Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 5
にほんじんですかAre you Japanese?
Questions and negation! Add か at the end of a sentence to make a question — word order does not change. "N janai desu" means "is not". Use 〜jin for nationality. Kana: long vowels. Culture: bowing and the meishi (business card).
Dialogue
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にほんじんですか— Are You Japanese?
- Yukiマイクさんはにほんじんですか。Mike, are you Japanese?
- Mikeいいえ、にほんじんじゃないです。No, I'm not Japanese.
- Yukiわたしはにほんじんです。I'm Japanese.
Dialogue
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げんきですか— How Are You?
- Kenゆきさん、げんきですか。Yuki, how are you?
- Yukiはい、げんきです!けんさんもげんきですか。Yes, I'm well! Ken, are you well too?
- Kenはい、げんきです。Yes, I'm well.
Vocabulary
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- か
particle(question particle)
- じん
suf.(nationality suffix)
- にほんじん
nounJapanese (person)
- おとこ
nounman
- おんな
nounwoman
- いい
adjectivegood
- げんき
adjectivewell, healthy
- あたらしい
adjectivenew
- おおきい
adjectivebig
- ちいさい
adjectivesmall
Grammar
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か — the question particle
Explanation
Just add か to the end of a sentence and it becomes a yes/no question. Unlike English, the word order does not change: "gakusei desu" → "gakusei desu ka". Answer with "hai, ... desu" or "iie, ... janai desu". In speech no question mark is needed — か plus a rising tone marks it.
Examples
- にほんじんですか。— はい、にほんじんです。Are you Japanese? — Yes, I am.
- がくせいですか。— いいえ。Are you a student? — No.
- げんきですか。— はい、げんきです。How are you? — Yes, I'm well.
Grammar
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Negation: N janai desu
Explanation
The negative of です is じゃないです (spoken) or ではありません (formal). "N janai desu" = "is not N". じゃ is the casual form of では. Together with か, you can give yes/no answers.
Examples
- にほんじんじゃないです。I'm not Japanese.
- がくせいじゃないです。せんせいです。I'm not a student. I'm a teacher.
- わたしの ともだちじゃないです。It's not my friend.
Culture
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おじぎと めいしBowing & the meishi (business card)
First contact in Japan is built on the bow and, in any semi-formal setting, the exchange of name cards (meishi). Both are easy to get slightly wrong, so let's get the key points down.
The bow
A small nod for casual greetings; a deeper, slower bow shows more respect. You bow on meeting, thanking, and apologising. When unsure, match the other person's depth and hold it a beat.
No handshake by default
Japanese greetings lean on the bow, not touching. A foreigner offering a hand is understood, but don't expect it back. There's no need to force a handshake.
The meishi
In work settings, cards are exchanged at the very first meeting. Offer and receive with both hands, the card facing the other person. Read it — don't pocket it instantly — which signals respect for the person.
When unsure: bow a little, use both hands for anything handed over, and say "dōzo yoroshiku" — that covers almost any first meeting.
Kana
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ひらがな: ちょうおん（ながい ぼいん）— Hiragana: Long Vowels
How long vowels are written (and romanized):
- おうōおはよう (ohayō), どうぞ (dōzo)
- えいēせんせい (sensē / sensei)
- ああāおかあさん (okāsan)
- ううūheld "u" — two morae
- おおōおおきい (ōkii) — written おお, not おう
Read carefully, holding the long vowels:
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