Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 23

Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 23

V dictionary form Vない-form い-adj (～い ) な-adjな Nの

とき、～

When …, …

 

ときconnects two sentences and expresses the time when the state or action described in the main sentence exists or occurs. As shown in the table above, the forms of verbs, い-adjectives, な-adjectives and nouns connected to ときare the same as the forms when modifying nouns.

図書館で本を借りるとき、カードが要ります。

When you borrow books from the library, you need a card.

使い方がわからないとき、わたしに聞いてください。

When you don’t know how to use it, ask me.

体の調子が悪いとき、「元気茶」を飲みます。

When I’m not in good shape, I drink “Genki-cha”.

暇なとき、うちへ遊びに来ませんか。

Won’t you come to my place when you are free?

妻が病気のとき、会社を休みます。

When my wife is sick, I take a day off work.

若いとき、あまり勉強しませんでした。

When I was young, I did not study much.

子どものとき、よく川で泳ぎました。

I used to swim in a river when I was a child.

The tense of adjective sentences and noun sentences which modify ときis not affected by the tense of the main sentence.

2.

V dictionary form Vた-form

とき、～

 

When the dictionary form of the predicate is put beforeとき it indicates the non-completion of the action, and when the た-form of the predicate is put before ときin indicates the completion of the action.

国へ帰るとき、かばんを買いました。(*)

I bought a bag when I went back to my country.

国へ帰ったとき、かばんを買いました。(**)

I bought a bag when I went back to my country.

In (*), かえるindicates that at the time being referred to the action had not been completed, that the speaker had not reached his/her country yet and that he/she bought a bag somewhere on his/her way there (Japan is included). In (**), かえったindicates that the action was completed and the speaker bought a bag after arriving in his/her country.

3. V dictionary form と、～

…, then (inevitably) …

When expressing the situation where, as a result of a certain action, another action or matter inevitably happens, とis used to connect the sentences.

このボタンを押すと、お釣りが出ます。

Press this button, and the change will come out.

これを回すと、音が大きくなります。

Turn this, and the volume will go up.

右へ曲がると、郵便局があります。

Turn to the right, and you will find the post office.

Expressions of one’s will, hope, invitation or request cannot be used in the sentence which follows ～と.

X  時間があると、

映画を見に行きます (will) 映画を見に行きたいです(hope) 映画を見に行きませんか (invitation) ちょっと手伝ってください (request)

 

In those cases, the conditional expression ～たら is used instead of ～と (see Lesson 25).

4. N が adjective / V

You learned in Lesson 14 that the subject is indicated by がwhen describing a natural phenomenon. When describing a state or a scene as it is, the subject is also indicated by が.

音が小さいです。

The volume is low.

電気が明るくなります。

The light became brighter.

このボタンを押すと、切符が出ます。

Press this button, and a ticket will come out.

5. N (place) をV (verb of movement)

The particle をis used to denote the place where a person or a thing passes. The verbs of movement such as さんぽします, わたります, あるきます, etc. are used in this pattern.

公園を散歩します。

I take a walk in the park.

道を渡ります。

I cross the road.

交差点を右へ曲がります。

I turn to the right at the intersection.

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Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 24
Minna No Nihongo Lesson 23 Vocabulary