Class Session 12a
Chapter 8
•
Verbs in the Polite Past Form
•
Some Relative Time Expressions for the Past
•
The Copular Verb in the Polite Past Form
•
Adjectives in the Polite Past Form
•
Indefinite Pronouns
•
Negative Pronouns
Japanese 1100-L12a-07-16-2012
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Verbs in the Polite Past Form
• A verb in the polite present tense is converted to the polite past tense by changing the
masu and masen to mashita and masen deshita respectively:
sumisu-san wa byōin ni ikimasu.
Mr. smith will go to the hospital.
sumisu-san wa byōin ni ikimasu.
Mr. Smith went to the hospital.
yamada-san wa kurasu ni ikimasen.
Mr. Yamada will not go to class.
yamada-san wa kurasu ni ikimasen deshita.
Mr. Yamada did not go to class.
Japanese 1100-L12a-07-16-2012
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Some Relative Time Expressions for the Past
The following words refer to some relative time in the past:
kinō
yesterday
ototoi
the day before yesterday
mae
before
senshū
last week
ni-shūkan-mae
two weeks ago (before)
sengetsu
last month
ni-kagetsu mae
two months ago
kyonen
last year
san-nen-mae
three years ago (before)
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The Copular Verb in the Polite Past Form
• The past tense of the copular verb desu is deshita.
• The past tense of the negative copular verb ja arimasen (or de wa arimasen) is
ja arimasen deshita (or de wa arimasen deshita)
• Regardless of whether affirmative or negative, the past tense form of copular
verb in the polite style end in deshita:
ani wa kono kōkō no gakusei deshita.
My brother was a student of this high school.
watashi wa kono kōkō no gakusei ja arimasen deshita.
I was not a student of this high school.
Japanese 1100-L12a-07-16-2012
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Adjectives in the Polite Past Form
• Adjectives conjugate in the past tense in the polite form as shown below:
i-type
Affirmative
Negative
na-type_____________
stem + katta desu
stem + deshita
furui →
old
kirei deshita.
It was pretty.
furu-katta desu.
It was old .
stem + ku arimasen deshita
stem + ja arimasen deshita
furui → fuku arimasen deshita.
old
It was not old.
kirei ja arimasen deshita.
It was not pretty.
Japanese 1100-L12a-07-16-2012
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Indefinite Pronouns
• Words such as something, someone, or somewhere are called indefinite pronouns;
words such as nothing, nobody, or nowhere are called negative pronouns
• Indefinite pronouns in Japanese are generally composed of a question work plus
the particle ka
nani
what
nani-ka
something
dare
who
dare-ka
someone
doko
where
doko-ka
somewhere
itsu
when
itsu-ka
sometime
• Examples:
asoko ni nanika imasu.
There is something over there.
asoko ni nanika imasu ka.
Is there something (anything) over there.
Japanese 1100-L12a-07-16-2012
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Indefinite Pronouns
• The particles ga and o are usually deleted when they follow an indefinite pronoun
• The particles ni, de, and to are usually NOT deleted when they follow an indefinite
pronoun
• Examples:
asoko ni dareka imasu ka
Is there anyone (someone) over there?
dareka (o) mimashita ka.
Did you see anyone?
dareka sono eiga o mimashita ka.
Did anyone see that movie?
dareka ni aimashita ka.
Did you meet anyone?
dareka anata ni aimashita ka.
Did anyone meet you?
Japanese 1100-L12a-07-16-2012
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Negative Pronouns
• To say nothing or not...anything, use the question word + the particle mo; the verb
must be in the negative form
• The particles ga and o are deleted when followed by mo
• Other particles are usually not deleted
• Examples:
dare mo imasen.
There is no one.
dare to mo hanashimasen deshita.
I did not talk with anyone.
nani mo tabemasen deshita.
I did not eat anything.
doko ni mo ikimasen deshita.
I did not go anywhere.
Japanese 1100-L12a-07-16-2012
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