Hi everyone!
Today’s lesson is for beginners. We will study how to use 「〜ない？ ( = nai?)」
As you know ない ( = nai) is a negative form but you can use it when you suggest doing something to someone with you or encourage someone to do something with ない ( = nai)?
You can also make a tag question with it.
verb :
u-verb
*書く ( = kaku) to write
書かない ( = kakanai) not to write
(more polite : use ます ( = masu) form)
*書きます （ = kakimasu )
書きません ( = kakimasen)
*行く(=iku) to go
行かない ( = ikanai) not to go
*行きます ( = ikimasu)
行きません ( = ikimasen)
*読む ( = yomu) to read
読まない ( = yomanai) not to read
*読みます ( = yomimasu)
読みません ( = yomimasen)
*会う ( = au) to see / meet
会わない ( = awanai) not to see / meet
*会います ( = aimasu)
会いません ( = aimasen)
*話す ( = hanasu) to speak / talk
話さない ( = hanasanai) not to speak / talk
*話します ( = hanashimasu)
話しません ( = hanashimasen.)
*******
ru-verb
*見る ( = miru ) to see / to watch / to look
見ない ( = minai) not to see / watch / look
*見ます ( = mimasu)
見ません ( = mimasen)
*食べる ( = taberu) to eat
食べない ( = tabenai) not to eat
*食べます ( = tabemasu )
食べません ( = tabemasen)
*起きる ( = okiru) to get up
起きない ( = okinai) not to get up
*起きます ( = okimasu)
起きません ( = okimasen)
*寝る ( = neru) to sleep
寝ない ( = nenai) not to sleep
*寝ます ( = nemasu)
寝ません ( = nemasen)
*******
Special verbs :
*する ( = suru) to do
しない ( = shinai) not to do
*します ( = shimasu)
しません ( = shimasen)
*旅行する = ryokou suru = to travel
旅行しない = ryokou shinai = not to travel
*旅行します
( = ryokou shimasu)
旅行しません
= ryokou shimasen
*来る ( = kuru) to come
来ない ( = konai) not to come
*来ます ( = kimasu)
来ません ( = kimasen)
******
Ex. 東京に行く
= Toukyou ni iku
= to go to Tokyo
(negative)
東京に行かない
= Toukyou ni ikanai
= not to go to Tokyo
Now let’s add a question mark,？.
東京に行かない？
= Touyou ni ikanai?
It is not a negative sentence. It means,
“Do you want to go to Tokyo with me?”
“Why don’t we go Tokyo!”
Note: Stress the last verb with rising intonation when you read it.
Polite form : You add “か ( = ka) after ません ( = masen)
東京に行きませんか？
= Toukyou ni ikimasen ka?
= Would you like to go to Tokyo with me?
Note 1) Be careful with か ( = ka).
A lot of people add “か ( = ka)” automatically when they make a question.
It is totally acceptable adding か ( = ka) after ます ( = masu), ません ( = masen)
*ます ( = masu) +か ( = ka) →OK! :grin:
*ません ( = masen) +か ( = ka)→OK! :grin:
But if you add か ( = ka) after ない ( = nai)
東京に行かないか？ !
= Toukyou ni ikanaika?
This is male speech and sounds rough.
Note 2 ) If you add の ( = no) after ない ( = nai) you can express a feeling of surprise.
Ex. 東京に行かないの？
= Toukyou ni ikanaino?
= Don’t you go to Tokyo?
polite form ないのですか ( = nai no desu ka?)
Ex. 東京に行かないのですか？
= Toukyou ni ikanai no desu ka?
OK, I will give you more examples with “V + ない ( = nai)?“
Asking someone to do something together or encouraging someone to do something.
Ex. 一緒にお昼食べない？
= Issho ni ohiru tabenai?
= Do you want to eat lunch with me? (Why don’t we eat lunch together? )
Ex. この本、読まない？
= Kono hon, yomanai?
= Do you want to read this book? (Why don’t you read this book?)
Ex. 明日、映画でも観に行かない？
= Ashita, eiga demo mini ikanai?
= Do you like to go see a movie or something tomorrow?
Ex. 夏休み、私とニューヨークに行かない？
= Natsuyasumi, watashi to nyuuyooku ni ikanai?
= Would you like to go to N.Y. with me over the summer vacation?
Ex. 日本語を勉強してみない？
= Nihongo wo benkyou shite minai?
= Would you like to give studying Japanese a try?
Ex. 一緒にお茶でも飲まない？
= Issho ni ocha demo nomanai?
= Would you like to have a cup of tea (or coffee) with me?
(This is a typical pick-up line and お茶 ( = ocha) doesn’t necessarily mean “a cup of tea.” It means to go to a coffee shop and have something to drink.)
Ex. 健一君も日本語能力試験を受けてみない？
= Kenichi kun mo nihongo nouryoku shiken wo ukete minai?
= Do you also want to try to take the JLPT test, Kenichi?
******
Also you use 「~ない ( = nai)?」 for a tag question.
Expressing your opinion/feelings and ask your listener’s agreement.
verb negative form (see above)
You can also use a negative form of adjectives or nouns.
i-adj : 〜くない ( = kunai)
*かわいい ( = kawaii) cute
かわいくない ( = Kawaikunai) not cute
na-adj : ~ではない ( = dewa nai)
*きれい ( = kirei) beautiful
きれいではない ( = kirei dewa nai) not beautiful
noun : ~ではない ( = dewa nai)
*本 ( = hon) a book/ books
本ではない ( = hon dewa nai) not a book/books
Note: Since this tag question is colloquial Japanese, we often use じゃない ( = janai) instead of ではない ( = dewa nai)
Go check じゃない ( = janai) lesson
Ex. この曲を聞くと元気が出ない？
= Kono kyoku wo kiku to genki ga denai?
= Doesn’t this song cheer you up? (This song cheers me up. How about you?)
Ex. あの先生の授業、眠くならない？
= Ano sensei no jugyou, nemuku naranai?
= Doesn’t that teacher’s lesson make you sleepy? (I get sleepy in that teacher’s class. Don’t you agree?)
Ex. これ美味しくない？
= Kore oishikunai?
= Isn’t it delicious? (I think it is delicious. What do you think?)
Ex. そんなにがんばって、疲れない？
= Sonnani ganbatte, tsukarenai?
= Don’t you get tired trying (working) so hard?
Ex. マギー先生ってきれいじゃない？
= Maggie Sensei tte kireijanai?
= Isn’t Maggie Sensei beautiful? (I think Maggie is beautiful. Don’t you agree?)
Ex. あそこにいるのマギー先生の彼氏ではない？ (→more casual じゃない？)
= Asoko ni iru no Maggie sensei no kareshi dewa nai? ( janai?)
= Isn’t that (dog over there) Maggie Sensei’s boyfriend?
マギー先生より = Maggie sensei yori = From Maggie sensei
デートに誘ったのに断られちゃった。
=Deito ni sasotta noni kotowararechatta.
= I asked him out for a date but he turned me down.
これって、ひどくない？
= Korette hidoku nai?
= Isn’t that awful?
せっかくお洒落したのになあ。
= Sekkaku oshare shita noni naa.
= Oh well, I dressed up for nothing.
誰か一緒に遊ばない？
= Dare ka issho ni asobanai?
= Does anybody want to go out with me?
***
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14 Comments
Hello 先生! Could you help me with the following sentence (from my textbook)?
ジロジロ見ないの！
To me, it seems like an imperative: “Don’t stare!” Am I correct? Also, is this female speech? Thanks!
Hi Davide,
That’s の has a function of emphasis and this form is often used when teachers or parents tell small children to do/not to do something as an imperative form.
It is possible for men (teacher/father) to use this form but you are right, women tend to use it more than men.
FYI, you also use の at the end of the sentence to make your point.
だから、後でやるって言ってるの！ I am telling you that I am going to do that later! (this speech pattern is for children or women)
I see. Thank you so much 先生 ! 😁😁
どういたしまして、Davide💖
先生、高校生の女の子とか若い人々の言い方は大人と違うですか？映画とかドラマに違って見えるけど。違うとどうやってdifferenciate できるかな？
@ヽ(*´∀｀)ノ
違いますよ〜。
いっぱいレッスンがあります。よかったらチェックしてね。
Gal’s slang あげぽよ
若者言葉
日本の高校生がいいそうなこと
etc. etc.
Hello ! I just finished reading your lesson and saw a mistake right here :
” 寝る(=okiru) to sleep
寝ない (=okinai) not to sleep ”
Isn’t it “neru” and “nenai” ?
And by the way, about that part :
“明日、映画でも観に行かない？”
Just wondering, is there any difference between 見に行く and 観に行く ? I’ve always learnt to write it like the first one, so I was a bit surprised !
Thank you for what you do, I love your lessons, there’re really great !
頑張ってね！
@サーフィー
こんにちは、サーフィー!
Ooops!! Thank you for spotting the mistakes. I fixed them. (I copied and pasted them with my little paws and forgot to changed them. ^；ｪ；^,)
As for 見る vs 観る
Basically you can use 見る
But we use 観る for movies, musicals, arts, plays, arts, something you appreciate, sightseeing, etc.
そうか。ありがとうございました！
@サーフィー
こちらこそ、ありがとう！
Beginner lessons are very helpful. ありがとうございます。
@ヽ(*´∀｀)ノ
I am very happy to hear that!! I will make more lessons for beginners for you! U^ェ^U
I think 帰る should be classified as u-verb
@Mon Sama
Hello Mon Sama!
Thank you!!! I removed it. ありがとう！