Page 59 - Easy Japanese - Learn to Speak Japanese Quickly! (TUTTLE)

12 jū-ni-ji
midnight rei-ji

GRAMMAR NOTE Connecting Multiple Nouns

X to Y means “X and Y”. While “and” in English can connect various elements
including adjectives, verbs, or sentences, the Japanese particle to only combines
nouns or noun phrases.
X ya Y and its casual version X toka Y mean “X, Y, and others”, e.g., Getsu-
yōbi toka Sui-yōbi “Monday, Wednesday and others”. These expressions allow

you to list a few samples from a group instead of exhaustively listing all
possibilities in the group, e.g., Eigo ya Furansu-go ya Supein-go “English,
French, Spanish, etc”. These expressions are also used to soften the statement. X
ka Y means “X or Y”.
There is no limit to the number of nouns connected by these particles, but it’s
rare for an adult speaker to list more than three or four. The particles must occur

between all the nouns listed.

GRAMMAR NOTE Using Yo to Share New Information

Unlike the particle ne(e), which indicates shared information, the particle yo
indicates that the speaker thinks the information presented is new to the listener.
So, it is often used to correct or assure someone. In the dialogue above, Yūki
presents the reservation times as new information to Mei.

Since yo assumes the listener is not aware of the information presented, take
extra care to note when and with whom you can safely use it.

CULTURAL NOTE The Japanese Sense of Time

Many foreigners find that the Japanese sense of time is very meticulous and
resolute. Most Japanese always like to know exactly how things will proceed. As

little as possible is left to chance in order to avoid any unexpected turn of events.
Travel itineraries and event schedules are much more detailed for this reason. It’s
also not a surprise that pocket planners are still very popular in Japan despite the
abundance of digital devices.
When meeting someone, most Japanese arrive five minutes before the
scheduled time. There is no such notion in Japan as “being fashionably late”. If
you arrive at a meeting just on time, you may find you are the last person to