Japanese Language N5 Lesson 1: Basic Greetings, Self-Introduction, and Essential Grammar Patterns
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Lesson 1 · Module 1: Getting Started - Introduction to Japanese Basics · N5 – Beginner

N5 Lesson 1: Grammer

Lesson Overview This lesson covers fundamental vocabulary and essential grammar patterns that form the foundation of Japanese communication. Students will learn how to introduce themselves and others, ask and answer…

45 Min Reading + Practice N5 – Beginner Free Preview

Lesson Overview

This lesson covers fundamental vocabulary and essential grammar patterns that form the foundation of Japanese communication. Students will learn how to introduce themselves and others, ask and answer basic questions, use particles correctly, and form affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.

Part A: Vocabulary

1. Pronouns and People

Serial Number Japanese Kanji Romaji English Nepali
1 わたし 私 watashi I म
2 わたしたち 私たち watashitachi we हामी
3 あなた あなた anata you तिमी/तपाईं
4 あのひと あの人 ano hito that person, he, she उ, उनी
5 あのかた あの方 ano kata that person (polite) वहाँ
6 みなさん 皆さん minasan everyone, ladies and gentlemen सबैलाई

2. Honorific Suffixes

Serial Number Japanese Kanji Romaji Usage Explanation
7 ～さん ～さん ~san General honorific Used with names for respect (Mr./Ms.)
8 ～ちゃん ～ちゃん ~chan Child or girl’s name Cute suffix for children or close friends
9 ～くん ～君 ~kun Boy’s name Used for young boys or male colleagues
10 ～じん ～人 ~jin Nationality suffix Added to country names to indicate nationality

3. Professions and Occupations

Serial Number Japanese Kanji Romaji English Nepali
11 せんせい 先生 sensei teacher शिक्षक
12 きょうし 教師 kyoushi teacher (referring to own profession) शिक्षक (पेशा)
13 がくせい 学生 gakusei student विद्यार्थी
14 かいしゃいん 会社員 kaishain company employee कम्पनी कर्मचारी
15 しゃいん 社員 shain employee of ~company ~ कम्पनीका कर्मचारी
16 ぎんこういん 銀行員 ginkouin bank employee बैंक कर्मचारी
17 いしゃ 医者 isha medical doctor चिकित्सक
18 けんきゅうしゃ 研究者 kenkyuusha researcher अनुसन्धानकर्ता
19 インジニア – injinia engineer इन्जिनियर

4. Places and Objects

Serial Number Japanese Kanji Romaji English Nepali
20 だいがく 大学 daigaku university विश्वविद्यालय
21 びょういん 病院 byouin hospital अस्पताल
22 でんき 電気 denki electricity, light बिजुली

5. Question Words

Serial Number Japanese Kanji Romaji English Nepali
23 だれ 誰 dare who को
24 どなた – donata who (polite) को (आदर)
25 ～さい ～歳 ~sai ~years old ~वर्षको
26 なんさい 何歳 nansai how old कति वर्षको
27 おいくつ – oikutsu how old (polite) कति वर्षको (आदर)

6. Essential Expressions

Serial Number Japanese Kanji Romaji English Usage Notes
28 はい – hai Yes Standard affirmative
29 いいえ – iie No Standard negative
30 しつれいですが 失礼ですが shitsurei desu ga Excuse me, but… Used before asking a question
31 おなまえは お名前は onamae wa May I have your name? Polite way to ask someone’s name
32 はじめまして – hajimemashite How do you do? Said when meeting someone for the first time
33 どうぞよろしくおねがいします どうぞよろしくお願いします douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu Nice to meet you Used at the end of an introduction
34 こちらは～さんです – kochira wa ~san desu This is Mr./Ms.~ Used for introducing others
35 ～からきました ～から来ました ~kara kimashita I came from ~ Used to state origin

7. Country Names

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
アメリカ Amerika U.S.A. अमेरिका
イギリス Igirisu U.K. बेलायत
インド Indo India भारत
インドネシア Indoneshia Indonesia इन्डोनेसिया
かんこく Kankoku South Korea दक्षिण कोरिया
タイ Tai Thailand थाइल्यान्ड
ちゅうごく Chuugoku China चीन
ドイツ Doitsu Germany जर्मनी
にほん Nihon Japan जापान
フランス Furansu France फ्रान्स
ブラジル Burajiru Brazil ब्राजिल
ネパール Nepaaru Nepal नेपाल

Part B: Grammar

Grammar Point 1: Particle は (Topic Marker)

Explanation

The particle は marks the topic of the sentence. It indicates what the sentence is about. The topic is the first noun (N1) and the sentence provides information about it in the second noun (N2). In English, this functions similarly to saying “As for…” or “Speaking of…”.

Structure

text

N1 + は + N2 + です。

  • N1: Topic (what you are talking about)

  • は: Topic marker particle

  • N2: Information about the topic

  • です: Polite copula (is/am/are)

Important Notes

  • The particle は is pronounced as “wa”, not “ha”.

  • The topic is usually the subject of the sentence.

  • The topic must be a noun or noun phrase.

Examples

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
わたしは がくせい です。 Watashi wa gakusei desu. As for me, I am a student. म विद्यार्थी हुँ।
さくらさんは にほんじん です。 Sakura-san wa Nihonjin desu. As for Sakura, she is Japanese. साकुरा सान जापानी हुनुहुन्छ।
たなかさんは いしゃ です。 Tanaka-san wa isha desu. As for Tanaka, he is a doctor. तानाका सान डाक्टर हुनुहुन्छ।
これは わたしの ほん です。 Kore wa watashi no hon desu. As for this, it is my book. यो मेरो पुस्तक हो।
きむらさんは せんせい です。 Kimura-san wa sensei desu. As for Kimura, he is a teacher. किमुरा सान शिक्षक हुनुहुन्छ।

Grammar Point 2: です (Copula – Polite Affirmative)

Explanation

です (desu) functions like the English verbs “is”, “am”, or “are”. It is called a copula, a word that links the subject with a description. It makes the sentence polite and formal, which is essential in Japanese communication.

Structure

text

N1 + は + N2 + です。

Important Notes

  • です is always placed at the end of the sentence.

  • It does not change form for different subjects (no “am/is/are” variations in Japanese).

  • It adds politeness to speech.

  • Do not use です directly with adjectives (covered in later lessons).

Examples

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
わたしは インジニア です。 Watashi wa injinia desu. I am an engineer. म इन्जिनियर हुँ।
これは くるま です。 Kore wa kuruma desu. This is a car. यो गाडी हो।
かれは がくせい です。 Kare wa gakusei desu. He is a student. उनी विद्यार्थी हुन्।
それは ねこ です。 Sore wa neko desu. That is a cat. त्यो बिरालो हो।
すずきさんは かいしゃいん です。 Suzuki-san wa kaishain desu. Suzuki is a company employee. सुजुकी सान कर्मचारी हुन्।

Common Mistakes

  • Incorrect: わたし がくせい です。 (Missing は)

  • Incorrect: わたしは がくせい だ。 (Too casual for polite situations)

  • Correct: わたしは がくせい です。

Grammar Point 3: じゃありません (Negative Form)

Explanation

じゃありません is the negative form of です. It means “is not”, “am not”, or “are not”. This is used to deny or negate the statement about the topic.

Structure

text

N1 + は + N2 + じゃありません。

Important Notes

  • じゃありません is the polite negative form.

  • じゃ is a contraction of では.

  • Both じゃありません and ではありません are correct; じゃ is more casual in spoken Japanese.

  • This structure makes the sentence negative.

Examples

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
わたしは がくせい じゃありません。 Watashi wa gakusei ja arimasen. I am not a student. म विद्यार्थी होइन।
これは わたしの ほん じゃありません。 Kore wa watashi no hon ja arimasen. This is not my book. यो मेरो पुस्तक होइन।
さくらさんは アメリカじん じゃありません。 Sakura-san wa Amerikajin ja arimasen. Sakura is not American. साकुरा सान अमेरिकन होइन।
かれは せんせい じゃありません。 Kare wa sensei ja arimasen. He is not a teacher. उनी शिक्षक होइनन्।
それは いぬ じゃありません。 Sore wa inu ja arimasen. That is not a dog. त्यो कुकुर होइन।

Comparison: Affirmative vs. Negative

Affirmative (Positive) Negative
わたしは がくせい です。 わたしは がくせい じゃありません。
I am a student. I am not a student.
これは ほん です。 これは ほん じゃありません。
This is a book. This is not a book.

Grammar Point 4: Particle か (Question Marker)

Explanation

The particle か is a question marker placed at the end of a sentence to form a question. It functions like a question mark (?) in English. In Japanese, the word order does not change to make a question; simply add か at the end.

Structure

text

N1 + は + N2 + ですか。

Important Notes

  • か is placed at the very end of the sentence.

  • The sentence still ends with a period (。) in Japanese writing.

  • In spoken Japanese, the intonation rises at the end for questions.

  • The subject and verb order stays the same as in statements.

Examples

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
あなたは がくせい ですか。 Anata wa gakusei desu ka. Are you a student? तिमी विद्यार्थी हौ?
さくらさんは にほんじん ですか。 Sakura-san wa Nihonjin desu ka. Is Sakura Japanese? साकुरा सान जापानी हो?
これは あなたの ほん ですか。 Kore wa anata no hon desu ka. Is this your book? यो तिम्रो पुस्तक हो?
かれは いしゃ ですか。 Kare wa isha desu ka. Is he a doctor? उनी डाक्टर हुन्?
それは いぬ ですか。 Sore wa inu desu ka. Is that a dog? त्यो कुकुर हो?

Comparison: Statement vs. Question

Statement Question
わたしは がくせい です。 あなたは がくせい ですか。
I am a student. Are you a student?
これは ほん です。 これは ほん ですか。
This is a book. Is this a book?

How to Answer Yes/No Questions

Question Yes Answer No Answer
がくせいですか。 はい、がくせいです。 いいえ、がくせいじゃありません。
Is (he/she) a student? Yes, (he/she) is a student. No, (he/she) is not a student.

When saying “Yes” or “No” in Japanese:

  • はい = Yes (affirmative)

  • いいえ = No (negative)

Grammar Point 5: Particle も (Also / Too)

Explanation

The particle も means “also”, “too”, or “as well”. It indicates that the same statement applies to another item as well. When you use も, it replaces the topic marker は or が in the sentence.

Structure

text

N1 + も + N2 + です。

Important Notes

  • も replaces は when saying “also/too”.

  • It shows that the topic shares the same characteristic as something previously mentioned.

  • The sentence structure remains the same except は becomes も.

Examples

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
わたしも がくせい です。 Watashi mo gakusei desu. I am also a student. म पनि विद्यार्थी हुँ।
さくらさんも せんせい です。 Sakura-san mo sensei desu. Sakura is also a teacher. साकुरा सान पनि शिक्षक हुन्।
すずきさんも インジニア です。 Suzuki-san mo injinia desu. Suzuki is also an engineer. सुजुकी सान पनि इन्जिनियर हुन्।
たなかさんも かいしゃいん です。 Tanaka-san mo kaishain desu. Tanaka is also a company employee. तानाका सान पनि कर्मचारी हुन्।
これも わたしの ほん です。 Kore mo watashi no hon desu. This is also my book. यो पनि मेरो पुस्तक हो।

Comparison: は vs. も

Using は Using も
わたしは がくせいです。 わたしも がくせいです।
I am a student. I am also a student.
(Focus on the topic) (Saying in addition to others)

Example in Context

A: さくらさんは がくせいです。(Sakura is a student.)
B: たなかさんも がくせいです。(Tanaka is also a student.)

Grammar Point 6: Particle の (Possessive / Modifying)

Explanation

The particle の is used to connect two nouns. It shows:

  1. Possession (like “‘s” in English)

  2. Modification (like “of” in English)

  3. Relationship between two things

The first noun (N1) modifies or possesses the second noun (N2).

Structure

text

N1 + の + N2

Important Notes

  • の connects nouns, not adjectives or verbs.

  • It can show possession, relationship, or description.

  • The order is possessor + の + possessed item.

  • It can be used multiple times in a sentence.

Examples

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
これは わたしの ほん です。 Kore wa watashi no hon desu. This is my book. यो मेरो पुस्तक हो।
あれは たなかさんの くるま です。 Are wa Tanaka-san no kuruma desu. That is Tanaka’s car. त्यो तानाका सानको गाडी हो।
さくらさんは にほんごの せんせい です। Sakura-san wa Nihongo no sensei desu. Sakura is a Japanese language teacher. साकुरा सान जापानी भाषाकी शिक्षक हुन्।
これは きむらさんの いぬ です。 Kore wa Kimura-san no inu desu. This is Kimura’s dog. यो किमुरा सानको कुकुर हो।
わたしの ともだちの なまえは ジョン です。 Watashi no tomodachi no namae wa Jon desu. My friend’s name is John. मेरो साथीको नाम जोन हो।

Additional Examples

Japanese Romaji English
だいがくの せんせい daigaku no sensei university teacher
にほんの くるま Nihon no kuruma Japanese car
ともだちの ほん tomodachi no hon friend’s book
かいしゃの しゃいん kaisha no shain company employee

Common Mistakes

  • Incorrect: わたし 本 (Missing の)

  • Incorrect: 本 の わたし (Wrong order)

  • Correct: わたしの 本

Grammar Point 7: なんさい / おいくつ (How Old)

Explanation

These are question words used to ask someone’s age:

  • なんさい (nansai) = How old? (Standard, neutral)

  • おいくつ (oikutsu) = How old? (More polite and formal)

Structure

text

N1 + は + なんさい/おいくつ + ですか。

Important Notes

  • なんさい is for neutral situations.

  • おいくつ is more polite and used for elders, superiors, or formal settings.

  • When answering: Number + さい (sai) = years old.

  • Special pronunciations:

    • 1歳 (いっさい – issai)

    • 8歳 (はっさい – hassai)

    • 10歳 (じゅっさい – jussai)

    • 20歳 (はたち – hatachi) – Special word

Examples

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
さくらさんは なんさい ですか。 Sakura-san wa nansai desu ka. How old is Sakura? साकुरा सान कति वर्षको हुनुहुन्छ?
あなたは おいくつ ですか。 Anata wa oikutsu desu ka. How old are you? (polite) तपाईं कति वर्षको हुनुहुन्छ?
そのこどもは なんさい ですか。 Sono kodomo wa nansai desu ka. How old is that child? त्यो बच्चा कति वर्षको हो?
おとうさんは おいくつ ですか。 Otousan wa oikutsu desu ka. How old is your father? (polite) तपाईंको बुबाको उमेर कति हो?
わたしは にじゅうごさい です。 Watashi wa nijuugosai desu. I am 25 years old. म २५ वर्षको हुँ।

Age Pronunciation Chart

Age Japanese Romaji
1 year old いっさい issai
2 years old にさい nisai
3 years old さんさい sansai
4 years old よんさい yonsai
5 years old ごさい gosai
6 years old ろくさい rokusai
7 years old ななさい nanasai
8 years old はっさい hassai
9 years old きゅうさい kyuusai
10 years old じゅっさい jussai
20 years old はたち hatachi

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Complete the Sentences

Fill in the blanks with the correct particle (は, も, の, か).

  1. わたし ___ がくせいです。

  2. これ ___ あなたの ほんですか。

  3. さくらさん ___ せんせいです।

  4. わたし ___ ともだち ___ なまえは ジョンです।

  5. たなかさん ___ がくせいです。(also)

Exercise 2: Sentence Construction

Create Japanese sentences based on the given information.

  1. I am a student.

  2. This is not my book.

  3. Is Sakura a teacher?

  4. Tanaka is also a company employee.

  5. My friend is a doctor.

Exercise 3: Translation Practice

Translate the following sentences into Japanese.

  1. How old is your mother?

  2. Are you a student?

  3. I am not a doctor.

  4. This is my book.

  5. Kimura is also an engineer.

Conversation Practice: Self-Introduction

Dialogue

A: はじめまして。 (Hajimemashite.)
B: はじめまして। (Hajimemashite.)

A: わたしは サラ です। (Watashi wa Sara desu.)
B: わたしは ケン です। (Watashi wa Ken desu.)

A: がくせい ですか। (Gakusei desu ka.)
B: はい、がくせいです। (Hai, gakusei desu.)
A: わたしも がくせいです। (Watashi mo gakusei desu.)

B: おいくつ ですか। (Oikutsu desu ka.)
A: にじゅうさい です। (Nijuusai desu.)

B: どうぞよろしくおねがいします। (Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)
A: どうぞよろしくおねがいします। (Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)

Translation of the Dialogue

A: How do you do?
B: How do you do?

A: I am Sara.
B: I am Ken.

A: Are you a student?
B: Yes, I am a student.
A: I am also a student.

B: How old are you?
A: I am 20 years old.

B: Nice to meet you.
A: Nice to meet you.

Grammar Summary Table

Grammar Structure Meaning Example
は N1 は N2 です Topic marker, “as for” わたしは がくせいです।
です N1 は N2 です “is/am/are” (polite) これは ほんです।
じゃありません N1 は N2 じゃありません “is not” (negative) わたしは せんせいじゃありません।
か N1 は N2 ですか Question marker がくせいですか।
も N1 も N2 です “also/too” わたしも がくせいです।
の N1 の N2 Possession or modification わたしの ほん
なんさい/おいくつ N1 は なんさい/おいくつ ですか “How old?” おいくつですか。

Key Vocabulary for Introductions

Japanese Romaji English Nepali
おなまえは onamae wa Your name? तपाईंको नाम?
～からきました ~kara kimashita I came from ~ ~ बाट आएको हुँ
にほんからきました Nihon kara kimashita I came from Japan. जापानबाट आएको हुँ।
こちらは～さんです Kochira wa ~san desu This is Mr./Ms.~ यहाँ ~ हुनुहुन्छ।
どうぞよろしく Douzo yoroshiku Nice to meet you कृपया सहयोग गर्नुहोस्

Lesson Checklist

Students should be able to:

  • Introduce themselves (name, occupation, age, nationality)

  • Introduce others using こちらは～さんです

  • Ask and answer yes/no questions with か

  • Form negative sentences with じゃありません

  • Use も to say “also/too”

  • Show possession using の

  • Ask and answer about age using なんさい or おいくつ

Important Reminders

  1. The particle は is pronounced “wa” when used as a topic marker, not “ha”.

  2. です makes sentences polite and should be used in formal or neutral situations.

  3. か turns statements into questions without changing word order.

  4. も replaces は when saying “also” or “too”.

  5. の shows possession (my, your, his, her, etc.) and modification.

  6. おいくつ is more polite than なんさい when asking about age.

Lesson Exam

Test your knowledge before moving on. You can retry as many times as you like.

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