Japanese Basic Course, Lesson 7

White and black string · Dialogue 1 of 4

Two pieces of string

Two speakers identify pieces of string and describe their colors.

*これはしろいいとですか* means "Is this a white string?" The reply confirms that it is white.

The last reply says *それはくろいいとです*, "That is a black string."

Colors before things

In *しろいいと*, "white string," the I-adjective *しろい* stands before the noun *いと*.

The same order appears in *くろいいと*, "black string."

Katakana: ア to コ

Each kana is one syllable. Read the kana, then its sound in romaji.

Katakana: ガ to ゴ

Each kana is one syllable. Read the kana, then its sound in romaji.

Two small strokes at the top right make the consonant voiced: か ka becomes が ga.

1
これはいとですか。
Is this a string?
これthis
はtopic
いとstring
ですis
か。question
2
はい、それはいとです。
Yes, that is a string.
3
これはしろいいとですか。
Is this a white string?
4
はい、それはしろいいとです。
Yes, that is a white string.
5
これもしろいいとですか。
Is this a white string, too?
6
いいえ、それはしろいいとではありません。それはくろいいとです。
No, that is not a white string. That is a black string.

Basic Colors:

Black, white, blue, red, and yellow are considered as the five basic colors in Japanese. These five basic colors as modifiers are expressed by I-adjectives. I-adjectives are explained in Explanatory Notes 2 and 3 in Lesson 5.

| 
KUROI HON 'black book' | KUROI DESU. '--- is black.'
SHIROI KAMI 'white paper' | SHIROI DESU. '--- is white.'
AKAI ENPITSU 'red pencil' | AKAI DESU. '--- is red.'
SHIROKU WA ARIMASEN '--- is not white.' | 
AKAKU WA ARIMASEN. '--- is not red.' |

AKAKU MO ARIMASEN

The negative of I-adjectives that are used predicatively with DESU is formed by changing the final syllable I ( い ) to the KU ( く ) and adding ARIMASEN, as already explained in Explanatory Notes 4 in Lesson 5. The particle WA ( は ) is inserted to emphasize the negative verb ARIMASEN like OOKIKU WA ARIMASEN. When the same subject is negated predicatively for the second time, MO ( も ) is used in place of WA ( は ).

DONNA: The word NAN ( なん ) or NANI ( なに ) is an interrogative pronoun, and it is generally

3. DONNA: The word NAN ( なん ) or NANI ( なに ) is an interrogative pronoun, and it is generally used to ask for the identity of a thing; but the word DONNA ( どんな ) is an interrogative pre-substantive, and it is used attributively to ask for the description of a thing. That is, the word DONNA is placed immediately in front of a noun to modify it and is translated 'What sort of' or 'What kind of' as in the following examples.

Examples:

Affirmative | Negative
KONO HON WA AKAI DESU. "This book is red." | KONO HON WA AKAKU WA ARIMASEN. "This book is not red."
 | KONO HON WA AOKU MO ARIMASEN. "This book is not blue either."
KONO HANA WA AOI DESU. "This flower is blue." | KONO HANA WA AOKU WA ARIMASEN. "This flower is not blue."
 | KONO HANA WA KUROKU MO ARIMASEN. "This flower is not black either."

DONNA

The word NAN ( なん ) or NANI ( なに ) is an interrogative pronoun, and it is generally used to ask for the identity of a thing; but the word DONNA ( どんな ) is an interrogative pre-substantive, and it is used attributively to ask for the description of a thing. That is, the word DONNA is placed immediately in front of a noun to modify it and is translated 'What sort of' or 'What kind of' as in the following examples.

DONNA KAMI 'What kind of paper'

DONNA ENPITSU 'What kind of pencil'

DONNA ITO 'What sort of string'

いと: thread, string
しろい: white
くろい: black

Asking a flower's colour · Dialogue 2 of 4

The color of a flower

Two speakers compare the colors of flowers.

*このはなはあかいですか* means "Is this flower red?" Another flower is not red, so one speaker asks its color.

Not red, then what color

*そのはなはあかくはありません* means "That flower is not red." The ending of *あかい* changes before *ありません*.

*このはなはどんないろですか* means "What sort of color is this flower?" Here *どんな* asks for a description.

7
このはなはあかいですか。
Is this flower red?
8
はい、そのはなはあかいです。
Yes, that flower is red.
9
このはなもあかいですか。
Is this flower red, too?
10
いいえ、そのはなはあかくはありません。
No, that flower is not red.
11
では、このはなはどんないろですか。
Then, what sort of color is this flower?
12
そのはなはきいろいです。
That flower is yellow.

はな: flower
あかい: red
どんな: what kind of; what sort of
いろ: color
きいろい: yellow

Ruling out pen colours · Dialogue 3 of 4

A fountain pen is not blue

Two speakers test possible colors for fountain pens.

*このまんねんひつはあおくはありません* means "This fountain pen is not blue." The first suggested color is denied.

Not yellow either

A second suggestion receives *このまんねんひつはきいろくもありません*, "This fountain pen is not yellow either."

The particle *も* in *きいろくも* marks this as another denied color.

13
このまんねんひつはあおいですか。
Is this fountain pen blue?
14
はい、そのまんねんひつはあおいです。
Yes, that fountain pen is blue.
15
そのまんねんひつもあおいですか。
Is that fountain pen blue, too?
16
いいえ、このまんねんひつはあおくはありません。
No, this fountain pen is not blue.
17
では、そのまんねんひつはきいろいですか。
Then, is that fountain pen yellow?
18
いいえ、このまんねんひつはきいろくもありません。
No, this fountain pen is not yellow either.

あおい: blue

Describing pens and string · Dialogue 4 of 4

What sort of string

The speakers ask for descriptions of a fountain pen and a piece of string.

*これはどんないとですか* means "What sort of string is this?" The word *どんな* stands directly before *いと*.

*それはながいいとです* means "That is a long string." The I-adjective *ながい* supplies the description.

19
では、そのまんねんひつはどんないろですか。
Then, what sort of color is that fountain pen?
20
このまんねんひつはくろいです。
This fountain pen is black.
21
これはどんないとですか。
What sort of string is this?
22
ええと、それはながいいとです。
Well, that is a long string.

Colours, sizes and objects · Pattern 1 1 of 2

A color before its noun

*これはしろいいとです* means "This is a white string." The color I-adjective *しろい* stands directly before *いと*.

The same position describes color, length, size, or thickness.

Five basic colors

Black, white, blue, red, and yellow are the five basic colors. Their words are I-adjectives when they modify nouns.

*これはあおいインキです* means "This is a blue ink." The I-adjective *あおい* directly modifies *インキ*.

23
これはしろいいとです。
This is a white string.
24
これはあかいはなです。
This is a red flower.
25
これはくろいかみです。
This is a black paper.
26
これはきいろいえんぴつです。
This is a yellow pencil.
27
これはあおいインキです。
This is a blue ink.
28
それはしろいはくぼくです。
That is a white chalk.
29
それはながいいとです。
That is a long string.
30
それはおおきいこくじばんです。
That is a large bulletin board.
31
あれはほそいナイフです。
That over there is a thin knife.
32
あれはちいさいほうぐかごです。
That over there is a small wastepaper basket.

インキ: ink
ほそい: thin, narrow
ナイフ: knife

Describing size, colour and length · Pattern 1 2 of 2

A description in a question

*これはふといあしです* means "This is a fat leg." The I-adjective *ふとい* stands before the noun it describes.

A color works in the same position in *これはしろいはなですか*, "Is this a white flower?"

One description replaces another

*これはながいいとですか* asks "Is this a long string?"

The reply denies *ながいいと*, "long string," and gives *みじかいいと*, "short string."

33
これはふといあしです。
This is a fat leg.
34
これはしろいはなですか。
Is this a white flower?
35
はい、それはしろいはなです。
Yes, that is a white flower.
36
これもしろいはなですか。
Is this a white flower too?
37
いいえ、それはしろいはなではありません。きいろいはなです。
No, that is not a white flower. It's a yellow flower.
38
これはなんですか。
What is this?
39
それはいとです。
That is a string.
40
これはながいいとですか。
Is this a long string?
41
いいえ、それはながいいとではありません。みじかいいとです。
No, that is not a long string. It's a short string.

ふとい: fat, thick

Saying what things are not · Pattern 2 1 of 2

Not blue either

*このかみはあおくもありません* means "This paper is not blue either." The form *あおくも* marks another denied quality.

The I-adjective ending changes from *い* to *く* before *もありません*.

The second denial

For the first denial, change final *い* to *く* and place *は* before *ありません*.

When the same subject receives a second denial, *も* replaces *は*.

*このえんぴつはあかくもありません* means "This pencil is not red either."

42
このかみはあおくもありません。
This paper is not blue either.
43
このこくばんはくろくもありません。
This blackboard is not black either.
44
そのナイフはちいさくもありません。
That knife is not small either.
45
このえんぴつはあかくもありません。
This pencil is not red either.
46
このけしごむはきいろくもありません。
This eraser is not yellow either.
47
このペンはしろくもありません。
This pen is not white either.
48
このえんぴつはあかいですか。
Is this pencil red?

ペン: pen

Contrasting colours with negatives · Pattern 2 2 of 2

The first denied color

*そのえんぴつはあかくはありません* means "That pencil is not red." The first denied color ends with *くはありません*.

A second denial and an answer

*そのえんぴつはくろくもありません* means "That pencil is not black either." The second denied color ends with *くもありません*.

*そのえんぴつはきいろいです* then gives the actual color: "That pencil is yellow."

49
いいえ、そのえんぴつはあかくはありません。
No, that pencil is not red.
50
では、このえんぴつはくろいですか。
Then, is this pencil black?
51
いいえ、そのえんぴつはくろくもありません。そのえんぴつはきいろいです。
No, that pencil is not black either. That pencil is yellow.
52
このはなはあおいですか。
Is this flower blue?
53
いいえ、そのはなはあおくはありません。
No, that flower is not blue.
54
では、このはなはきいろいですか。
Then, is this flower yellow?
55
いいえ、そのはなはきいろくもありません。しろいです。
No, that flower is not yellow either. It's white.

Asking about colours and qualities · Pattern 3 1 of 2

Ask for a description

*このかみはどんないろですか* means "What sort of color is this paper?" The word *どんな* asks for a description.

Unlike *なん* or *なに*, which asks a thing's identity, *どんな* asks what kind or sort it is.

Directly before the noun

The word *どんな* stands immediately before the noun it modifies. It means "what kind of" or "what sort of."

*これはどんなかみですか* means "What kind of paper is this?" Here *どんな* directly modifies *かみ*.

56
このかみはどんないろですか。
What sort of color is this paper?
57
これはどんなほんですか。
What sort of book is this?
58
このえんぴつはどんないろですか。
What sort of color is this pencil?
59
このけしごむはどんないろですか。
What sort of color is this eraser?
60
このこくばんふきはどんないろですか。
What sort of color is this blackboard eraser?
61
これはどんなかみですか。
What kind of paper is this?
62
これはどんなほんですか。
What sort of book is this?
63
これはどんないとですか。
What kind of string is this?

Answering about colours and qualities · Pattern 3 2 of 2

Ask what kind

*これはどんなかみですか* means "What sort of paper is this?" The word *どんな* asks for a description of *かみ*.

The answer gives that description with an I-adjective.

Answer with a description

*それはうすいかみです* means "That is thin paper." The I-adjective *うすい* stands before the noun *かみ*.

For string, *それはふといいとです* answers with "That is a thick thread."

64
このかみはどんないろですか。
What sort of color is this paper?
65
そのかみはあかいです。
That paper is red.
66
このえんぴつはどんないろですか。
What sort of color is this pencil?
67
そのえんぴつはきいろいです。
That pencil is yellow.
68
これはどんなかみですか。
What sort of paper is this?
69
それはうすいかみです。
That is thin paper.
70
これはどんないとですか。
What sort of string is this?
71
それはふといいとです。
That is a thick thread.

Classroom objects and supplies · Word list 1 of 2

Objects and supplies

These words name classroom objects, supplies, and color.

*まんねんひつ* means "fountain pen," and *けしごむ* means "rubber eraser."

*いろ* means "color," the category used to describe these objects.

72
いと
thread, string
73
まんねんひつ
fountain pen
74
けしごむ
rubber eraser
75
ほうぐかご
wastepaper basket
76
こくばんふき
blackboard eraser
77
こくじばん
bulletin board
78
けいじばん
bulletin board
79
いろ
color
80
インキ
ink
81
ビン
bottle
82
ナイフ
knife
83
ペン
pen

まんねんひつ: fountain pen
けしごむ: rubber eraser
ほうぐかご: wastepaper basket
こくばんふき: blackboard eraser
こくじばん: bulletin board
けいじばん: bulletin board
ビン: bottle

Colours, dimensions and hesitation · Word list 2 of 2

Colors, dimensions, and descriptions

These words cover colors, dimensions, questions about descriptions, hesitation, and a second denial.

*しろい* means "white," and *ほそい* means "thin, narrow."

The ending *くもありません* marks a second denied quality.

84
はな
flower
85
しろい
white
86
くろい
black
87
あかい
red
88
あおい
blue
89
きいろい
yellow
90
ほそい
thin, narrow
91
ふとい
fat, thick
92
どんな
what kind of; what sort of
93
ええと
well, let me see
94
---くもありません
is not --- either (See Gram. Notes)

Homework Assignment

1 Listen to the tape and practice pronunciation.

2 Memorize the Dialogue.

3 Read the Grammar Notes.

4 Practice reading and writing of KATAKANA.

ええと: well, let me see
---くもありません: is not --- either (See Gram. Notes)