Minna no Nihongo Lesson 2 will introduce you to 47 new words and 6 new grammar structures of Japanese

Vocabulary and grammar of Minna no Nihongo lesson 2

• Part 1: Vocabulary
• Part 2: Grammar

Part 1: Vocabulary 

Listed below are 47 new words that appear in lesson 2. Let’s review these words before learning grammar.

Part 2: Grammar

1. これ /  それ / あれ

これ, それ and あれ are demonstratives.

They work as nouns. これ refers to a thing  near the listener. それ refers to a thing near the listener.  あれ refers to a thing  far from the speaker and listener.

それは 辞書ですか。

Is that a dictionary?

これをください。

I’ll take this. (lit. Please give this to me.)(L.3)

2. この N / その N / あの N

これ, それ and あれ modify nouns. “この N” refers to a thing  or a person near the speaker. “その N” refers to a thing  or a person near the listener. “あの N” refers to a thing  or a person far from both are speaker and the listener.

この本は わたしのです。

This book is mine.

あの方は どなたですか。

Who is that [person]?

3. そうです / そうじゃありません

In the case of a noun sentence, the word そう is often used to answer a question requiring an affirmative or negative  answer. はい、そうです is the affirmative  answer and いいえ、そうじゃありません is the negative answer.

それは テレホンカードですか。

Is that a telephone card?

はい、そうです。

… Yes, it is (lit. Yes, it’s so)

それは テレホンカードですか。

Is that a telephone card?

いいえ、そうじゃありません。

… No. it isn’t.

4. S₁ か、S₂ か

This is a question asking the listener to choose between alternatives, S₁ and S₂, for the answer to this type of question, the chosen sentence is stated. Neither はい nor いいえ is used.

これは 「９」ですか、「７」ですか。

Is this a “9” or a “7”?

…「９」です。

…It’s a “9”.

5. N₁ の N₂

You learned in Lesson 1 that の is used to connect two nouns when N₁ modified N₂. In Lesson 2 you learned two other uses of this の.

1) N₁ explains what N₂ is about.

これは コンピュータの本( ほん）です。

This is a book on computer.

2) N₁ explains who owns N₂.

これは わたしの本です。

This is my book.

N₂  is sometimes omitted when it is obvious. When N₂ means a person, however, you can not omit it.

あれは だれの かばんですか。

Whose bag is that?

…佐藤さんのです。

…It’s Ms.Sato’s.

この かばんは あなたのですか。

Is this bag yours?

…いいえ、わたしのじゃありません。

… No, it’s not mine.

ミラーさんは IMC の 社員せすか。

Is Mr.Miller an employee of IMC?

…はい、IMC の 社員です。

…Yes, he is.

6.そうですか

This expression is used when the speaker receives  new information and shows that he or she understands it.

この 傘 (かさ) は あなたのですか。

…いいえ、違います (ちがいます)。シュミットさんのです。

そうですか。

Is this umbrella yours?

… No, it’s Mr.Schmidt’s.

I see.

The above is all knowledge about Vocabulary and Grammar of Minna no Nihongo lesson 2. To see other lessons, please click here.