Phase 6 · 9 min
Talking casually with her
Plain form, ね and よ, her name
With a partner you drop です/ます. Polite forms between a couple sound cold, like calling her 'madam'. The plain form is the dictionary form and its friends. Sentence-final particles carry the warmth.
| 食べます → 食べる | たべます → たべるtabemasu → taberu | eat |
| 行きます → 行く | いきます → いくikimasu → iku | go |
| します → するshimasu → suru | します → するshimasu → suru | do |
| です → だ (or nothing)desu → da (or nothing) | です → だdesu → da | is |
| じゃないです → じゃないjanaidesu → janai | じゃない です → じゃないjanai desu → janai | is not |
| ました → たmashita → ta | ました → たmashita → ta | past |
The particles that make it sound like you
| ねne | ne | seeking agreement, softening: 'right?', 'isn't it' |
| よyo | yo | telling her something new, gentle emphasis |
| かなkana | kana | wondering aloud: 'I wonder…' |
| の？no？ | no? | soft question: 'are you…?' |
| じゃんjan | jan | 'see?', 'come on' (very casual, Kanto) |
今日、何する？
きょう、なに する
kyou, nani suru
What are we doing today?
Just the plain form with a rising tone. No か needed.
お腹すいた。
おなか すいた
onaka suita
I'm hungry.
Literally 'stomach became empty'. Everyone says this.
眠い？
ねむい
nemui
Sleepy?
美味しいね。
おいしい ね
oishii ne
This is tasty, isn't it.
今日は楽しかったよ。
きょう は たのしかった よ
kyou wa tanoshikatta yo
Today was fun.
何時に帰るの？
なんじ に かえる の
nanji ni kaeru no
What time are you coming home?
ちょっと待って。
ちょっと まって
chotto matte
Wait a sec.
て-form alone is a casual request.
行こう！
いこう
ikou
Let's go!
Volitional: 行きましょう → 行こう. 食べよう = let's eat.
大丈夫？疲れてない？
だいじょうぶ？つかれてない
daijoubu？tsukaretenai
You okay? Not tired?
ていない → てない in speech.
Her name
Drop さん. Use her first name alone, or first name + ちゃん if she likes it (ask her). Never あなた: it sounds like a wife scolding a husband in a drama. 'You' is simply her name.
さきこ、これ見て。
さきこ、これ みて
sakiko, kore mite
Sakiko, look at this.
見てください → 見て.
From Urdu
This is the تم level. です/ます was آپ. Just as you would never say آپ to a girlfriend, don't say ます to her. ね at the end is the Urdu نا (اچھا ہے نا?), よ is the mild emphasis of تو (میں نے کہا تو).
From Thai
Dropping ます is dropping ครับ. ね ≈ นะ, よ ≈ สิ/นะ (telling), の？ ≈ เหรอ. Thai couples use nicknames instead of pronouns; Japanese couples use the first name the same way.
Check yourself
1 / 6
食べる
13 cards
Add them to spaced repetition
Cards in this lesson (13)
食べるたべる
taberu
eat (plain)
行くいく
iku
go (plain)
行こういこう
ikou
let's go
〜ね
〜ne
right? / isn't it (softener)
〜よ
〜yo
you know (gentle emphasis)
〜かな
〜kana
I wonder…
〜の？
〜no？
soft casual question
お腹すいたおなか すいた
onaka suita
I'm hungry
眠いねむい
nemui
sleepy
楽しかったたのしかった
tanoshikatta
was fun
ちょっと待ってちょっと まって
chotto matte
wait a sec
疲れたつかれた
tsukareta
I'm tired
見てみて
mite
look (casual)