Grammar

〜らしい

Apparently / seems 〜らしい

Conjecture based on some evidence or hearsay — "apparently ~ / I hear that ~ / it seems ~". Stronger evidence-base than そうだ (hearsay); more objective than みたいだ.

〜みたいだ / 〜みたいな / 〜みたいに

Looks like / seems 〜みたいだ

Conjecture based on appearance or impression — "it looks like ~ / it seems ~". More casual/conversational than ようだ. Three forms: みたいだ (predicate), みたいな (modifies noun), みたいに (modifies verb).

〜ようだ / 〜ような / 〜ように

Appears / seems 〜ようだ

Conjecture or resemblance — "it appears that ~ / it seems ~ / like ~". More formal than みたいだ. Used for inference, resemblance, example, and purpose.

〜かもしれない

Might / perhaps 〜かもしれない

Expresses possibility — "might / perhaps / may". Indicates something is possible but not certain. Roughly equivalent to "maybe".

〜はずだ / 〜はずです

Should be 〜はずだ (expectation)

A strong expectation based on logic or evidence — "should be ~ / ought to ~ / is supposed to ~". Not a moral "should" (that's べき).

〜はずがない / 〜はずありません

Cannot be / no way 〜はずがない

Strong denial of possibility — "there's no way ~ / it cannot be that ~ / impossible". The negative of はずだ, but stronger.

〜と思う / 〜と思います

I think that 〜と思う

States an opinion or belief — "I think that ~". The quotative particle と marks the thought, and 思う reports it.

〜と言う / 〜と言いました

Say that 〜と言う

Reports speech — "(someone) says/said that ~". The same quotative と, this time with 言う. Also names things: "X is called Y".

〜ようになる

Come to be able to 〜ようになる

Marks a change over time — "come to ~", "start to ~", "become able to ~". The state now is different from how it was.

〜ように、〜

So that / in order to 〜ように

States the goal a action serves — "so that ~", "in order to ~". The clause before ように is the desired outcome, not a deliberate act.

〜ことにする

Decide to 〜ことにする

A decision you make yourself — "decide to ~". 〜ことにしました reports the decision as settled.

〜ことになる

It has been decided 〜ことになる

A decision or arrangement reached by someone else, by a group, or by circumstance — "it has been decided that ~", "it turns out that ~".

〜ことがある (頻度)

There are times when 〜ことがある

Says something happens occasionally — "there are times when ~", "sometimes ~".

〜間に

While / during 〜間に

"While ~", "during ~" — a one-off event happens inside a stretch of time.

〜うちに

While it lasts 〜うちに

"While ~ (before it changes)" — do it now, because the condition will not hold for long.

〜まま

As it is 〜まま

A state left unchanged — "as it is", "still ~", "without changing".

〜ために

In order to 〜ために

A purpose you act on deliberately — "in order to ~", "for the sake of ~". With a past clause it can also mean "because of".

〜やすい

Easy to 〜やすい

"Easy to ~", "tends to ~". Attaches to a verb stem and turns the whole thing into an i-adjective.

〜にくい

Hard to 〜にくい

"Hard to ~", "does not easily ~". The opposite of 〜やすい.

〜たがる / 〜たがっている

Someone else wants 〜たがる

Reports that a THIRD PERSON wants to do something — "he wants to ~", "she is eager to ~".

〜がする

Senses 〜がする

Reports a sensation that reaches you — a smell, a sound, a taste, a feeling.

〜たらいい / 〜ばいい

It would be good if 〜たらいい

A wish or a suggestion — "it would be good if ~", "you should just ~".

お〜になる / ご〜になる

Respectful お〜になる

The general respectful (尊敬語) pattern — raises the person you are talking ABOUT or TO.

お〜する / ご〜する

Humble お〜する

The general humble (謙譲語) pattern — lowers YOUR own action to raise the person it affects.

〜なさい

Do it 〜なさい

A firm but polite command — used by a parent to a child, a teacher to a student, or in exam instructions.

命令形

Plain imperative 命令形

The blunt command form — "Do it!". Strong, and rarely appropriate in conversation.

[verb, plain] + な

Plain prohibitive 〜な

The blunt negative command — "Don't ~!".

〜させてもらう / 〜させていただく

May I 〜させてもらう

Asks for or acknowledges permission humbly — "let me ~", "I will take the liberty of ~".

〜かどうか

Whether or not 〜かどうか

Embeds a yes/no question inside a bigger sentence — "whether ~ (or not)".

[疑問詞]〜か

Embedded question 疑問詞＋か

Embeds a question containing WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY or HOW inside a larger sentence.