Authors: Naoko Chino
ISBN-13: 9784770022004, ISBN-10: 477002200X
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Kodansha International
Date Published: July 2005
Edition: Bilingual
NAOKO CHINO resides in Tokyo, where she is a lecturer at Sophia University. She is the author of All About Particles, Japanese Verbs at a Glance, and A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentence Patterns, all published by Kodansha International.
Particles are one of the most difficult aspects of the Japanese language. This is precisely why there are a good number of books on the market dealing with the subject. Most of these books take up particles as independent entities, so that after having studied them, students are, if all goes well, familiar with the functions of the individual particles. One unfortunate side to this approach is that some of the particles share the same functions (but with slight differences), and so even though students may have grasped the general nature of each particle, they are not sure about the differences between the particles that have similar functions.
Well-known language book author Naoko Chino solves this problem by grouping the particles by function, defining them, giving samples of usage, and clarifying differences. Each section is followed by dual-purpose quizzes that allow readers to test and practice their knowledge. In this way, while not replacing general reference books on particles, this book goes a step beyond them and helps students nail down the troubling differences between particles.
For students who find themselves befuddled when confronting such differences, How to Tell the Difference Between Japanese Particles should prove the perfect tool to further their understanding.
By grouping particles that are similar in function, this book helps students pin down differences in usage that would ordinarily take years to master. Definitions, sample sentences, usage notes, and quizzes enable students to move to a higher level of comprehension.
I | Particles indicating time | 11 |
II | Particles that indicate the place where an action takes place or the place where something is (exists) | 23 |
III | Particles showing connections between words | 31 |
IV | Particles that indicate direction | 45 |
V | Particles that indicate a question or uncertainty | 53 |
VI | Particles that indicate a reason or cause | 61 |
VII | Particles that indicate a condition or supposition | 71 |
VIII | Particles that indicate a limitation or maximum | 79 |
IX | Particles indicating, or providing information about, the subject of a clause or sentence | 89 |
X | Particles that indicate objects of desire or wishes | 101 |
XI | Particles that indicate a list of objects, qualities, or actions | 107 |
XII | Particles that indicate an amount or quantity | 117 |
XIII | The particle [actual symbol not reproducible] (no) indicates that the noun preceding it modifies the noun following it | 127 |
XIV | Sentence-ending particles indicating what the speaker has heard | 131 |
XV | Particles that indicate emphasis | 139 |
XVI | Particles used for comparison | 151 |
XVII | Particles that indicate a means by which something is done or material from which something is made | 157 |
XVIII | Particles that indicate a purpose or object of a verb | 161 |
XIX | Particles that come at the end of a sentence and indicate the speaker's feelings or dictate the tone of a sentence | 167 |