1. Affirmative and Negative of a Noun
Meaning: Used to affirm or deny that a person or thing is N.
✓ です: “is/am/are”.
✓ ではありません / じゃありません: “is/am/are not”.
✓ じゃありません is more common in conversation than ではありません.
→ I am a student.
→ I am not a student.
2. Particle は
Meaning: N1 is N2.
✓ The particle は follows N1 and marks it as the topic of the sentence.
✓ As a particle, は is pronounced わ.
→ I am a student.
→ Mr. Sato is a teacher.
3. Interrogative Sentences
Meaning: Used to ask whether N1 is N2.
✓ Add か at the end to form a question.
✓ Use はい for an affirmative answer and いいえ for a negative answer.
→ Are you a student?
→ Yes, I am a student.
→ No, I am not a student.
4. Particle も
Meaning: N1 is also N2.
✓ も means “also/too” and is used when N1 shares the same information or characteristic as something mentioned earlier.
→ I am a student.
→ Mr. Yamada is also a student.
5. Particle の
Meaning: N2 modifies N3 and can express possession, affiliation, organization/school membership, and other noun-to-noun relationships.
✓ の connects two Ns and does not always need to be translated literally as “of/’s”.
→ Miller is a student at Fuji University.
→ I am an employee of IBM.
6. Asking Age
Meaning: Used to ask someone’s age.
✓ 何歳（なんさい）: how old.
✓ おいくつ is the more polite expression.
→ How old is Professor Yamada?
→ How old are you?
