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While staying positive about things is a generally good way to lead your life, there will be times in your Japanese ventures you will want to say you don't do something, especially when people start accusing you of really weird stuff. This is where having knowledge of this aspect of the language will come in handy, especially as your range of knowledge on the country expands and you come across things people typically don't like associating with the Japanese way of life. As with most everything else in Japanese there are different levels to using the negative, from the high and formal to the down and dirty, and of course I will show you as much of it as I can.

To begin let's start with the neutral form they teach you first in your school(which you can use with nouns and な adjectives, more on those later).

○じゃありません
X exist[?]
(this isn't X)

Making this is a simple matter of attatching ません to the stem form of a verb(the verb in this example being ある). Don't remember how? Look here.

To add a bit more class and formality to your way of speaking swap じゃ with では(this being the two particles being used together). So if I wanted to say "That isn't the only thing there is." with a bit more of a classy register I would say:

それだけではありません。
that only exist [?]

This also applies to the plain form of making a negative, but making that form is different from the neutral version. With plain negative the ending sounds will be -ない for る verbs and -あない for う verbs, so a word like 出[だ]す would be rendered as 出さない in negative plain form. To help you memorize this here's a list of all the う verbs rendered into plain negative form(Special note: う verbs that end in る can swap the る sound with ん for a more casual, masculine tone in both this negative plain tense and others you'll see later on):

• [to use]使う(つかう)/使わない
  
• [to win]勝つ(かつ)/勝たない
  
• [to be/get rich]富む(とむ)/富まない
  
• [to bloom]咲く(さく)/咲かない
  
• [to undress]脱ぐ(ぬぐ)/脱がない
  
• [to remember]偲ぶ(しのぶ)/偲ばない
  
• [to die]死ぬ(しぬ)/死なない
  
• [to point out]指す(だす)/指さない
  
• [to put away]仕舞う(しまう)/仕舞わない
  
• [to need]要る( いる)/要らない
  
• [to substitute]替る(かえる)/替えらない

With the two irregular verbs things are a little bit different:

• [to do]為る(する)/為ない(しない)
  
• [to come]来る(くる)/来ない(こない)

Additionally you could swap じゃ with either は or が to say that something does not exist or that someone doesn't have something, the same rules for each respective particle still applying, of course. For example, say your friend is spreading the word around that they own a pet wolf. To call them out on their bluff you would say:

狼(おおかみ)がいませんよ。
(wolf SuP exist)[?]
[You do not have a wolf]

In this context you'll sometimes see the particle dropped, such as when しかたがない is said as しかたない(again, much like what you learned in previous lessons about each particle), so be sure to keep that in mind when you hear it.

To make this even more colloquial and masculine you can swap the -ない portion of the negative with -ん, this particular usage being derived from Kansai dialect(except with verbs ending in す, like 散(ち)らす. With those the end sound changes to せん, thus getting 散らせん). Alternatively you can swap it out with -ぬ for an older, more classical touch of tone to your speech, which has its roots in the days of feudal Japan(though you may spot it here and there while traveling around the country)

A more commanding short form of the plain negative would be (dictionary form verb) な, and of course that and other forms of command will be covered on a later date. To take a look at the vocab from this lesson, look here.

The -の family of Pronouns (この, その, あの & どの) are the Japanese way of saying "This(noun), that(noun), etc" with どの having the usage of "which (noun)" in question sentences. Translated, both その & あの refer to to "That(subject), but the implicated meaning is very different. その refers to something that the speaker may not know but feels that listener does while あの assumes both people in the conversation are fairly aware of the subject or situation at hand. Say you were talking with a friend about the time years ago they decided to loosen a bolt on their bike. Using nail polish and fire. Since this would be a stronger memory for both of you あの would be the pronoun to best encapsulate the situation in a sentence. If you feel your friend can better remember the flames nearly torching the grass on his lawn その would be the proper pronoun to use. This portion of the lesson is still under heavy review so be sure to ask your teacher about this before deciding to take it to heart

On a colloquial note you may often hear "この" by itself(particularly in pop media) when you see someone is angry at a person for something they did, and in this instance it equates to how we would say "You little..." or "Why you..." and other similar unfinished phrases of rage and frustration. It can also be used with a noun to communicate incredibly hostible feelings towards the person(much like how would say "You pig" or "You punk") In a fit of rage you may hear a person yell out something from the -いつ family of pronouns(こいつ, そいつ, あいつ & どいつ) to point the person(the meaning of the pronoun being *x* person) out and indicate either rage at that particular person, or in the case of どいつ, asking who performed the action. Needless to say, you don't use the pronouns in this fashion unless you are truly incensed and cannot hold back your rage, and even then they should not be used lightly, unless you like inciting fistfights.

Like the previous lesson, these words also come in Kanji flavors:
此(こ)の, 其(そ)の, 彼(あ)の & 何(ど)の for pronoun words, and 此奴(こいつ), 其奴(そいつ), 彼奴(あいつ), 何奴(どいつ) for the insult words. To increase the insult factor, swap out いつ with やつ

As speakers of our native tongue one of the things we often take for granted is the ability to describe things, like the smokey taste in a good piece of BBQ or the shape and color of the clouds above. Let's start our journey on achieving this in Japanese with Adjectives. Within the language there are 2 basic kinds to learn: the い & な styles(also called 形容詞[けいようし] and 形容動詞[けいようどうし] respectively).

Like you learned before な adjectives functions very much like a regular noun in terms of putting in the negative tense in both it's predicate and pronominal uses, among others you'll learn later on(you'll also hear な adjectives without the な on occasion, especially with loan words, more on that later). What separates な from い is the fact that most な adjective words don't end in い. I say most because there are some words that do but are not, I repeat, NOT い adjectives. Why? Let's take a look at one such word.

奇麗(きれい)-pretty

Why is this not an い adjective? If you remember what I taught you from the very first lesson you'll see that in this case the い signifies an extention of the vowel, thus not making it a truely い adjective. Further separating from words like 短気(たんき) and 便利(べんり) is that aside from words ending in ei, like the above example, い adjectives have the い visible at the end of the word, as well as function in a very different way(of course there are also exceptions to this rule as well, such as with the word 嫌(きら)い, which is a な adjective). To help explain this let's discuss the two ways these adjectives can be used in a sentence. The first one is called a pronominal, like how we would say stuff like this:

この静(しず)かな公園(こうえん)が好(す)きわよ
[this quiet park SuP like ExP][?]
(I like this quiet park)

The second use, called a predicate, is close to how we would say something like this:

このゲームは古(ふる)いだ。
[this game ToP old][?]
(This game is old)

To make it a negative in the present tense simply swap out the final い with く and then tack on either -ない(informal) or -ありません(formal), but usually only in the predicate usage, though(you may spot it used in the Pronominal way on occasion. Also いい(good) is the exception to this rule, with it's negative forms being よくない and よくありません, respectively. Semi-long story). For example say someone you were speaking with noted that you are mean because you like playing pranks on people. To bluntly deny this claim you would say:


酷(ひど)くないわ!
[mean ExP][?]
(I am NOT mean!)

One of the most vital parts of learning the Japanese language, at least to me, has to be the て form. With it your language ability will jump, especially as you learn about the pleaphora of things that link to it(which of course I will teach as much as I can). To start let's take a look at how to create the form from within the 3 kinds of verbs, as well as adjectives and negatives. With る verbs you simply drop る and replace with て, like so:

[to teach something]教える/教えて

Now let's take a look at how to change the other kinds of verbs into the て form.

[to impose]課(か)す/課して
[to wait]待(ま)つ/待って
[to buy]買(か)う/買って
[to protect]守(まも)る/守って
[to sweep]掃(は)く/掃いて
[to hurry]急(いそ)ぐ/急いで
[to play]遊(あそ)ぶ/遊んで
[to enjoy]頼(たの)む/・頼んで
[to die]死(し)ぬ/死んで
[to do]する/して
[to come]くる/きて

Side note: the polite form of verbs also has a て form, which is formed the same way you would form them with verbs ending in す. As you might have guessed, this relates back to more formal usage, and is often seen in certain set phrases, such as どういたしまして(said in response to someone thanking a person for something, translates contextually closer to the phrases "Don't mention it" and "No problem")　 です's plain form can also be made into a て form by adding ってto it, thus getting だって, which has a couple different uses you'll see later on

Both kinds of adjectives also have て form, and are of course made in different ways. with い adjectives we drop the い and switch it with くて(いい once again being the exception, it's て form being よくて), and with な adjectives we swap it out for で(this use also applies to nouns). Look below for examples of each:

嬉(うれ)しい->drop the い->嬉(うれ)しくて

立派(りっぱ)な->drop the な->立派(りっぱ)で

When used with adjectives it allows us to use them consequtively within a consistent context, much like how we would say something is cute, clean and cool or crappy, lame and old. With both verbs and adjectives it also allows us to connect sentences in the way we'd say we did one thing, then the next thing, and so on(that usage you'll see in action down the line). As this exists for the postive form of these it also exists for the plain negative forms(-ない) in two varieties. The first is made the same way you would form it for い adjectives, and the second is a simple addition of で to the plain negative form. What sets the second usage apart from the first is it's only real use is in making requests of somebody(and one other involving sentence linking you'll see later on), like how you would ask your roommate to please do the dishes or please go for a grocery run because your fridge is super bare. That use is coming right around the corner.

Often times we like to recall a moment that's passed us by, like when we're telling our friends about the wicked party that happened last night, or that excellent slice of pizza you ate last week. Of course along with those memories come those we'd much rather deny ever happening(you know what they are, I have some, too). This section will aid you in learning both usages and how to properly use them, and as you'd expect this is a key part of our Japanese language foundation. Let's begin with the positive context, in both formal and informal flavors.

In the formal tense it's a simple process of swapping -ます with -ました for verbs and for noun/adjective ending sentences we switch です with でした. The informal version is just as simple, using the て form of the verb you're using and swapping it with た/だ(depending on which is appropriate for which verb, of course) and noun/な adjective ending sentences with だった. To further clarify this please look at this list:

(present/past polite)[present/past plain]

*verbs*(-ます/-ました)[-て/た][-で/だ]

*noun/な adjective ending sentence*(です/でした)[だ/だった]


The process of doing this in the negative tense is much the same. For the polite tense we tack でした onto the present tense negative of either the verb(thus getting -ませんでした) or the negative ender of noun/adjective ending sentences(thus getting ありませんでした) to get it. For the plain negative form we swap the final い in ない with かった(creating the construct of なかった for both kinds of sentences) Once again, to help clarify here's a chart for your perusal:

(present/past polite negative)[present/past plain negative]

*verbs* (-ません/-ませんでした)[-ない/-なかった]

*noun/adjective ending sentences*(ありません/ありませんでした)[ない/なかった]

To show this in action let's peek in on a friend opening the fridge to find the last slice of pizza he was saving gone, and noticing his friend/roommate plopped in front of the TV playing a WWII shooter.

おい! 最期(さいご)のピーザのピースを食(た)べるか?
(hey last PosP pizza PosP piece DiObP eat ?P)[?]
[Hey, you eat the last piece of pizza?]

だめですわよ。最期のピーザのピースを食べませんでした。
(no good ExP. pizza DiObP eat)[?]
[Absolutely not. I did not the last piece of pizza]

じゃぁ、 だれを食べた?
(well who SuP eat)[?]
[Well then who ate it?]

あなたの恋人(こいびと)でした。 昨夜(さくや)でした。傍(そば)にいました。
(you PosP beloved. last night. near PlP exist)[?]
[Your lovergirl did. Last night. Right next to you.]

Side note: with い adjectives, the final い can be swapped out with either かった to create the past tense, or く and then attaching ありませんでした/なかった to create the negative past tense

One of the key aspects of any language is learning how to express various emotions, even when the basic structure of what we say doesn't change all that much. The same holds especially true of Japanese and I'll show you one of the basic ways this is achieved: Emphatic particles.

The first one I'll cover here is よ. This acts much like the exclaimation point or any other tagged on emphatic statements do in many other languages in terms of giving our speech an added emphasis and energy. Like you learned before わ works in the same manner on top of adding a more feminine air, with ぞ/ぜ also serving the same respective functions while adding a more masculine tone.

The next I'll cover is possibly one of the most used and most versatile, ね(also usable by itself). When said in a questioning tone it acts as a tag question to our sentence, asking if the person agrees with what we're saying (or if by itself equivalent to how we'd say "Hey" to get someone's attention so we can ask them something). Said straight it implies that we're agreeing with whoever's speaking at that moment in time, even yourself. To illustrate some of these principals let's observe a conversation two best friends are having over ice cream.

Cold Stoneのアイスクリームはおいしいと思(おも)いますか。
(Cold Stone PosP ice cream ToP delicious QuP think ?P)[?]
[Do you think Cold Stone ice cream is delicious?]

もちろんだぜ! Cold Stone のアイスクリームは絶対(ぜったい)なおいしさだね?
(of course EmP. Cold Stone PosP ice cream ToP absolutely delicious EmP)[?]
[Of course I do, man! Cold Stone ice cream is absolute deliciousness, right?]

はい、そうですよね。
(yes like this EmP EmP)[?]
[Yeah, it certainly is]

You may have noticed I used two instead of one on the last sentence. That particular usage is part of a much larger set I call Particle Clusters you'll discover a lot more about in more advanced studies. There are some that should not be used as a cluster(like ぞ/ぜ & ね) but you may find it in use as you speak with Japanese natives, so be sure to ask around as you increase your base of knowledge about the language.

An unusual variant of this is the plain negative ender じゃない(or じゃん if you're aiming for a more Tokyo-ish feel to your speech) used as an Emphatic Particle. Much like ね it acts as a tag question to our sentence, however this is much closer to how negative tag questions are used in English to ask if someone agrees with our thoughts. It can even act the exact same way as ねin terms of tag questions, in both the positive and negative aspects.

Also part of the commonly used phrase いいじゃない(itself often shorted to いいじゃ), by itself used either to say "That's good!" and similar statements(referring back to it's use in showing agreements), tell someone we'll do something they ask of us(much like saying, "Sure, why not?"), inquire about what's happening in a particular situation(close to asking, "Hey, what's wrong?") or to sway someone to our way of thinking (in intent close to the phrase "Come on!" when nudging people to agree with us), as well as some more advanced usages you'll see later on. For a list of all the new vocab look here

Now that the similarities are made distinct let's learn some of each particle's unique uses, starting with に's use in noting contact. Everyday people do things involving it, like getting on the bus, driving in their car or walking up the stairs. When someone calls us and asks what we're doing we can use に to express if we went inside a store or just climbed a rock wall, among other activities where direct contact is involved. This includes when we get on stuff that gets us around, like trains, taxis and so on. Say your friend asks you how you manage to keep in good shape while being a desk jockey. To tell them what you ride on everyday you would say:

まいにち自転車(じてんしゃ)にのります。
(everyday bike PlP ride)[?]
[I ride on my bike here everyday]

に also helps to create adverbs(words to further describe something, like how we say something is very awesome or horribly lame). Doing this with に involves taking a な adjective and swapping な with に, so 上手(じょうず)な(skill) becomes 上手に(skillfully). Creating adverbs from い adjectives involves a similar process, swapping the final い with く, while with nouns we attach 的(てき)に to make it a adverb(IE 具体(ぐたい)[tangible] becomes 具体的に[tangibly]) and using the て form of verbs, as well as other tenses, to create adverbs out of them(which I touched on a bit in a previous lesson, and will touch on again in later lessons).

に is also part of several types of grammatical constructions: One of them revolving around the frequency one receives something. This sentence formula([rest of sentence]1[counter]に[number+counter]を/が[verb]) shows how much/how often/etc. something happens per person/hour/etc. One place where this would come into play is when a friend remembers your promise to buy some little gifts for an upcoming party and asks you how many you plan to give to everyone. With your budget properly rationed you tell them:

皆(みんな)さんに1人(ひとり)に一枚(いちまい)ギフトカードを受(う)ける
[everyone InObP 1 person InObP 1 gift card DiObP receive]
(Everyone'll get 1 gift card a person)

Another key construct to remember is how to express change. This pairs に with a verb for a kind of change, the 3 most common being なる(becoming something), 変(か)わる(changing something) and 変化(へんか)する(to vary/switch up something). For example your friend pays you a visit after so many months and discovers your sense of style has taken a 180 since you last met all those years ago. With a look of fixed shock they ask:

あなたのスタイルに変化しますか?
(your PosP style InObP vary)[?]
[Did you change up your style?]
(term note: among females, スタイル can also refer to someone's figure)

This also applies when なる is used with other adverbs, which I come to later on.

Another key use is with the verbs 行(い)く & 来(く)る. With the construct (verb stem+に) statements such as "I'm going to shop(買(か)いに行く)" and "I'm coming to see you.(あなたは会(あ)いにくる)" are now possible. If you need a refresher on how to make verb stems, look here

This brings me to one of に's most intrical uses, which is in discussing giving and receiving(this usage called an Indirect Object Particle). We see and use this in our native tongue every day, such as when a woodworker teaches you how to make a cabinet or your friend gives you a few bucks outta nowhere. The basic structure of these kinds of sentences is subject/giverはreceiverにthing being givenを/がaction being done for/to them. Say you were wandering around campus when you saw your classmate Takumi teaching an old friend of yours(who will call Mari in this instance) some Math. When your friends asks about where Takumi was the next day you could relay this to them by saying:

たくみさんはまりちゃんに数学(すうがく)を教(おし)えてたよ。
(Takumi ToP Mari InObP math DiObP teach)[?]
[Takumi was teaching math to Mari]

We can also use it to ask if someone is talking to us or if something is indeed for us and nobody else with the short question "*1st person pronoun*に?". This ties into one of the most important concepts in Japanese communication, which I will delve into in detail next lesson.

There are many questions we hold about our world. How was it made? How much of it do we need? What is that weird looking food over there made of? With the particle で we can express these as both a question and a statement.

To begin let's examine it's usage for justifying reasons. Imagine you're coming to work after taking a few days of self given vacation time and your work mate asks you why you were out for so long. Without fail you spout the excuse you've been perfecting all this time and say:

病気(びようき)で仕事(しごと)を休(やす)んだ。
(sick CaP work DiObP absent)[?]
[I was out of work 'cause I was sick]

Using just this to justify your reason, however, is rather weaksauce, but can be strengthened with another Cause Particle, which I will teach you about later on down the line. Side note: this can also used by itself the same we'd use 'So?' or or 'And?' and similar statements to respond to someone's statement. As you might've guessed, this is a highly jerk-tastic way of talking to someone, and should be reserved for those you have an especially healthy loathing of.

Now for the meaty portion of this lesson with learning で in the *with/by/*verb*of x* senses. In this particular context we express the method used to get us where we are/how we did something/etc. To see this in action let's observe a conversation two friends are having about how one person plans to travel:

ね、何(なに)で日本(にほん)に行(い)きますか?
(EmP what InP Japan DiP go)[?]
[Hey, how are you going to Japan?]

んん、まだ知(し)らないんだけどさぁ、 船(ふね)で日本に行ってるだろう
(*delaying sound*, yet know but *delaying sound* boat InP Japan DiP go probably)[?]
[Hmm, I don't know know yet, but...I'm probably goin' to Japan by boat]

船? ちょっと遅(おそ)そうですね?
(boat little slow seem EmP)[?]
[Boat? Seems a bit slow, doesn't it?]

そうだが, もっと安(やす)いだよ。安い物(もの)が大好き(だいすき)なのは知(し)ってるよ。
(like this SuP more cheap. cheap thing SuP like PosP ToP know EmP)[?]
[It is, but it's cheaper. You know I like the cheap stuff.]

One of で's uses is expressing what someone used in doing something, like cooking with an oven or flying with a rocket pack. Say you presented your friend a cake you made and they're shocked at how moist and delicious is, asking you how you made it. Naturally, knowing how much time you spent in the kitchen, you respond:

愛(あい)と思(おも)いやりとケーキのミックスで作(つく)りました。
(love CoP consideration CoP cake mix InP make)[?]
[It's made with love, consideration and cake mix]

Special note: when used in this manner and those following it replaces the Direct Object Particle.

Another one it has is in showing that something is made/born/*insert verb here* of x, like how your car is made of metal or how invention is born of curiosity. This falls somewhat in line with the previous use so be sure to keep the context clear in your mind. To see this in action let's observe a conversion two friends are having about their individual fashions.

へぇ、 かっこいいティーシャツよ! 何(なに)で作(つく)ってある?
(*interjecting sound* cool shirt EmP what InP make)[?]
[Whoa, that's a cool shirt! What's it made of?)

じゃぁ、 このティーシャツは麻織(あさおり)で作ってあるんだ。だめ、着(き)るのはぶりにならねぇよ
(*delaying sound* this shirt ToP hemp cloth InP made no good wear PosP ToP huff InObP become)[?]
[Well, this shirt's made out of Hemp Cloth. And no, you won't get high wearing it.]

で also goes well with numbers, particularly when we're trying to say how much/many of something there is or we happen to have, as well as pricing. Say you're shopping around town and you happen to find a nifty looking camera you want to buy, so you ask a sales representative how much it costs. Without missing the beat the rep smiles at you and says:

あのカメラは￥72,180でお買(か)えます。
(that camera ToP 72,180 yen InP buy)[?]
[You can buy that camera for ￥72,180]

Special note #2: none of these are used to express we're with someone, for that we use と, such as in the Japanese drama called お義母(かあ)さんといっしょ(Together with the Mother in Law)