Well, I can't answer some of those because I was a poor English student. I mean, I know what nouns, verbs and adjectives are and can identify the subject most of the time, but that's about it. So as far as English grammar rules go, I am soooo not the man.
1. Nounds are not gendered
Japanese use past, present and future tense.... as well as other tenses. They have a word for it. It is katsuyoukei (活用形) meaning Inflections.
This is important as it is the foundation of changing word forms in japanese...
First you need to understand that the japanese alphabet is VERY straight forward, extremely logical. See attached image.
http://blog.asiahotels.com/wp-conten...e-alphabet.gif
Ka series line of sounds
Sa series line of sounds
Ta series line of sounds
Na series line of sounds
Ha series line of sounds
Ma series line of sounds
Ra series line of sounds
Ya series line of sounds
Each of the rows has an "a" "i" "u" "e" or "o" in it.
Take row 1 for eample, Ka. Notice "a" is after the "k". Well for the next K series sound simply replace the "a" andinsert an "i". So when done the K series of sounds will look like:
Ka Ki Ku Ke Ko
Now, for the S series of sound, take a wild guess of what they are.... see? Simple.
Now, the "a" "i" "u" "e" "o" are also used just by themselves without a preceding "K" or "S" or whatever.
Let's use the word "go". In Japanese it is "iku".
"Iku" is the "root" word for "go". In other words, in a japanese dictionary you will only find the word "iku". Not it's other tenses or inflections.
Let's use "iku" in all of it's various forums/inflections/tenses...
First, notice that "iku" ends with "ku". Thus it is on the "K" train (as I like to call it). So we will use the K train to transform the word.... remember, each sound train has 5 variations "a" "i" "u" "e" "o"...
ikanai (won't go, like, I don't want to go)
ikimasu (will go, future tense), ikimasen (will not go, future tense), ikimashou (let's go, polite form of ikou)
iku
ikeba (if I go), ike (go!, command form)
ikou (let's go)
Notice the "ka" "ki" "ku" "ke" "ko" above....
Again, "ku" is the dictionary or root form of "go"
ikanai means 'won't go'
ikimasu means will go (future tense)
iku means go
ikeba means 'if (I) go'
ikou means 'let's go'
The ka ki ku ke ko transformed the word.
There are also other forms of iku.
ikitai 'want to go'
In japanese 'want to' word forms usually end with "tai"
ikimasen 'will not go' (future)
But for present tense iku is itteimasu
Hmm... strange. Notice the double t... it means there is a pause after the "i"... "i-teimasu."
Past tense iku is ikimash!ta.
Past tense Japanese words usually end with "ta". It is usually "masu" transformed into "mash!ta". So ikimasu = I will go (future tense). Ikimash!ta = I went (past tense)
Anyway, present tense words usually don't fit nice and neat into the katsuyoukei word transformation table. But hey....
Ok, sometimes words to not follow the K, T, N, etc... train tables like the above example. Sometimes they follow a special forum of the S train.
For example, the root word for eat is taberu.
Does that mean the word taberu is on the R train? Taberu, right? No, it is actually on a special form of the S train. And it gets funky....
Tabenai (won't eat, don't want to)
Tabetai (want to eat)
Taberu (root word)
Tabete (command form like "ike" example above)
Tabemasu (will eat), tabemasen (will not eat), tabemash!ta (ate), tabemashouka (polite 'shall we eat')
Tabeo (let's eat)
Now, with everything you just learned you can transform just about any japanese word into various tenses and inflections
Try to change forms on these words and let's see how you do:
In Japanese the root word for drink is nomu. Transform Nomu.
In Japanese the root word for "throw away" is Suteru. Transform Suteru



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