So we have only learned the “te” form for this. But there are lots of other ways. I probably won’t get to them all here, so I’ll update this as I learn new ones

Sources:

MaggieSensei - How to use shi

SelfTaughtJapanese - Japanese phrase ender し

Japanese Stack Exchange: Difference between し and たり

Tae Kim: Listing Multiple Verbs

Tae Kim: Compound Sentences

Tae Kim: Verb Sequences

Wasabi Japan: Sequential and Parallel Actions

て form

So this is the only one we have learned in class. I won’t go through how to form it. It kind of sucks for verbs.

But, you can use it for connecting predicates in parallel (“and”), sequentially, or imply a cause.

Ex.

事故で、遅くなった - “I was late because of an accident”

美味しくてきれいなの - “It is delicious and beautiful”

毎朝起きて朝ごはんを食べて学校に出てる - “I wake up every morning, eat breakfast, and go to school”

し

Structure: Direct Predicate + し

Use: For listing predicates. Implies that there is more to the list. Can also show reason or contrast. Similar to て form in this regard, but し is more colloquial and very informal (even “unintellectual”). It can also end a sentence, which works like て form too in that the reason or following part is implied or known, or to imply that there are more things part of the list. Can also be used as a sentence ender to make it more colloquial.

Ex.

雨が降っているし、もう帰ります - “It is raining, so I will go home now”

遊びに行きたいし、宿題はしなくてはいけないし、どうしよう - “I want to go play, but I have to do homework, what do I do?”

サナがきれいだし美しいし優しいしすごいよ - “Sana is pretty, beautiful, kind, and amazing”

先生だし、年上だし, ... - “It’s because she is a teacher, and older, and …”

日本語の勉強は難しいけど楽しいし、やりがいもある - “Studying japanese is difficult but rewarding”

そのレストランは安いし、美味しいからしょっちゅう食べてるよ - “This resturant is cheap and tasty, so I eat there all the time”

たり

Structure: Predicate plain perfective + り … after last たり add する

Use: For creating a list of things, mainly V, but sometimes used for N and A too. You can also use it once for things like conditionals and stuff, but won’t get into that.

Ex.

休日は、食べたり寝たりして過ごしています - “I spend my days off eating and sleeping”

寝たり、本を読んだりするのが好き - “I like to sleep and read books”

ながら

Guess this doesn’t really belong here, but whatever.

Structure: Raw A/N or Pre-masu V + ながら

Use: If used with V, indicates verb is happening “at the same time” or “while” the predicate is happening. With A/N can show predicate “even while” / “despite that” the A/N.

Ex.

テレビを見ながら、宿題をする - “Do homework while watching TV”

食べながら話すのはだめだよ - “It’s not good to talk while eating”

子供ながら料理が上手のね - “Even while being a child, he is good at cooking”

このホテルは小さいながらもいいホテルだと思っている - “Despite this hotel being small, I think it is a good hotel”




Vocab:

Here are some kanji from the lessons that I wasn’t really familiar with at this point:

  • 子供. Don’t know the second kanji, but seen this word everywhere. Means “kid” or “children”. Pronounced “kodomo”.

  • やりがい. Means to “be worth doing”.

  • しょっちゅう. Means “always” / “constantly” / “frequently”.

  • 過ごす. Never seen before. Means “to spend/pass (time)”. Pronounced “sugosu”.

  • 遊ぶ. Know the word, never seen the kanji. Means “to play” / “to hang out”. Pronounced “asobu”.