case corresponds to our question mark.
Kore wa nan desu ka. = What is this?
(This what is ?)
As for the particles after each verb and etc. = please give me some specific examples so I know exactly what you mean.
P.S. If you are a beginner and have a Real Player for your computer, here is a site you will love because you can also hear the pronunciation:
http://www.nhk.or.jp/english/index.html
P.P.S. Here is a more complete explanation of particles:
http://www.timwerx.net/language/particles.htm
Learning Japanese sentence structure and understanding which particles to use can be challenging but with consistent practice and study, it can become easier. Here is a breakdown that may help you:
1. Subject + Object + Verb: In Japanese, the sentence structure is typically subject + object + verb. For example, instead of saying "I eat an apple," in Japanese it would be "I an apple eat." So, when constructing sentences, remember to place the verb at the end.
2. Nominative and Accusative Particles: In Japanese, there is a distinction between the nominative (subject) and accusative (object) cases. The postposition "wa" or "ga" is used to indicate the nominative case, while the postposition "wo" is used to indicate the accusative case. In some cases, "wa" or "ga" can also indicate the accusative. For example:
English: Dogs eat bones.
Japanese: Dogs "wa" bones "wo" eat.
3. Interrogation: To form a question in Japanese, you can use the particle "ka" at the end of the sentence or clause. This corresponds to the question mark in English. For example:
English: What is your name?
Japanese: What "wa" your name "desu ka"?
For more specific examples and explanations of particles in Japanese, I recommend checking out the website below. It provides comprehensive information on particles and their usage in Japanese:
http://www.timwerx.net/language/particles.htm
Additionally, if you are a beginner and want to improve your pronunciation, you can visit the NHK website mentioned below. It offers resources and audio recordings to help you practice:
http://www.nhk.or.jp/english/index.html
Remember, practice and exposure to the language are key to mastering Japanese sentence structure and particle usage. Good luck with your studies!