Minna no Nihongo Lesson 22 will introduce you to 24 new words and 4 new grammar structures of Japanese

Vocabulary and grammar of Minna no Nihongo lesson 22

• Part 1: Vocabulary
• Part 2: Grammar

Part 1: Vocabulary

Listed below are 24 new words that appear in lesson 22. Let’s review these words before learning grammar.

Part 2: Grammar

1. Noun modification

You learned how to modify nouns in Lesson 2 and Lesson 8.

ミラーさんのうち               Mr. Miller’s house (Lesson 2)

新しいうち                            a new house (Lesson 8)

きれいなうち                        a beautiful house (Lesson 8)

In Japanese, whatever modifies a word, whether it’s a word or a sentence, it always comes before the word to be modified. Here you learn another way to modify nouns.

2. Noun modification by sentences

1) The predicate of the sentence which modifies a noun is in the plain form. In the case of な-adjective sentences, ～だ becomes ～な. In the case of noun sentences ～だ becomes ～の.

2) Nouns, which are various elements of the sentence, are picked out of it and can be modified by it.

わたしは先週映画を見ました  →  わたしが先週見た映画

I saw a movie last week  →  the movie that I saw last week

ワンさんは病院で働いています  →  ワンさんが働いている病院

Mr. Wang works at a hospital  →  the hospital where Mr. Wang works

わたしはあした友達に会います  →  わたしがあした会う友達

I will meet a friend tomorrow  →  the friend whom I will meet tomorrow

When the nouns in three sentences above are modified, the particle を, でandに attached to them respectively are unnecessary.

3) The noun modified by a sentence (“the house where Mr. Miller lived” in the example sentences below) can be used in various parts of a sentence.

これはミラーさんが住んでいたうちです。

This is the house where Mr. Miller lived.

ミラーさんが住んでいたうちは古いです。

The house where Mr. Miller lived is old.

ミラーさんが住んでいたうちを買いました。

I bought the house where Mr. Miller lived.

わたしはミラーさんが住んでいたうちが好きです。

I like the house where Mr. Miller lived.

ミラーさんが住んでいたうちに猫がいました。

There was a cat in the house where Mr. Miller lived.

ミラーさんが住んでいたうちへ行ったことがあります。

I have been to the house where Mr. Miller lived.

3. N が

When a sentence modifies a noun, the subject in the sentence is indicated by が.

ミラーさんはケーキを作りました  →  これはミラーさんが作ったケーキです。

Mr. Miller baked a cake.  →  This is the cake which Mr. Miller baked.

わたしはカリナさんがかいた絵が好きです。

I like the picture that Ms. Karina drew.

[あなたは]彼が生まれた所を知っていますか。

Do you know the place where he was born?

4. V dictionary form 時間／約束／用事

When expressing the time for doing some activity, put the dictionary form of the action before じかん.

わたしは朝ごはんを食べる時間がありません。

I have no time to eat breakfast.

You can also say the content of the arrangement (appointment), etc., by putting the dictionary form of that action before やくそく, etc.

わたしは友達と映画を見る約束があります。

I have an arrangement to see a movie with a friend of mine.

きょうは市役所へ行く用事があります。

I have something to do at the city hall today.

The above is all knowledge about Vocabulary and Grammar of Minna no Nihongo lesson 22. To see other lessons, please click here.