Japanese Parts Of Speech: Nouns

Front 1

What is a noun?

Back 1

a noun is a word that names or refers to a person, a place, or a thing. (A thing may be a quality or concept)

Front 2

What is a proper noun?

Back 2

A proper noun names a particular person, place or thing.
Ex: Brooklyn, Jon, Tokyo

Front 3

What is a common noun?

Back 3

A common noun does not name a certain person, place, or thing.
Ex: book/本, boy/男の子, girl/女の子

Front 4

Do Japanese nouns have a gender?

Back 4

No, there are no special endings to show masculine, feminine, or neuter forms.

Front 5

Do Japanese have articles before nouns?

Back 5

No, there are no words that correspond to the English articles a, an, or the.

Front 6

What does number mean? (in grammar)

Back 6

That a word can be singular (one person or thing, etc.) or plural (more than one)

Front 7

Do Japanese nouns have numbers?

Back 7

No, with most Japanese nouns the same word is used for one or for more than one.
Ex:
book/books- 本 (ほん)
tree/trees- 木 (き)

Front 8

To make nouns reffering to people plural, what suffix do you need to attach?

Back 8

you need to add the suffix- たち
Ex: Child/Children 子供(こども)- Children 子供たち(こどもたち)

Front 9

When たち is used with someone's name, what does it usually refer to?
Ex: 山田さんたち (やまださんたち)

Back 9

It usually refers to the person and his or he family or group.
Ex:山田さんたち (やまださんたち)-Mr. Yamada and his family

Front 10

In Japanese, what goes first your family name or first name?

Back 10

Your family name!
Ex: 福田 ---> いず美
Fukuda ---> Izumi
Fukuda is the family name.

Front 11

The Preffix O-

Back 11

The preffix O- before a ertain noun expresses politeness.
Ex:Name- 名前 / お名前(polite)
Money- 金 / お金(polite)

Front 12

The preffix go-

Back 12

go- is also used to add politeness to a word but go- is used with words of chinese orgin.
Ex: Book- 本 / ご本(polite)

Front 13

Some words are always used with the polite preffix, the o- and go- have become part of the words. Give an example of both

Back 13

Tea- お茶 (おちゃ)