あJLPT Japanese

N5 · Grammar

Grammar Lesson 6: Activities, Food, and Invitations

Grammar Notes: Lesson 6

Activities, Food, and Invitations

In this lesson, you will say what you do, what you eat or drink, where an action happens, and how to invite someone politely.

Side-by-side illustration contrasting a bus as the way to travel to school with a garden as the place for flower viewing

[Object] を Vます

Description

Use を after the thing directly affected by an action. The verb comes at the end of the sentence. The particle を is pronounced o.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
私は毎朝パンを食べます。わたしはまいあさぱんをたべます。Watashi wa maiasa pan o tabemasu.I eat bread every morning.
友達は音楽を聞きます。ともだちはおんがくをききます。Tomodachi wa ongaku o kikimasu.My friend listens to music.
私は手紙を書きます。わたしはてがみをかきます。Watashi wa tegami o kakimasu.I write a letter.

Usage Notes

  • 食べます, 飲みます, 見ます, 聞きます, 読みます, 書きます, and 買います often use を with the thing involved.
  • In polite Japanese sentences, the verb normally comes last.

[Activity] をします

Description

Use します with an activity, sport, event, or task. Put を after the activity.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
私は毎日宿題をします。わたしはまいにちしゅくだいをします。Watashi wa mainichi shukudai o shimasu.I do homework every day.
土曜日、友達とテニスをします。どようび、ともだちとてにすをします。Doyōbi, tomodachi to tenisu o shimasu.I play tennis with a friend on Saturday.
庭でお花見をします。にわでおはなみをします。Niwa de ohanami o shimasu.I go flower viewing in the garden.

Usage Notes

  • します means “do,” but the activity word before it tells the listener what you do.
  • You can add a time, a companion, or a place from earlier lessons before the activity.

何をしますか

Description

Use 何をしますか to ask what someone will do or usually does. Here, 何 is the object of します.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
日曜日、何をしますか。にちようび、なにをしますか。Nichiyōbi, nani o shimasu ka.What will you do on Sunday?
今晩、何をしますか。こんばん、なにをしますか。Konban, nani o shimasu ka.What will you do this evening?
テニスをします。てにすをします。Tenisu o shimasu.I will play tennis.

Usage Notes

  • 何を means “what” as the thing or activity affected by the verb.
  • Answer with the activity plus をします, or with another action from this lesson.

なん / なに

Description

Both なん and なに mean “what.” Their pronunciation changes with the word that follows.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
それは何ですか。それはなんですか。Sore wa nan desu ka.What is that?
何の本ですか。なんのほんですか。Nan no hon desu ka.What kind of book is it?
何を読みますか。なにをよみますか。Nani o yomimasu ka.What will you read?

Usage Notes

  • Use なん before です, の, and many counter words.
  • Use なに before を, as in 何をしますか and 何を読みますか.
  • Learn each common question as a complete phrase; this is more helpful than trying to change the sound word by word at first.

[Place] で Vます

Description

Use で after the place where an action happens.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
庭でお花見をします。にわでおはなみをします。Niwa de ohanami o shimasu.I go flower viewing in the garden.
店で水を買います。みせでみずをかいます。Mise de mizu o kaimasu.I buy water at a shop.
学校で日本語を勉強します。がっこうでにほんごをべんきょうします。Gakkō de nihongo o benkyō shimasu.I study Japanese at school.

Usage Notes

  • This で marks the place where the action occurs.
  • Compare it with Lesson 5: バスで学校へ行きます uses で for the means of travel, while 庭でお花見をします uses で for the place of an activity.
  • Do not use で with a destination followed by 行きます. Use へ for a destination: 学校へ行きます。

Vませんか

Description

Use the polite negative question form Vませんか to make a friendly invitation. In this pattern, it means “Would you like to …?”

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
一緒にお茶を飲みませんか。いっしょにおちゃをのみませんか。Issho ni ocha o nomimasen ka.Would you like to have tea together?
今晩、ビデオを見ませんか。こんばん、びでおをみませんか。Konban, bideo o mimasen ka.Would you like to watch a video this evening?
はい、飲みましょう。はい、のみましょう。Hai, nomimashō.Yes, let’s drink.

Usage Notes

  • Vませんか is a gentle way to invite someone. It does not pressure them to say yes.
  • A friendly response can be いいですね (“That sounds nice”) or はい、〜ましょう (“Yes, let’s …”).

Vましょう

Description

Use Vましょう to suggest doing something together, or to accept an invitation positively. It means “Let’s …”.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
一緒にテニスをしましょう。いっしょにてにすをしましょう。Issho ni tenisu o shimashō.Let’s play tennis together.
じゃ、3時に会いましょう。じゃ、さんじにあいましょう。Ja, san-ji ni aimashō.Then, let’s meet at three o’clock.
はい、行きましょう。はい、いきましょう。Hai, ikimashō.Yes, let’s go.

Usage Notes

  • Use Vませんか when you are opening an invitation; use Vましょう when making a shared proposal or accepting one.
  • The verb stays in its polite stem form before ましょう: 行きます → 行きましょう.

〜か in a Response

Description

You learned か as a question marker in Lesson 1. In a response, it can also show that you have just received or recognized new information. The tone is usually rising or surprised, but gentle.

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
A: 今日、お花見をします。<br>B: お花見ですか。いいですね。A: きょう、おはなみをします。<br>B: おはなみですか。いいですね。A: Kyō, ohanami o shimasu.<br>B: Ohanami desu ka. Ii desu ne.A: I am going flower viewing today.<br>B: Flower viewing? That sounds nice.
A: 明日、友達とテニスをします。<br>B: そうですか。A: あした、ともだちとてにすをします。<br>B: そうですか。A: Ashita, tomodachi to tenisu o shimasu.<br>B: Sō desu ka.A: I will play tennis with a friend tomorrow.<br>B: I see.

Usage Notes

  • Here, か responds to information you have just heard. It is not asking for a full answer in the same way as 何をしますか。
  • そうですか is a useful response when you have understood new information.

Practical Conversation: A Friendly Invitation

This is an original conversation. Practise it, then change お茶, 3時, or the activity to make your own invitation.

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SpeakerJapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
A今日、私のうちでお茶を飲みませんか。きょう、わたしのうちでおちゃをのみませんか。Kyō, watashi no uchi de ocha o nomimasen ka.Would you like to have tea at my home today?
Bいいですね。いいですね。Ii desu ne.That sounds nice.
Aじゃ、3時に会いましょう。じゃ、さんじにあいましょう。Ja, san-ji ni aimashō.Then, let’s meet at three o’clock.
Bわかりました。じゃ、また。わかりました。じゃ、また。Wakarimashita. Ja, mata.Understood. See you.

Quick Check

Try thisSample answer
Say: “I drink tea.”お茶を飲みます。
Ask: “What will you do on Sunday?”日曜日、何をしますか。
Say: “I play tennis in the garden.”庭でテニスをします。
Invite a friend to watch a video this evening.今晩、ビデオを見ませんか。
Accept: “Yes, let’s go.”はい、行きましょう。