Japanese Intro Workbook

Lesson 1: Classroom Survival Phrases

Part 1: Phrases for Students
- When you don’t understand (わかりません, もういちど, ゆっくり)
- When you need help (すみません, しつもんがあります, にほんごでなんですか)
- Being polite (おねがいします, ありがとうございます, ごめんなさい)
- Useful classroom words (はい, いいえ, だいじょうぶ, ちょっとまってください)
Part 2: Phrases Your Teacher Will Use
- Instructions (きいて, みて, いって, よんで, かいてください)
- Questions the teacher will ask (わかりますか, しつもんはありますか)
- Encouragement and feedback (いいですね, すごい, がんばって)
Exercises: Matching, situational responses, recognizing instructions, mini conversations

Lesson 2: Greetings, Goodbyes, and Introducing Yourself

Part 1: Greetings (おはようございます, こんにちは, こんばんは)
Part 2: Goodbyes (さようなら, じゃあまた, おやすみなさい, おつかれさまでした)
Part 3: Introducing Yourself (はじめまして, なまえです, どうぞよろしくおねがいします)
Part 4: Asking Someone’s Name (おなまえはなんですか)
Part 5: Useful Words for Self-Introductions
- Occupations (がくせい, せんせい, エンジニア, いしゃ, べんごし)
- Where you’re from (からきました)
Exercises: Choosing greetings, writing self-introductions, practice conversations, role play

Lesson 3: DESU (です) – Nationality, Identity, and Adjectives

Part 1: The Verb “to be” – DESU (です)
- Subject + は + noun/adjective + です
- DESU does not change for different subjects
Uses of DESU: Nationality, name, profession, relationships, descriptions
Nationalities: Country name + じん (jin)
Part 2: Adjectives
- い-adjectives (おおきい, ちいさい, たかい, あかい, おもしろい)
- な-adjectives (しんせつ, きれい, しずか, たいせつ, げんき)
- Negative forms (くない for い-adjectives, じゃない for な-adjectives)
- Question form (ですか)
Exercises: Fill in です, write nationality sentences, adjective sentences, colors, negative and question forms
Key Grammar Summary

Lesson 4: Questions, Possessives, Family, and States/Locations

Part 1: Asking “Who?” – DARE (だれ)
Part 2: Asking “Where from?” – DOKO KARA (どこから)
- For people: どこからきましたか
- For things: どこの + noun ですか
Part 3: Articles – Japanese doesn’t have them!
Part 4: Possessives – NO (の)
- Possessive words (わたしの, あなたの, かれの, かのじょの)
- Noun + の + Noun for possession (アナさんのいえ)
Part 5: Family (かぞく)
- Humble forms (ちち, はは, あに, あね) vs Honorific forms (おとうさん, おかあさん, おにいさん, おねえさん)
- Complete family vocabulary
- Family with introductions, adjectives, and questions
Part 6: Talking About Feelings and Locations
- Feelings (つかれています, うれしい, かなしい, びょうき)
- Locations with にいます (living things) and にあります (non-living things)
- Asking “Where?” – どこにいます/ありますか
- Asking “How are you?” – おげんきですか
Exercises: Fill in blanks, answer questions, possessives, family vocabulary, feelings and locations

Lesson 5: Verbs, Time Vocabulary, Numbers, Dates, and “To Have”

Part 1: How Verbs Work in Japanese
- The -MASU form (polite present/future)
- Negative: -MASEN (ません)
- Question: Add か
- Common verbs list (はたらきます, べんきょうします, はなします, たべます, のみます, etc.)
- Useful particles (で, から, まで, を)
Part 2: Time Vocabulary
- Days of the week (げつようび through にちようび)
- Times of day (あさ, ひる, ごご, よる)
- Months (number + がつ)
- Seasons (はる, なつ, あき, ふゆ)
Part 3: Numbers (0-1000+)
- Basic numbers 0-10
- Pattern for 11-99
- Hundreds with sound changes (さんびゃく, ろっぴゃく, はっぴゃく)
Part 4: Dates
- Special day readings (ついたち through とおか)
- Asking about dates (いつですか)
Part 5: Asking and Saying Names (といいます)
Part 6: “To Have” – ARIMASU / IMASU
- あります for non-living things
- います for living things
- Age (なんさいですか)
- Physical states and feelings (おなかがすいています, さむいです, あついです)
Exercises: Verb conjugation, time vocabulary fill-in, dates, names, question words, “to have,” comprehensive review
Reading: Meeting a New Classmate

Lesson 6: More Verbs, Body Parts, Descriptions, Prepositions, and Daily Activities

Part 1: More Common Verbs (たべます, のみます, りょうりします, かきます, すみます, etc.)
Part 2: Dialogue and verb practice
Part 3: Review exercise – choosing correct options
Part 4: More Verbs – Writing, Living, and Daily Actions
Part 5: The Body (からだ)
- Main body parts (あたま, かお, め, はな, くち, て, あし, etc.)
- Other body parts (しんぞう, した, は, つめ, ひふ)
Part 6: Describing People
- Physical appearance (せがたかい, やせています, きんぱつ, くろいかみ)
- Hair descriptions
- Eye descriptions
- Personality (やさしい, まじめ, しょうじき, おもしろい, あかるい, しずか)
Part 7: Prepositions of Place (ばしょのことば)
- Position words (うえに, なかに, したに, まえに, うしろに, となりに, あいだに)
- Pattern: Noun の Position にあります/います
Part 8: “To Do / To Make” – SHIMASU (します)
- Common uses (しゅくだい, かいもの, ヨガ, りょうり, そうじ, せんたく)
Exercises: Verb fill-in, descriptions, preposition sentences, daily activities, comprehensive review
Reading: My Weekly Schedule
Writing exercise: About yourself

Lesson 7: Going Places, Future Plans, Demonstratives, Clothing, Existence, Prices, and Comparisons

Part 1: The Verb “To Go” – IKIMASU (いきます)
- Place にいきます
- With transport (で), people (と), time words
Part 2: Talking About Future Plans
- -MASU form covers present and future
- Useful future time words (あした, らいしゅう, らいげつ, らいねん)
Part 3: Demonstratives – This, That, That Over There
- Before nouns: この, その, あの
- Standalone: これ, それ, あれ
- Three distance levels (near me, near you, far from both)
Part 4: Clothing (ふくそう)
- Clothing vocabulary
- Different wearing verbs (きています, はいています, かぶっています, かけています, しています)
Part 5: Existence – ARIMASU / IMASU for “there is/there are”
Part 6: “How much?” and “How many?” – IKURA / IKUTSU
- Prices (いくらですか)
- Expensive and cheap (たかい, やすい)
Part 7: Comparisons – YORI and NO HOU GA
- A は B より adjective です
- A と B と、どちらが adjective ですか
Exercises: いきます, future plans, demonstratives, clothing descriptions, existence, prices, comparisons

Lesson 8: Movement Verbs and Telling Time

Part 1: Movement Verbs
- つきます (to arrive) with に
- でます (to leave) with を
- きます (to come) with から/に
- かえります (to return) with に/から
Part 2: Telling Time
- Hours: number + じ (irregular: よじ, しちじ, くじ)
- Minutes: number + ふん/ぷん
- AM/PM: ごぜん, ごご
- Asking the time (いまなんじですか)
- “At what time?” (なんじに)
- Approximate time expressions (ちょうど, すぎ, ごろ)
Exercises: Movement verb fill-in, writing times
Reading: Daily Commute

Lesson 9: Directions, Obligation, Ability, and Knowledge

Part 1: Asking for Directions (みちをきく)
- Direction vocabulary (まっすぐ, みぎ, ひだり, まがってください)
- Asking patterns (どこですか, どういきますか, どのくらいかかりますか)
- Dialogue: Asking for directions
Part 2: “Have to / Must” – NAKEREBA NARIMASEN (なければなりません)
- Common “have to” phrases
- Casual alternatives (なきゃ, なくちゃ)
Part 3: “Can / Be able to” – DEKIMASU (できます)
- Pattern 1: Noun ができます (skills)
- Pattern 2: Verb + ことができます (specific actions)
- Polite requests (ていただけますか)
Part 4: “To Know” – SHITTE IMASU (しっています)
- Negative: しりません (not しっていません)
- “Know how to” uses できます
Exercises: Obligation, ability, knowledge fill-in

Lesson 10: Free Time Activities, Frequency, and Review

Part 1: Free Time Activities
- Watching (えいが, テレビ, ドラマをみます)
- Listening (おんがく, ラジオ, ポッドキャストをききます)
- Reading (ほん, しんぶん, ざっしをよみます)
- Sports and activities (サッカー, テニス, ヨガ, うんどうをします)
- Musical instruments (ギターをひきます – different verb from sports!)
- Dialogue: Free Time
Part 2: Frequency Adverbs and Expressions
- Adverbs: いつも, たいてい, よく, ときどき, たまに
- Negative frequency: あまり, めったに, ほとんど, ぜんぜん + ません
- Expressions: まいにち, まいしゅう, しゅうににかい, etc.
Exercises: Frequency sentences, free time questions
Comprehensive Review (Lessons 8-10)

Lesson 11: Invitations, Wanting, Likes and Dislikes, Opinions, and More

Part 1: Accepting or Declining an Invitation
- Inviting (ませんか, ましょう)
- Accepting (いいですね, ぜひ, もちろん)
- Declining (すみませんちょっと, できません, またこんど)
- Cultural note: indirect refusal in Japanese
Part 2: “To Want” – TAI DESU (たいです)
- Actions: verb stem + たいです
- Things: noun がほしいです
Part 3: “Which?” – DORE / DOCHIRA (どれ / どちら)
- どれ (3+ choices), どちら (2 choices), どの + noun
Part 4: “To Like” – SUKI DESU (すきです)
- Levels: だいすき, すき, まあまあ, あまりすきではありません, きらい
- Cultural note: avoiding direct きらい
Part 5: “Me too” and “Me neither” – MO (も)
- わたしも + positive verb = me too
- わたしも + negative verb = me neither
Part 6: “To Think” and “To Say” – OMOIMASU and IIMASU
- Pattern: idea/opinion + とおもいます/いいます
Part 7: Giving opinions (どうおもいますか)
Part 8: Knowing people vs facts – SHITTE IMASU revisited
Part 9: A Lot / A Little – TAKUSAN / SUKOSHI
Part 10: Good / Bad – II / WARUI and JOUZU / HETA
- Adjectives: いい/わるい
- Adverbs: よく/わるく
- Skill level: じょうず/へた
Exercises: Wanting, which, likes, me too/neither, think/say, know, quantity, quality
Comprehensive Review

Lesson 12: General Review – Oral Practice, Translation, and Teacher’s Guide

Part A: Teacher’s Activity Guide

Lesson 1 Activities: Simon Says, Survival Role Play, Chain Drill
Lesson 2 Activities: Greeting Clock, Party Introduction Mixer, Famous Person Introductions
Lesson 3 Activities: Guess Who, Adjective Chain, Country Quiz
Lesson 4 Activities: Family Tree Presentation, Where Is It?, Feelings Check-In
Lesson 5 Activities: Daily Schedule Interview, Birthday Line-Up, Number Auction, Do You Have…?
Lesson 6 Activities: Body Part Touch Game, Describe and Draw, Preposition Scavenger Hunt, What Do You Do?
Lesson 7 Activities: Fashion Show, Shopping Role Play, Comparison Debate, Weekend Plans
Lesson 8 Activities: Clock Game, Commute Interview, Movement Verb Story
Lesson 9 Activities: Classroom City, Can You? Survey, Excuse Chain
Lesson 10 Activities: Frequency Line-Up, Free Time Bingo, Weekend Reporter
Lesson 11 Activities: Invitation Role Play Carousel, Likes and Dislikes Speed Dating, Opinion Circle, Want vs Like Practice