Grammar

〜（の中）で一番〜

Superlative 〜で一番

"The most ~ among/of ~". States that something is the most extreme within a group. Always for three or more items.

〜になる / 〜にする

Become / decide on 〜になる・〜にする

〜になる = "become ~" (a change happens naturally). 〜にする = "decide on ~ / make it ~" (an active choice by someone).

〜たことがある / 〜たことがあります

Experience 〜たことがある

"Have (ever) done ~" — expresses past experience. Built from the ta-form + ことがある ("there is the fact of having...").

〜がほしい / 〜がほしいです

Want a thing 〜がほしい

Expresses the speaker's desire for a THING — "I want ~". The companion to たい (want to DO). Conjugates like an i-adjective.

〜てください / 〜でください

Please do 〜てください

A direct but polite request — "please do ~". Attach to the te-form of a verb.

〜をください

Please give me 〜をください

Requesting an item at a shop or restaurant — "please give me ~ / I'll take ~".

〜てから

After doing (and then) 〜てから

"After doing ~ (and only then ~)". Emphasizes that action B happens AFTER action A is completed. Stronger sequencing than 〜て、 alone.

〜でも

But / even 〜でも

Two uses: (1) a conjunction at sentence start — "but / however"; (2) a particle meaning "even ~ / any ~" after a noun (誰でも "anyone").

もう〜 / まだ〜

Already / still もう / まだ

もう = "already / anymore / soon". まだ = "still / not yet". Often paired with 〜ています for completed/ongoing states.

〜（に）行く / 来る / 帰る

Go to do 〜に行く

Expresses purpose — "go (somewhere) in order to do ~". The verb takes the ます-stem (drop ます) followed by に + a motion verb.

〜方 / 〜かた

Way of doing 〜方（かた）

Nominalizes a verb to mean "the way of doing ~ / how to ~". Attach 方 to the verb stem (drop ます). The result is a noun.

とても + [adj]

Very とても

Adverb meaning "very / awfully". Strengthens an adjective. Cannot be used with negative adjectives in the standard way (use あまり〜ない for "not very").

一緒に

Together 一緒に

Adverb meaning "together". Used when two or more people do the same action.

いつも

Always いつも

Adverb meaning "always / usually / habitually". With a negative verb it means "never".

それから / そして

And then それから / そして

Both connect sentences in sequence. それから = "after that / and then" (time order). そして = "and / and then / and so" (continuation, can be causal).

しかし / けれども

However しかし / けれども

Formal "but / however" at the start of a sentence. しかし is a written-style conjunction. けれども is the formal/written form of けど/が.

〜はどうですか

How about 〜はどうですか

"How about ~? / How is ~?". Asks for an opinion, impression, or suggestion about a topic.

お / ご + [noun/verb]

Polite prefix お / ご

Honorific prefixes that make a word polite/respectful. お goes before native Japanese (和語) words and general nouns; ご before Chinese-origin (漢語) words.

〜のが好き / 上手 / 下手

Like/good/bad at doing のが好き・上手・下手

Nominalizes a verb with の to express preference or skill: "like doing ~" (好き), "be good at ~" (上手), "be bad at ~" (下手). All use が (not を) before the na-adjective.

〜なあ / な

Sentence-ending なあ / な

A casual sentence-ending particle expressing emotion — admiration, longing, musing, or self-directed remark. Softer/more emotional than ね.

〜ないで

Doing without 〜ないで

"Without doing ~". Joins two actions where the first is NOT done. The main (second) clause describes what IS done instead.

〜すぎる / 〜すぎです

Too much 〜すぎる

"Too ~ / excessively ~". Attach すぎる to the adjective stem (drop い or な). Conjugates as a 上一段 (ichidan) verb: 〜すぎます, 〜すぎました.

〜し、〜し

And what's more 〜し

Lists reasons or characteristics — "and besides ~, also ~". Often used to justify a conclusion. Each clause ends in し.

〜ので

Reason 〜ので (formal because)

A more formal / softer "because" than から. Used in polite speech, business, and writing. Sounds more objective.

〜ながら

While doing 〜ながら

"While doing ~ / doing ~ at the same time". Two actions happen simultaneously. Attach the ます-stem (drop ます) of the verb.

〜でしょう

Probably / right? 〜でしょう / だろう

Two uses: (1) conjecture — "probably ~ / I think ~"; (2) seeking confirmation — " ..., right?". Polite form of だろう.

〜の / 〜んです

Nominalizer の / explanatory ん

Two related uses: (1) nominalizes a verb phrase ("the one that ~"); (2) explanatory の/ん — explains a situation or seeks an explanation ("the thing is... / what about...?").

〜つもりです

Intention 〜つもり

"I intend to ~ / I plan to ~". States a firm plan or intention about one's own actions.

〜たほうがいいです

Had better / should 〜ほうがいい

Gives advice or a recommendation — "you'd better do ~ / you should ~". Usually attaches to the ta-form, but the dictionary form is also possible.

〜てある / 〜てあります

Resulting state 〜てある

Describes a STATE resulting from someone's intentional action — "it has been ~ed (and is now in that state)". Always used with TRANSITIVE verbs.