Page 65 - Easy Japanese - Learn to Speak Japanese Quickly! (TUTTLE)

Negative questions are sometimes used to suggest or invite somone to do
something.
Kore, mimasen ka. Won’t you watch this? or Why don’t we watch this?

Renshū-shimasen ka. Won’t you practice? or Shall we practice?

When turning down an invitation, avoid saying no directly. It’s best to instead
leave things ambiguous by saying chotto and sound hesitant by speaking slowly
and elongating vowels.

Kore tsukaimasen ka. Would you like to use this?
Accepting: Arigatō gozaimasu. Thank you. Then…
Ja…

Turning down: Iyā, chotto… Well, it’s just …

GRAMMAR NOTE Compound Verbs
Noun + shimasu and Noun + dekimasu combinations are compound verbs.

Many nouns that mean actions such as benkyō “study” appear in this pattern.
Benkyō-shimasu. I’ll study.

Renshū- I was able to practice.
dekimashita.

When verbs in English are borrowed into Japanese, -shimasu is attached to them
and they become Japanese verbs. Make sure you pronounce it the Japanese way.

Mēru-shimasu yo. I’ll email (or text) you.
Getto-shimasu. I’ll get/obtain it.

Kyanseru- I’ll cancel it.
shimasu.

GRAMMAR NOTE Expressing Frequency
Expressions such as chotto “little” indicate how much, how often, or in what

manner something happens. They usually appear right before the verb. Amari
“very much” and zenzen “at all” combine with a negative form of a predicate.
Amari I don’t understand it very well.
wakarimasen.

Zenzen I do not speak it at all.