Noken
es

N5 · Lesson 21

Opinions and quoting

Say what you think with 〜と 思[おも]います and report what someone said with 〜と 言[い]います.

Grammar

Plain form と います — "I think that"

S (plain form) と います

The content of the opinion goes in the plain form followed by と います: あした ると います. With nouns and -な adjectives you add だ: だと います.

Examples

  • I think the cost of living in Japan is high.

  • I think Mr. Miller has already gone home.

「〜」と います — quoting

「direct quote」と いました / S (plain) と っていました

と marks what was said. A direct quote goes in Japanese quotation marks 「」; an indirect quote goes in the plain form: さんは ると っていました.

Examples

  • Before going to sleep you say "oyasuminasai".

〜でしょう? — asking for confirmation

S (plain form) でしょう?

でしょう with rising intonation asks the listener to confirm something you both know: あしたのパーティー、 くでしょう?

Examples

  • Hokkaido must have been cold, right? …No, it wasn't that cold.

N1 (place) で N2 が あります — events

place で event が あります

あります also means "to take place": で お りが あります (there's a festival in Osaka).

Examples

  • There's a Japan–Brazil football match in Tokyo.

N でも みませんか — suggesting with an example

N でも V ませんか

でも after a noun offers it as one example among others when inviting: ビールでも みませんか (shall we have a beer or something?).

Examples

  • Shall we have a tea or something?

V ないと…… — "I'd better…"

V (ない form) ないと……

A shortened colloquial version of 〜なければ なりません: もう らないと…… (I'd better be going now).

Examples

  • I'd better be going now.

Vocabulary

WordReadingMeaning
to believe, to think
to say
to win
to lose, to be beaten
to be held [a festival]
to be useful
to work, to move
to quit, to leave [the company]
to pay attention, to be careful
to study abroad
unnecessary, useless
inconvenient
terrible, amazing
truth
lie
car, automobile
transport, traffic
cost of living
broadcast
news
cartoons
comic
design
dream
genius
match, game
opinion
speech, story
the Earth
moon
lately
probably, maybe
without fail, surely
really
not so (with a negative)
about, regarding ~
long time no see!
how about having ~?
naturally, of course
I have to go now

See this lesson's vocabulary →

See also