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Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 34

きのう なにを しましたかWhat did you do yesterday?

Kinō nani o shimashita ka?

Talking about the past: the first past tense "-mashita". Vocabulary: kinou, ototoi, senshuu, sengetsu, kyonen, yuube, asobu, tsukuru, yasumu, kaeru, benkyou suru. Key grammar: for a finished action, change "-masu" to "-mashita". "Tabemasu" → "tabemashita", "ikimasu" → "ikimashita", "shimasu" → "shimashita". The negative "-masen" → "-masen deshita": "tabemasen deshita". Use it with kinou, senshuu, etc.: "kinou eiga o mimashita" (I watched a film yesterday). English speakers tend to leave the verb in the present "-masu" even with a past word: "kinou mimasu" ✗ → "kinou mimashita" ✓. Kana corner: the sound of "-mashita", the small "tsu" of "ikimashita".

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Dialogue

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きのう みます? きのう みました?— kinou mimasu? kinou mimashita?

  1. YukiマMaイiクkuさsaんn、きkiのうnōなnaにniをoしshiまmaしshiたtaかka？Mike, what did you do yesterday?
  2. MikeきKiのうnōえeいiがgaをoみmiまmaすsu。そSoしshiてteとtoもmoだdaちchiにniあaいiまmaすsu。Yesterday I watch a film. And I meet a friend. (slip: with a past word the verb must be past → kinou eiga o mimashita)
  3. Yuki「きKiのうnō」なnaらraかkaこkoけkeいiでdeすsu：「みmiまmaしshiたta」「あaいiまmaしshiたta」。With "kinou" it is the past: "mimashita", "aimashita".
  4. MikeあA、きkiのうnōえeいiがgaをoみmiまmaしshiたta。そSoしshiてteとtoもmoだdaちchiにniあaいiまmaしshiたta。Ah, yesterday I watched a film. And I met a friend.
  5. YukiかKaんnぺpeきkiでdeすsu！しShiなnaいiとtoきkiはwa「〜まmaせseんnでdeしshiたta」でdeすsu。Perfect! When you did not do something, it is "-masen deshita".
  6. MikeわWaかkaりriまmaしshiたta。きKiのうnōはwaべbeんnきょうkyōしshiまmaせseんnでdeしshiたta！I understand. Yesterday I did not study!

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せんしゅうの しゅうまつ— Last weekend

  1. MikeユYuキkiさsaんn、せseんnしゅうshūのnoしゅうshūまmaつtsuなnaにniをoしshiまmaしshiたtaかka？Yuki, what did you do last weekend?
  2. YukiどDoようyōびbiにniかkaぞzoくkuにniあaいiまmaしshiたta。いIっsしょshoにniばbaんnごgoはhaんnをoつtsuくkuりriまmaしshiたta。On Saturday I met my family. We made dinner together.
  3. MikeいIいiでdeすsuねne！にNiちchiようyōびbiはwaなnaにniをoしshiまmaしshiたtaかka？Nice! What did you do on Sunday?
  4. YukiうUちchiでdeやyaすsuみmiまmaしshiたta。あAまmaりriでdeかkaけkeまmaせseんnでdeしshiたta。I rested at home. I did not go out much.
  5. MikeわWaたtaしshiはwaせseんnしゅうshūにniほhoんnごgoをoべbeんnきょうkyōしshiまmaしshiたta。Last week I studied Japanese.
  6. YukiすSuごgoいi！じょうJōずzuにniなnaりriまmaしshiたtaねne。Wow! You have gotten good at it.

Vocabulary

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きkiのうnō

nounyesterday

おoとtoとtoいi

nounthe day before yesterday

せseんnしゅうshū

nounlast week

せseんnげgeつtsu

nounlast month

きょkyoねneんn

nounlast year

ゆうyūべbe

nounlast night

あaそsoぶbu

verbto play, hang out (→ asobimasu)

つtsuくkuるru

verbto make (→ tsukurimasu)

やyaすsuむmu

verbto rest (→ yasumimasu)

かkaえeるru

verbto return, go home (→ kaerimasu)

べbeんnきょうkyōすsuるru

verbto study (→ benkyou shimasu)

Grammar

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The past: "-mashita" / "-masen deshita"

Explanation

Until now you spoke in the present "-masu". For a finished action (the past), you simply change "-masu" to "-mashita": tabemasu → tabemashita, ikimasu → ikimashita, mimasu → mimashita, shimasu → shimashita. The negative "-masen" becomes "-masen deshita": tabemasen → tabemasen deshita. Use it with past words (kinou, senshuu, kyonen…): "kinou eiga o mimashita" (I watched a film yesterday), "senshuu Kyouto ni ikimashita" (last week I went to Kyoto). English speakers tend to leave the verb in the present "-masu" even when "kinou" is there: "kinou mimasu" ✗ → "kinou mimashita" ✓. The past word alone is not enough — the verb must be in the past too.

Examples

  • きのう えいがを みました。Yesterday I watched a film.
  • せんしゅう きょうとに いきました。Last week I went to Kyoto.
  • ゆうべ ばんごはんを つくりました。Last night I made dinner.
  • きのうは べんきょうしませんでした。Yesterday I did not study.

Kana

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「〜ました」の おと— The sound of "-mashita"

Read the sentences in hiragana:

  • きのう えいがを みましたkinō eiga o mimashitayesterday I watched a film
  • きょうとに いきましたKyōto ni ikimashitaI went to Kyoto
  • ばんごはんを たべましたbangohan o tabemashitaI ate dinner
  • べんきょうしませんでしたbenkyō shimasen deshitaI did not study

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