Lesson 34
Base 3 + na
This, you could say, is the counterpart to Lesson 10, where we created short positive commands using Base 2 + nasai, like:
- Tabenasai! (Eat!)
- Suwarinasai! (Sit down!)
- Koko ni kinasai! (Come here!)
In this lesson we will make short negative commands — "don't do's" — by adding na to plain (Base 3) verbs. First, let's make the above examples negative:
- Taberu na! (Don't eat!)
- Suwaru na! (Don't sit down!)
- Koko ni kuru na! (Don't come here! / Stay away from here! / Stay away from me!)
Now let's do a few more:
- Terebi o miru na! (Don't watch TV!)
- Sawaru na! (Don't touch!)
- Enki suru na! (Don't put it off!)
And here are two which are very useful to teachers in Japan:
- Shaberu na! (Don't talk!)
- Neru na! (Don't sleep!)
This is a command form with no politeness whatsoever connected to it. It usually conveys displeasure or even anger. It is generally used as a "last resort" after more polite requests are tried and ignored. However, as with English, it can be "softened" or used jokingly with the right intonation and facial expression.
This is one that will probably not be used very often, but if you do, be careful how, and to whom, you use it.
Word Check
taberu: to eat
miru: to look, watch
suwaru: to sit
sawaru: to touch 1
enki suru: to postpone, put off
kuru: to come
shaberu: to talk
neru: to sleep
(Verbs are shown in their plain form.)
Notes
1. Be careful with suwaru and sawaru! They are very similar and can be easily mistaken. We have all heard (here in Japan) of the gaijin who got on the train and asked the girl if he could sit next to her. He thought he had said, "Mind if I sit down?" when he actually asked, "Mind if I touch?"
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