Learn Minna no Nihongo Grammar – Lesson 33
Translated from the Vietnamese original. View the original.
Learn Minna no Nihongo Grammar – Lesson 33
Let’s study N5-level Japanese grammar, lesson by lesson, following the Minna no Nihongo textbook.
The Japanese imperative form is
命令形 (めいれいけい)
The Japanese prohibitive form is
禁止形 (きんしけい)
1. How to make the imperative form. (命令形)
Group 1: change the ending 「u」 to e
(from the –masu form, drop -masu and change –i to –e)
| Dictionary form | Imperative form |
| 急ぐ（いそぐ） | 急げ（いそげ） |
| 飲む（のむ） | 飲め（のめ） |
| 行く（いく） | 行け（いけ） |
| 切る（きる） | 切れ（きれ） |
| 歌う（うたう） | 歌え（うたえ） |
| 持つ（もつ） | 持て（もて） |
| 直す（なおす） | 直せ（なおせ） |
Group 2: drop る and add ろ
(from the –masu form, drop -masu and add –ro)
| Dictionary form | Imperative form |
| 食べる(たべる) | 食べろ(たべろ) |
| 起きる(おきる) | 起きろ(おきろ) |
| 見る(みる) | 見ろ(みろ) |
Group 3
| Dictionary form | Imperative form |
| する | しろ |
| 来る(くる) | 来い(こい) |
2. How to make the prohibitive form (禁止形)
Dictionary form + な (from the –masu form, change to the dictionary form and add –na)
Examples:
Examples:
行きます → 行く な
つくります → つくる な
のみます → のむ な
まちます → まつ な
借ります → 借りる な
ねます → ねる な
します → する な
きます →くる な
けっこんします → けっこんする な
3. How the imperative and prohibitive forms are used:
1. The imperative form is used to order or force someone to do something, and conversely, the prohibitive form is used to forbid someone from doing something. Both carry a forceful meaning and are short command forms, so their range of use is quite narrow; you should avoid using them alone at the end of a sentence. They are usually used by men.
2. The imperative and prohibitive forms are used alone or at the end of a sentence in the following cases:
a) An older person speaking to a younger one, or someone senior speaking to someone junior; parents to children…
Examples:
① 早く寝ろ。 Go to bed early.
② もっと勉 強しろ。 Study harder.
③ 遅れるな。 Do not be late.
b) Between close friends. In this case よ is added at the end to soften the tone.
Examples:
① 明日うちへ来い［よ］。 Come to my place tomorrow.
② あまり飲むな［よ］。 Do not drink too much.
c) In emergencies, when there is no time for polite language… Here too the speaker is usually older or senior.
Examples:
① 逃げろ。 Run.
② スイッチをきれ。 Turn off the switch.
③ エレベーターを使うな。 Do not use the lift.
d) When cheering at sports events. (here women may use them too).
Examples:
① 頑張
が ん ば
れ。 Come on.
② 走れ。 Run.
③ 負けるな。 Do not lose.
e) In short, punchy slogans and signs.
Examples:
① 止まれ。 Stop.
② はいるな。 No entry.
3. Besides the imperative form, “ V ます＋なさい” is also used for commands. It is used by parents to children and by teachers to pupils. However, its tone is gentler than the imperative form.
For that reason women often use this pattern instead of the imperative….However, it is not used towards superiors.
Examples:
① 勉 強しなさい。 Study.
② 早く寝なさい。 Go to bed early.
4. The grammar pattern Ｖて＋くれ
Meaning: please (do / do not do something)
Usage: ～てくれ is the plain form of ~てください, a pattern for a polite request. It carries a sense of ordering or forbidding, but much more gently and without imposing.
Note: only men use it (women never do) and it is not used with older people or superiors
Examples:
① ちょっと て つ だってくれ。 Give me a hand for a moment.
② ちょっと はさみを かして。 Lend me the scissors for a moment.
5. The grammar pattern
~と読みます => It is read as…
~と書いてあります => It is written as…
Examples:
① あの漢字は 何と 読むんですか。
How is that kanji read?
② あそこに「止まれ」と 書いてあります。
Over there it says “stop”.
(～と in the 2 examples above has the same sense as ～と in the pattern ~といいます in lesson 21)
6. The grammar pattern という
X は Yと いう 意味です。How to explain the meaning of a word, phrase or sign…
Meaning: X means Y
Usage: This pattern is used to define the word represented by “X” (という comes from といいます)
1) “ありがとう” は “Cám ơn” という 意味です。
“Arigatou” means “thank you”.
2) A:あの漢字は どいう 意味ですか。(What does that kanji mean?)
B:使うな という 意味です。 (It means “do not use”.)
7. The grammar pattern と言いました
“Sentence” (plain form) と 言っていました
Meaning: (someone) said that …
Usage: used to pass on, report or quote what someone said or a message from them to a third person.
（電話で） 田中さん：１０時に 本社に 来てください。
☞ 田中さんは １０時に 本社に 来てくれ と 言っていました。
Mr Tanaka said: come to the company head office at 10 o’clock
田中さん: 明日 休みます。
☞ 田中さんは 明日休むと 言っていました。
Mr Tanaka said he is off tomorrow.
The difference: 「~と言いました」and 「~と言っていました」
Similarity: both are used to pass on what someone said or a message from them
Difference: 「~と言いました」focuses on who said it, the speaker of the words. 「~と言っていました」, on the other hand, focuses on passing on the content of what was said.