Sentence-Ending Particles
Let's add some life to our sentences by using sentence-ending particles. These particles are attached at the very end of the sentence to add a different nuance or tone.
「よ」 and 「ね」 sentence endings
「よ」 and 「ね」 are two of the most frequently used sentence ending particles.
- 「ね」 is used when the speaker is seeking agreement and confirmation. It adds a tone similar to saying, "right?" or "isn't it?".
- 「よ」 is used when the speaker wants to point something out or make something aware to the listener. It adds a tone similar to saying, "you know?".
- The two can be used together as 「よね」
Example
- 今日 【きょう】 - today
- 暑い 【あつ・い】 - hot (for climate/weather only)
- 明日 【あした】 - tomorrow
- 忙しい 【いそが・しい】 - busy
- ラーメン - ramen
- おいしい - tasty, delicous
- 今日は、暑いですね。
As for today, (it's) hot, isn't it? - 明日は、忙しいですよ。
As for tomorrow, (I'm) busy, you know. - ラーメンは、おいしいですよね！
As for ramen, (it's) tasty you know, isn't it?!
You look young for a teacher
- 田中 【たなか】 - Tanaka (surname)
- いいえ - no
- とても - very
- 若い 【わか・い】 - young
- おいくつ - how old
- それ - that
- 秘密 【ひ・みつ】 - secret
スミス： はじめまして。スミスです。
Smith: Nice to meet you. (I'm) Smith.
田中： はじめまして。田中です。
Tanaka: Nice to meet you. (I'm) Tanaka.
スミス： 田中さんは、学生ですか？
Smith: Tanaka-san, (are you) a student?
田中： いいえ、先生です
Tanaka: No, (I'm) a teacher.
スミス： 本当ですか？
Smith: Really?
田中： 本当ですよ。
Tanaka: It's true, you know.
スミス： とても若いですね。おいくつですか？
Smith: (You) are very young, right? How old (are you)?
田中： それは、秘密です。
Tanaka: That's a secret.
If both of them 「よね」 are used
If both of them 「よね」 are used together in a sentence, what does it mean?
Shouldn't おいくつ be simply いくつ
Shouldn't おいくつ be simply いくつ in the 'you look young for a teacher' dialog ?
Or did I miss something about the initial お ?
I think it is just the
I think it is just the combination of both...can't really grasp it myself.
3. ラーメンは、おいしいですよね！
As for ramen, (it's) tasty you know, isn't it?!
「幾つ」 I was just thinking the
「幾つ」
I was just thinking the very same thing whilst read it. Rikaichan doesn't recognize おいくつ only いくつ
It's the same for other dictionaries too.
Is the お an honorific prefix and why isn't it written with the kanji for いくつ here?
お is an honorific prefix
お is an honorific prefix which is used along with いくつ in a way similar to that of the ご in ご家族, which changes the meaning from "a family" or "my family" to "your family" without explicitly stating the subject (e.g. "あなたの家族.").
おいくつ is the standard way I have always learned how to ask someone's age, and in my experience functions as both a formality as well as a directional.
Hope that helps!
this is surprisingly easy to
this is surprisingly easy to understand. ^_^
ghaaa i can't get this, i
ghaaa i can't get this, i keep going from the start of the guide to this page everyday and just keep going back over these pages i don't think im learning anything.
un, I understand. There are
un, I understand. There are certain things i just can't seem to get either :[ Maybe try learning another part of Japanese a while and go back. That usually works for me. Sometimes I just study vocabulary. The more words you know, the easier it is to feel more confident and not get so lost when learning. Kanji, too! Good luck :]
You need to actually study
You need to actually study what your reading & stay on it till you've got it,
If you just read through it & move to the next page you won't learn anything,
Just keep going over it, it's just memorization.
Don't worry about it. Going
Don't worry about it.
Going over and over the same material every day is not necessarily the best way to learn. Everyone has a different style - if you aren't making any progress then play around a little.
For me, this guide usually works fabulously as I am suited to learning the grammar with a very structured approach. If it's not working for you then try a different method - get a textbook with a more conversational style, or try some tutorial videos or podcasts.
In my opinion, particle usage in particular is one of those topics it's hard to read a set of rules on and understand perfectly - go and get a feel for actual usage, then refer back to this guide when you need to nail the rules down.
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