Synopses & Reviews
<i>Essential Japanese Grammar</i> is an indispensable reference for students of Japanese at all levels, as well as anyone seeking to brush up on the language. Providing clear, jargon-free explanations of how Japanese grammar works and offering hundreds of example sentences, it is an essential handbook for self-study or for the classroom and should be a valued resource for years to come.<br><br>The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 gives a comprehensive overview of Japanese grammar, including the parts of speech, sentence word order, verbs, polite language (<i>keigo</i>), counters, and other facets of everyday language. Part 2 is a dictionary of usage, and explains and illustrates the correct uses of hundreds of Japanese suffixes, prefixes, grammatical words, and phrases. The two parts are closely coordinated through cross-referencing. Each entry includes example sentences given in both Japanese orthography (kana/kanji) and romanized form, with the English equivalents. The introduction to the grammar overview summarizes the fundamental differences between the English and Japanese grammar. Appendices offer extensive words lists for adjectival nouns, nouns formed from verbs, counters, and other categories.<br><br>For students seeking to master the language and speak and write like a native, <i>Essential Japanese Grammar</i>< is an essential tool: it will help them understand the rules governing usage and expand their vocabulary, while learning the proper contexts for words and phrases critical for communication. For teachers seeking a handy resource for clear grammar explanations and examples to illustrate grammar points, it is an invaluable aid.
Review
"The book is very useful in conjunction with Japanese language text books and if you want to better understand the construction of the sentences and the word order… Another thing I liked about this book is that its content is arranged in alphabetical order which makes it easy to find what you are looking for." — Japan Reference
Synopsis
Essential Japanese Grammar is an indispensable reference for students of Japanese at all levels, as well as anyone seeking to brush up on the language. Providing clear, jargon-free explanations of how Japanese grammar works and offering hundreds of example sentences, it is an essential handbook for self-study or for the classroom and should be a valued resource for years to come.
Synopsis
Essential Japanese Grammar is an indispensable reference for students of Japanese at all levels, as well as anyone seeking to brush up on the language. Providing clear, jargon-free explanations of how Japanese grammar works and offering hundreds of example sentences, it is an essential handbook for self-study or for the classroom and should be a valued resource for years to come.
Synopsis
Essential Japanese Grammar is an indispensable study guide for students of the Japanese language at all levels.Long the standard in Japanese language education, it provides clear, jargon-free explanations of how Japanese grammar works and offers hundreds of example sentences. It is an essential handbook for self-study or for the classroom and should be a valued resource for years to come. A strong foundation in grammar is vital to those wishing to learn Japanese as a whole.
Essential Japanese Grammar presents a number of unique features. First, grammatical terminology has been kept to a minimum so that extensive prior knowledge of grammar is not required. Second, abundant example sentences written in Japanese characters (kana and kanji) followed by romanji and English translations. Third, the authors have tried to reveal aspects of grammar that may not be found in comparable grammar books such as rare Japanese verbs, adjectival nouns, clauses adverbs, etc.
This book contains:
- parts of speech.
- sentence constructions.
- conjugations forms.
- speech styles and tones.
- accentuation rules.
- essential words and functional elements.
- an appendix for referencing and cross-referencing Japanese words.
About the Author
Masahiro Tanimori is associate professor of Japanese education at Tottori University in Japan. He is the author of
Handbook of Japanese Grammar.
Eriko Sato is Lecturer of Japanese and Japanese linguistics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is the author of Japanese for Dummies and Contemporary Japanese.