Vます・Vません
The ます form is polite non-past. Use ません for its negative; context decides present or future.
I get up at six every day.
いま なんじですか
These notes follow the grammar progression in the supplied Kanrin / Minna no Nihongo material. Each rule is summarized in English and paired with a fresh Japanese example, reading support, and translation.
Read the rule, cover the translation, and say the Japanese example aloud once.
The ます form is polite non-past. Use ません for its negative; context decides present or future.
I get up at six every day.
Use ました for polite past and ませんでした for polite past negative.
I did not study yesterday.
Mark a specific point in time with に. Relative words such as 今日 normally do not take に.
I go to the office at 7:30.
から marks a starting point and まで an ending point in time or space. Either can be used alone.
Work is from nine until five.
と joins nouns as a complete list. Sentence-final ね asks for agreement or shared confirmation.
The days off are Saturday and Sunday, right?
get up, wake up
sleep, go to bed
work
take a rest, take a holiday
study
finish
department store
bank
post office
library
art museum, art gallery
now
- o'clock
- minute
half
what time
what minute
a.m., morning
p.m., afternoon
morning
daytime, noon
night, evening
the day before yesterday
yesterday
today
tomorrow
the day after tomorrow
this morning
this evening, tonight
rest, a holiday, a day off
lunchtime
examination, test
meeting, conference (~を します : hold a meeting)
film, movie
every morning
every evening
every day
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
what day of the week
from ~
up to ~, until ~
and (used to connect nouns)
That's tough, isn't it? (used when expressing sympathy)
number
what number
your place
New York
Beijing (北京)
Los Angeles
London
a fictitious Japanese restaurant
a fictitious bank
a fictitious library
a fictitious art gallery