Check
You can pick any "Challenge" but it will be easier if you start from 【CHALLENGE 01】
Each challenge focuses on a specific topic/situation. Once you learn the base format, the rest is up to your vocabulary.
It will be very useful if you learn the Sound of Hiragana, and Commonly used words.
Check out Survival Japanese "Boot Camp Series" for building vocabulary!
【Challenge 04】covers a question form of "desu" = "desuka?"
With the basic question form "desuka?", you can handle almost any type of questions. You can find out about a person, a place, an item, etc. This challenge is focused on the simplest form of question.
Let's view the challenge video!
A little tip
「です・desu」「ですか？・desuka?」are polite form. It's always good and safe to learn polite form first. Once you start talking more in real situations, you will notice how people abbreviate or omit a lot of what you first learn. That's ok. Soon, you too will learn when and how to make it casual.
Polite, casual, and seniority system
Attention!
Here, "polite" is for everybody except for your friends, classmates, or younger people. In Japan, seniority is a big thing. Oftentimes, when you are one year older than somebody, he/she may treat you as a seniority.
In Jr. High School and up, and amongst colleague, the seniority system is alive and well. Even though younger generations may not value seniority system as much, it's still safe to be polite at the beginning.
Let's listen to some conversation. How much can you pick up?
あした、いそがしい ですか？(Are you busy tomorrow?)
asita, isogasii desuka?
まあまあ です。ごごは ひま です。(So so. I'll be free in the afternoon.)
maa maa desu. gogo wa hima desu.
あの せんせい は きびしい ですか？(Is that teacher strict?)
ano sensei wa kibisii desu ka?
すごく きびしい です。てすと も むずかしい です。(Very strict. Test is hard too.)
sugoku kibisii desu. tesuto mo muzukasii desu.
この みせ の りょうり、すき ですか？(Do you like the food at this restaurant ?)
kono mise no ryōri, suki desuka?
すき ですよ。しゅう に ３かい きます。 (I do. I come 3 times a week.)
suki desuyo. syū ni 3 kai kimasu.
あのげーむ、おもしろいですか？ (Is that game good?)
ano gēmu, omosiroi desuka?
おもしろいですよ。でも、むずかしいです。(it's good. But it's hard.)
omosiroi desuyo. demo, muzukasii desu.
よ・yo / だよ・dayo = instead of "desu"
Check!
If you have any questions on this challenge, check out the Q&A section to see if you can find answers. Or, you can submit your questions from HERE.
