Comments on: Beginner Lesson #77 - What Can Your Baby Do?

by: 王凱

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:17:41 +0000

可愛い赤ちゃんですね。有難うございます。
今日は、今日は、あれ、
この赤ちゃんは話すことができませんか。まだ、一歳です、まだ話すことはできません。
歩くことができますか。いええ、歩くことができません。でもハイハイすることが出来ます。
それだけですか。つまらないですか。
そんなことはありません。ほら、
わあ、可愛い笑顔ですね。

また、明日。

by: bakaneko

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 23:12:58 +0000

Oh, but aren’t the two statements “Can you not speak?” and “Can’t you speak?” saying different things?

How would you express these two statements in Japanese?

by: Tim

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 15:17:35 +0000

Baka neko….

In the case of “can you not speak?” you would add the negative to the dekiru verb not the hanasu verb. Same for all other conjugations so instead of:

話さないことができますか?

It would be:

hanasu koto ga dekimasenka?

same for past conjugation:
hanasu koto ga dekimasendeshita
(I couldn’t speak)

This is a common grammar point in Japanese. Whenever you link verbs together the conjugation goes on the last verb.

by: Hugo

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:30:34 +0000

Harv-san very good page, a lot of useful information!

Very good lesson as always! Greetings to everyone!

by: Daniel Beck

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 05:50:37 +0000

Takeさん、

When are you going to start using 「さん」?

Peterさん、

I am willing to offer terms of peace.

-Daniel B

by: Eddy

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 05:37:29 +0000

I like your pod cast, just read about in on a blog and figured I would take a look.
More english descriptions followed by the Japanese would be good to have. Also making it interactive, where I can test my own progress would be handy.

じゃあまた

by: bakaneko

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 03:02:34 +0000

Only plain affirmative nonpast?

Can you say “話さないことができますか？” to mean “Can you not speak?”

by: Harv

Wed, 31 May 2006 20:16:15 +0000

JockZonさん

yeah, you just need to use plain affirmative (simple form)

This website might be helpful
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/dekiru.htm

by: JockZon

Wed, 31 May 2006 20:03:23 +0000

Yeah, so you should use the Plain Affirmative before koto ga dekimasu?

by: Harv

Wed, 31 May 2006 17:45:46 +0000

I think thats right. It’s what I was taught. You were very close

by: Harv

Wed, 31 May 2006 17:44:16 +0000

JockZonさん

Watashi wa nihongo wo kataru koto ga dekimasu.
私は日本語を語ることが出来ます

by: JockZon

Wed, 31 May 2006 15:35:37 +0000

This lesson were really good, I was just going to ask the question about dekiru and other verbs added to this one but I listened to this first and you took all of my questions up. Arigatou gozaimashita. Watashi wa nihongo wo katarimasu koto ga dekimasu (Maybe this is right )

Anyway, excellent lesson.

by: Peter

Wed, 31 May 2006 13:38:49 +0000

Hanspeterさん、must have just missed you. Thanks for all the help in the forum! It is truly appreciated.
Glad you liked the dialogue! We’ll try to have more of these, and some other topics too! Anything topic in particular?

by: Peter

Wed, 31 May 2006 13:34:29 +0000

皆さん、お子さん was the word we were talking about in todays lesson. It consists of the Kanji for child -子 plus the honorific prefix o- and suffix -san.

by: Hanspeter

Wed, 31 May 2006 13:30:30 +0000

Great dialog - just as real life.
As father of two (half-) japanese boys i´d like to have more of this.
赤ん坊のおむつを取りかえる【あかんぼうのおむつをとりかえる】
おむつを替える【おむつをかえる】
and so on, perhaps more half- japanese families listening?

Hanspeter