Getting Started

Part One

• Meeting Others and Introducing Yourself
• Everyday Greetings
• Classroom Expressions
• The Japanese Writing System (1): Introduction

Part Two

• Numbers up to 20
• Asking and Giving Telephone Numbers
• Asking and Telling Time
• Asking What Something Is
• The Japanese Writing System (2): Hiragana (1)

Part Three

• Talking About Daily Activities
• Talking About Future Activities and Events
• Talking About Likes and Dislikes
• The Japanese Writing System (3): Hiragana (2)

Part Four

• Talking About Activities and Events in the Past
• Inviting Someone to Do Something
• Talking About Weekly Schedules
• Talking About the Weather
• The Japanese Writing System (4): Katakana (1)

Part Five

• Asking Location
• Numbers from 21 to 10,000
• Asking About Existence
• Asking About Price
• Talking More About Likes and Dislikes
• The Japanese Writing System (5): Katakana (2); Introduction to Kanji

Chapter 1: Classmates

Topics/Vocabulary

• Nationalities and Languages
• Personal Information
• Around Campus
• Study Hint: Learning New Vocabulary

Grammar

1. Identification: The Copula desu
2. Possessive Particle no
3. Personal Pronouns and Demonstratives
4. Asking Questions: Interrogatives

Particles ha and ga

Culture Notes

• shusshin Origins
• Japanese Universities and Colleges
• Asking Personal Questions

Reading and Writing

• Reading 1: Huransu-jin no kurasumeeto
• Study Hint: Learning Kanji
• Reading 2: Penparu o sagashite imasu!
• Kanji
• The Six Types of Kanji

Skills Practice

Language Functions and Situations

• Introducing Friends
• Introducing Yourself

Listening Comprehension

Chapter 2: My Town

Topics/Vocabulary

• Commuting
• Cities and Neighborhoods
• Buldings and Places Around Town

Grammar

5. Adjectives and Adverbs
6. Expressing Existence: The Verbs arimasu and imasu
7. Indicating Location
8. Positional Words
9. Numerals and Counters
10. Expressing Likes and Dislikes: suki and kirai

Sentence-Final yo
Study Hint: Learning Grammar
Polite Form Versus Plain Form

Culture Notes

• Long Commutes
• kooban Police Boxes
• Japanese Addresses

Reading and Writing

• Reading 1: Buraun-san no apaato no kinjo
• Reading 2: Hayashi-san no hurusato
• Kanji

Skills Practice

Language Functions and Situations

• Making Communication Work
• Showing Location on a Map

Listening Comprehension

Chapter 3: Everyday Life

Topics/Vocabulary

• Schedules
• Daily Activities
• Weekends and Holidays

Grammar

11. The Basic Structure of Japanese Verbs
12. The Nonpast, Polite Form of Verbs
13. The Past, Polite Form of Verbs
14. Particles Showing Grammatical Relationships
15. Making Suggestions: ~mashoo
16. Conjoining Nouns: to and ya

Adverbs Used in Negative Sentences
Connecting Disjunctive Sentences
Approximate Numbers

Culture Notes

• Part-Time Jobs for College Students
• nengoo
• kokumin no shukujitsu National Holidays

Reading and Writing

• Reading 1: Buraun-san no nichijooseikatsu
• Reading 2: Buraun-san no shuumatsu
• Kanji

Skills Practice

Language Functions and Situations

• Making a Phone Call
• Extending an Invitation

Listening Comprehension

Chapter 4: Weather and Climate

Topics/Vocabulary

• Weather Reports
• Enjoying the Four Seasons
• Forecasting

Grammar

17. Conjugating Adjectives
18. Comparatives and Superlatives
19. The Past, Plain Forms of Verbs
20. Explaining a Reason: ...noda
21. The Te-Form of Adjectives and the Copula
22. The Te-Form of Verbs
23. Expressing Probability and Conjecture

Adverbs Used with Comparatives
Linking Disjunctive Clauses with keredomo
Conjoining Sequential Actions

Culture Notes

• °C
• Types of Rain
• How to Write a Letter in Japanese

Reading and Writing

• Reading 1: Buraun-san e no tegami
• Reading 2: Toraberu gaido: Iroha-machi no kikoo
• Kanji

Skills Practice

Language Functions and Situations

• Asking Questions About the Japanese Language
• Asking for Assistance with Kanji

Listening Comprehension

Chapter 5: Hobbies and Leisure Activities

Topics/Vocabulary

• Hobbies and Pastimes
• Sports
• Family

Grammar

24. Interrogatives + ka / mo / demo
25. Describing Abilities
26. Nominalizers: koto and no
27. More Uses of the Particle mo
28. Potential Form of Verbs
29. The Te-Form of Verbs + imasu
30. Relative Clauses
31. Describing a Change in State: naru

Nominal Verbs
ka: or
Words Expressing Respect and Politeness
Have You Already Eaten?
Some Time Expressions

Culture Notes

• go, shoogi, maajan, pachinko: Japanese Games
• When You Are Praised
• Nihon no supootsu: Japanese Sports
• The Japanese Family

Reading and Writing

• Reading 1: Sanraizu Karuchaa Sentaa no oshirase
• Reading 2: Gakusee to sarariiman no yoka choosa
• Kanji

Skills Practice

Language Functions and Situations

• Responding to Compliments
• Introducing a Family Member

Listening Comprehension

Chapter 6 Food

Topics/Vocabulary

• Foods and Beverages
• Flavors and Tastes
• Cooking Terms

Grammar

32. Expressing Experience: The Ta-Form of Verbs + koto ga aru
33. Expressing a Desire: hoshii, hoshigaru, ~tai, and ...tagaru
34. Expressing an Opinion: ...to omou
35. ~sugiru
36. Quoting Speech: ...to iu
37. Expressing Intention: tsumori and the Volitional Form of Verbs
38. The Te-Form of Verbs + miru, shimau, iku, and kuru
39. Expressing Simultaneous Actions: ~nagara

~garu
soo
Quote Marker to
Study Hint: How to Remember Verb Conjugations
moo and mada

Culture Notes

• ocha
• What Do Japanese Eat?

Reading and Writing

• Reading 1: Baikingu ryoori ‘Murasaki’
• Reading 2: Anata no shokuji chekku
• Kanji

Skills Practice

Language Functions and Situations

• Asking and Expressing Opinions
• At a Restaurant

Listening Comprehension

Chapter 7 Shopping

Topics/Vocabulary

• Shops and Stores
• Shopping
• Clothes

Grammar

40. When Something Happens: Temporal Clauses Ending in toki
41. Indefinite Pronoun no
42. Making If-Then Statements: The tara Conditonal
43. Going Somewhere with a Purpose: Using the Particle ni to Express Purpose
44. Reporting Hearsay: ...sooda
45. Saying Whether or Not Something Is True: ...kadooka
46. Giving Reasons with ...shi, ...shi

dake
~yasui, ~nikui

Culture Notes

• iro Colors
• Handling Japanese Money
• Metric System

Reading and Writing

• Reading 1: ‘San Roodo’ gurando oopuningu seeru
• Reading 2: Mai fasshion
• Kanji

Skills Practice

Language Functions and Situations

• Shopping
• Saying Whether Two Things Are the Same or Different

Listening Comprehension

Appendices

1. Verb Conjugation
2. Adjective and Copula Conjugation
3. Numbers
4. Counters
5. Time, Days, Months, and Years
6. Ko-so-a-do Words
7. Japanese Accent
8. Kanji List