What’s gobi?

Japanese sentence ending, “gobi/語尾”, (linguistically called “ending particle” or “copula”) is a crucial part of Japanese real-life grammar.

It’s common not to mention the actual subject (Watashi, Anata, etc) in regular conversation.

You can do this because the last few syllables of a sentence (gobi) can express its subject, tense, and the “tone” of the sentence (You can sound cute, macho, bossy, polite, etc. based on your choice of gobi).

This is the place you can learn them. (We are expanding the list)

Examples:

にほんごの ぶんぽうは むずかしいです。
–> Japanese grammar is difficult.

にほんごの ぶんぽうはむずかしいかな。
–> I wonder if Japanese grammar is difficult.

にほんごの ぶんぽうはむずかしいんだって。
–> I heard that Japanese grammar is difficult.

にほんごの ぶんぽうはむずかしいぜ。
–> Japanese grammar is difficult. (The “ぜ” gobi makes you sound masculine or macho)

Chart

To describe nuances of a gobi, we use this kind of chart :

 

Audio 

Many entry have a Youtube link where you can listen to the sound of gobi.
You can play all the audio clips from this link

We hope you’ll be fluent in Japanese in the near future!

がんばって！

The post appeared first on gobi.jp.

I wonder.

Examples

明日、雨降るのかな。
あした、あめふるのかな。
I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>

Chart

Audio

The post かな appeared first on gobi.jp.

masen

Meaning /Usage

Creates a negative sentence.
Negative version of ます.
Used after a verb

Examples

甘いものはあまり食べません
あまいものはあまりたべません
I don’t eat sweets much.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>
 

Chart

The post ません appeared first on gobi.jp.

ndes / ndesu

Meaning /Usage

Verb + んです

This is used to avoid ending with verb, which sounds kind of robotic.
For example,
“きょうはすしをたべる。” sounds like a check list written on a paper…(However it’s commonly used in a written sentence)

“きょうはすしをたべるんです。” sounds more natural in a regular conversation.

More casual version of のです。

Examples

今、日本語を勉強しているんです。
いま、にほんごをべんきょうしているんです。
I am studying Japanese now.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>

Chart

Audio

The post んです appeared first on gobi.jp.

mas / masu

Meaning / Usage

Basic ending for future/present tense.
Follows after a verb.

Examples

今日は早く帰ります。
きょうははやくかえります。
I’m going to leave early today.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>

Chart

Audio

The post ます appeared first on gobi.jp.

chau

Meaning /Usage

verb + ちゃう。
Casual version of てしまう。
Used when you tell other people that you are going to do something against your will or other people’s expectation.

• ちゃう also can be Kansai dialect of “ちがう”.

Examples

ダイエット中だけど、今日はいっぱい食べちゃう。
だいえっとちゅうだけど、きょうはいっぱいたべちゃう。
I’m on diet but I’m gonna eat a lot today.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>

Chart

The post ちゃう appeared first on gobi.jp.

te

Meaning / Usage

Follows after another gobi.
Means”I heard that…” “Someone told me that…”

Don’t confuse this with imperative verb ending て. (e.g. やって）
Almost same as だって

Examples

高橋君、飲み会来れるって。
たかはしくん、のみかいこれるって。
(I heard that) Takahashi-san can come to the drinking party.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>

Chart

Politeness or Macho-ness can differ depending on the word precedes.

Written  ・・・・★ Spoken
Uncommon ・・・・★ Common

Audio

The post って appeared first on gobi.jp.

datte

Meaning /Usage

“I heard that…”
Informal way to say だそうです

Almost same as って

Examples

この日本人の歌手、人気あるんだって。
このにほんじんのかしゅ、にんきあるんだって。
I heard that this Japanese singer is popular.

あの人、寿司20皿食べたんだって。
あのひと、すしにじゅっさらたべたんだって。
I heard that he/she had 20 plates of sushi.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>

Chart

Audio

The post だって appeared first on gobi.jp.

naito

Meaning / Usage

“I must… ” “You must…”
Conversational version of なければならない
Same usage as なきゃ。

Examples

あ、もう帰んないと。
あ、もうかえんないと。
Oh, I have to go.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>

Chart

Impolite ・・★・・ Polite
Informal ・・★・・ Formal
Macho    ・・★・・ Cute
Written  ・・・★・ Spoken
Uncommon ・・・★・ Common

Audio

The post ないと appeared first on gobi.jp.

no

Meaning / Usage

Usage 1.
Means “object” or “thing”.

Usage 2.
Short version of のです or んです
In this usage, the sentence can sound cute/feminine depending on the context.

Examples

Usage 1.
「そのビール、お前の？」 「うん、俺の。」
「そのびーる、おまえの？」　「うん、おれの。」
“Is that beer yours?” “Yeah, it’s mine.”

Usage 2.
知ってた？　あのラーメン、めっちゃくちゃ脂っこいの。
しってた？　あのらーめん、めちゃくちゃあぶらっこいの。
Did you know? That ramen is really greasy.

More examples on ALC dictionary >>
More examples on Twitter search (live) >>

Chart

Impolite ・★・・・ Polite
Informal ・★・・・ Formal
Written  ・・・・★ Spoken
Uncommon ・・・・★ Common

Audio

The post の appeared first on gobi.jp.