NIHONGO DAISUKI ! 日本語 だいすき!
  • CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
    • REI - STARTING THE LESSON
    • THINGS STUDENTS SAY
    • THINGS TEACHERS SAY
    • CLASSROOM OBJECTS
    • KIMOCHI - FEELINGS
  • YEAR 9
    • AISATSU - GREETINGS
    • GREETINGS ANIME
    • JIKO SHOUKAI - SELF INTRODUCTION
    • NAMAE - NAMES
    • BANGOU - NUMBERS
    • NAN SAI? - HOW OLD ARE YOU?
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY
    • WHERE WE LIVE
    • SPORTS AND PASTIMES
    • LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • YURU KYARA - CHARACTER MASCOTS
    • PARTS OF THE BODY - FACES
    • THE BODY - KARADA
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • WHAT'S IT LIKE - DESCRIBING WORDS
    • TENKI - WEATHER
    • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
    • SUBEJECT LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • GAKKOU - SCHOOL
    • HIRAGANA
  • YEAR 10
    • KUNI - COUNTRIES
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY >
      • FAMILY VOCABULARY
      • NAN NIN? - HOW MANY PEOPLE?
      • DARE GA IMASU KA -WHO IS THERE?
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCE
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • SHIGOTO - JOBS
    • TABEMONO - FOOD >
      • ORDERING IN A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT
    • HOUSING >
      • AROUND HOME - VOCABULARY
      • WHAT'S IT LIKE? - DOU DESU KA?
      • ARIMASU-THERE IS/THERE ARE
      • HITOTSU ARIMASU-THERE IS ONE
      • IN/ON/UNDER - PREPOSITIONS
      • SAYING WHAT THERE IS AND WHERE
      • ASKING AND SAYING WHERE SOMETHING IS
      • KORE/SORE/ARE - THIS/THAT
    • SEIKATSU - DAILY LIFE >
      • VERBS - INTRODUCTION
      • VERBS - DAILY ACTIVITIES
      • HOW OFTEN?
      • TOMORROW - FUTURE TIME WORDS
      • PAST ACTIVITIES
      • YESTERDAY - PAST TIME WORDS
      • JIKAN - TIME
      • YOUBI - DAYS OF THE WEEK
    • YEAR 10 GAKKOU >
      • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
      • SCHOOL VOCABULARY
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • DOUBUTSU - ANIMALS >
      • STORIES AND SONGS >
        • Zou no hana - The Elephant's Nose
        • Kobutanukitsuneko
    • YEAR 10 KANJI
  • YEAR 11
    • Y11 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • THINGS AROUND TOWN
      • NANI GA ARU? - WHAT IS THERE?
      • MAE / YOKO / USHIRO - Locations
      • ADJECTIVES - REVIEW
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCES
      • CHIISAKUTE, FURUI - Small and old - Joining adjectives
      • EKI GA ATTE, BENRI DESU - Forming compound sentences
      • IROIRONA MACHI - Descriptions of various towns
      • TARI-TARI - Do things like...
      • KARA - from, so, after >
        • KARA = FROM
        • KARA = THEREFORE/SO
        • KARA = AFTER
      • DOU YATTE IKU? - Giving Directions
      • NANI GA DEKIRU? - WHAT CAN WE DO THERE?
      • ASOBI NI KITE - COME AND VISIT
      • MACHI ONLINE READING LINKS
      • COUNTERS
      • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
      • AKAI NO GA HOSHII - I WANT THE RED ONE
      • IKURA - HOW MUCH?
      • SORE WO KUDASAI - THAT ONE PLEASE
      • NANI GA II - WHAT WOULD BE GOOD?
      • NI SHIMASU - EXPRESSING A DECISION
      • TO OMOU - I THINK
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • GIVING & RECEIVING - AGERU KURERU MORAU
      • OISHISOU - LOOKS DELICIOUS
      • TABETAI - WANT TO EAT
      • TSUMORI - INTEND
      • DESCRIBING PEOPLE
      • MOU, MADA - ALREADY, NOT YET
      • SUGIRU - Too much
      • NAGARA - While doing
      • TE MO II - PERMISSION
      • NARIMASU -BECOME
      • KOTO GA DEKIRU - CAN DO
      • CONNECTIVES - Joining words
      • SEQUENCE MARKERS AVERBS OF TIME
    • WATASHI-TACHI NO MACHI - OUR TOWN
    • KAIMONO - SHOPPING 1
    • KURISUMASU - CHRISTMAS
    • OTHER LANGUAGE NOTES
    • PRESENTATIONS - Oral language features
    • NCEA LEVEL 1 KANJI
    • FUNNY JAPANESE COMMERCIALS
  • YEAR 12
    • YEAR12 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • -NO HOU GA - COMPARISONS/ MORE - THAN
      • ICHIBAN - COMPARISONS/THE MOST
      • HODO NAI - COMPARISONS/ NOT AS
      • ONAJI GURAI - COMPARISONS/ SAME AS
      • DOUSHI - VERBS
      • KOTO NI SURU - DECIDE TO DO
      • SURU MAE NI - BEFORE WE DO
      • -TA ATODE - AFTER WE'VE DONE
      • CHIISAI TOKI - WHEN I WAS LITTLE
      • VERB AIDA - WHILE VERBING
      • -TE MIRU - TRY SOMETHING AND SEE
      • KISETSU - SEASONS
      • USING と FOR IF/WHEN
      • NO - NOMINALISING ADJECTIVES
      • TENKI - WEATHER
      • AME GA FUTTE IMASU - IT'S RAINING
      • NO/KOTO - NOMINALISERS 2
      • RELATIVE CLAUSES
      • TE FORM + IKU/KURU
      • REPORTED SPEECH-SOU DESU
      • DOU YATTE - HOW TO
      • YARIKATA - HOW TO
      • KOTO GA ARIMASU KA - HAVE YOU EVER...
      • TABETE SHIMAIMASHITA - ENDED UP EATING
      • NANI KA/DARE KA - SOMETHING/ SOMEBODY
      • NANI MO/DARE MO - SOMETHING/ NOTHING
      • BEGIN DOING - SHIHAJIMERU
      • TAME NI - IN ORDER TO/FOR THE SAKE OF
      • SHIKA NAI - NOTHING BUT
    • NCEA LEVEL 2 KANJI
    • ONLINE READING LINKS
    • HOMESTAY UNIT VOCABULARY
  • YEAR 13
    • YEAR13 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • NODE - EXPLAINING CONSEQUENCES
      • ~SHI - EMPHASISING SUPPORTING INFORMATION
      • TARA - IF
      • ~NARA - IF
      • ~TARA II - SHOULD
      • ~SHITA HOU GA II - OUGHT TO
      • ~SHINAI HOU GA II - OUGHT NOT TO
      • ~KOTO NI NARU - IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT~
      • ~NAKEREBA NARANAI - I HAVE TO
      • ~NAKEREBA IKENAI - YOU HAVE TO
      • ~NAKUTE MO II - YOU DON'T HAVE TO
      • ~RARERU - THE POTENTIAL FORM
      • ~TE HOSHII - WANT SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE MORAU - GET SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE KURERU - SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING FOR US
      • ~KA DOU KA - EXPRESSING UNCERTAINTY
      • ~ TSUMORI WA NAI - HAVE NO INTENTION OF ~
      • ~HAZU DA - EXPECTATION/SHOULD BE
      • ~TRANSITIVE/INTRANSITIVE VERBS
      • SUPPORT/CHALLENGE IDEAS
    • NCEA LEVEL 3 KANJI
  • VERBS
    • ICHI(1)-DAN VERBS
    • GO(5)-DAN VERBS >
      • う-VERBS
      • く-VERBS
      • ぐ-VERBS
      • す-VERBS
      • つ-VERBS
      • ぬ-VERBS
      • ぶ-VERBS
      • む-VERBS
      • る-VERBS
    • IRREGULAR VERBS
    • VERB TENSES - HOW TO USE THEM
  • LINKS AND RESOURCES
    • VIDEO RESOURCES
    • LISTENING RESOURCES
    • ONLINE COURSES
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小さいとき
When I was little

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USING とき (toki) ー 'THE TIME WHEN...' TO CONVEY IDEAS ABOUT THE TIME WHEN AN ACTION TOOK PLACE (OR WHEN A CERTAIN SITUATION EXISTED)
  • とき means 'a (point in) time'. ​

After a noun : :  e.g. こども  の  とき - (the time) when I was a child
​
  • noun + の + とき
  • NOTE: the "とき" phrase is in the NON-PAST, even though the sentence as a whole might be in the past tense.

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こどもの  とき、よく  プールで  あそびました。
  • When I was a child, I often played in the pool.

がくせいの  とき、あまり べんきょうしませんでした。
  • When I was a student, I didn't study much.
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After an い-adjective : :  e.g. ちいさい  とき - (the time) when I was little
​
  • adjective-い + とき
  • Note again that the "とき" phrase with an adjective is in the non-past. The overall tense of the sentence is determined by the final verb (at the end of the sentence).

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Here's a past tense (determined by the final verb) example:
私が  ちいさい  とき、やさいは  すきじゃ  なかったです。
  • When I was little, I didn't like vegetables.

Here's a non-past (determined by the final verb) example:
てんきが いい  とき、おてらの  けんぶつが  できます。
  • When the weather is good, we can go sightseeing at the temple.
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After a な-adjective : :  e.g. ひまな  とき - when I have/ when I had free time
​
  • adjective-な + とき
  • ​Again, the "とき" phrase is in the non-past. 

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Here's a non-past (determined by the final verb) example:
ははが ひまな  とき、よく テレビを みます。
  • When my mother has free time, she often watches TV.

Here's a past tense (determined by the final verb) example:
まちが にぎやかな  とき、とても  たのしかった  です。
  • When the town was lively, it was lots of fun.
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PRACTISE MAKING NOUN AND ADJECTIVE PHRASES WITH "TOKI"

After a verb : :  e.g. でかけるとき - when we go out
​
  • plain form verb in non-past tense + とき = around the time before the action, regardless of whether the rest of the sentence is past or present tense
  • plain form verb in past tense + とき = around the time after the action

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でかける  とき、いつも  ぼうしを  かぶります。
  • When I go out, I always put on a hat.
The putting on of the hat happens before going out, so the verb + とき phrase is in the non-past tense
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いえに  ついた  とき、いつも  くつを ぬぎます。
  • When we arrive at the house, we always take our shoes off. 
    (i.e. When we have arrived...)
NB. the taking off of the shoes happens after arriving at the house, so the verb +とき phrase  is in the past tense.
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いえに  入る  とき、いつも  くつを ぬぎます。
  • When we enter the house, we always take our shoes off. 
    (i.e. Before we enter ...)
NB. the taking off of the shoes happens before entering the house, so the verb +とき phrase  is in the non-past tense.
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​日本に  くる  とき、にもつが  おおかった  です。
  • When I came to Japan, I had so much luggage! 
NB. this was before coming to Japan, so the verb +とき phrase is in
the non-past tense.
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​日本に  きた  とき、いつも  おんせんに 行きます。
  • When I come to Japan, I always go to a hot spring resort. 
NB. going to the onsen only happens after coming to Japan, so the 
​
​verb +とき phrase is in the past tense 
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PRACTISE MAKING VERB PHRASES WITH "TOKI"
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Copyright © 2021
  • CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
    • REI - STARTING THE LESSON
    • THINGS STUDENTS SAY
    • THINGS TEACHERS SAY
    • CLASSROOM OBJECTS
    • KIMOCHI - FEELINGS
  • YEAR 9
    • AISATSU - GREETINGS
    • GREETINGS ANIME
    • JIKO SHOUKAI - SELF INTRODUCTION
    • NAMAE - NAMES
    • BANGOU - NUMBERS
    • NAN SAI? - HOW OLD ARE YOU?
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY
    • WHERE WE LIVE
    • SPORTS AND PASTIMES
    • LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • YURU KYARA - CHARACTER MASCOTS
    • PARTS OF THE BODY - FACES
    • THE BODY - KARADA
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • WHAT'S IT LIKE - DESCRIBING WORDS
    • TENKI - WEATHER
    • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
    • SUBEJECT LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • GAKKOU - SCHOOL
    • HIRAGANA
  • YEAR 10
    • KUNI - COUNTRIES
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY >
      • FAMILY VOCABULARY
      • NAN NIN? - HOW MANY PEOPLE?
      • DARE GA IMASU KA -WHO IS THERE?
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCE
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • SHIGOTO - JOBS
    • TABEMONO - FOOD >
      • ORDERING IN A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT
    • HOUSING >
      • AROUND HOME - VOCABULARY
      • WHAT'S IT LIKE? - DOU DESU KA?
      • ARIMASU-THERE IS/THERE ARE
      • HITOTSU ARIMASU-THERE IS ONE
      • IN/ON/UNDER - PREPOSITIONS
      • SAYING WHAT THERE IS AND WHERE
      • ASKING AND SAYING WHERE SOMETHING IS
      • KORE/SORE/ARE - THIS/THAT
    • SEIKATSU - DAILY LIFE >
      • VERBS - INTRODUCTION
      • VERBS - DAILY ACTIVITIES
      • HOW OFTEN?
      • TOMORROW - FUTURE TIME WORDS
      • PAST ACTIVITIES
      • YESTERDAY - PAST TIME WORDS
      • JIKAN - TIME
      • YOUBI - DAYS OF THE WEEK
    • YEAR 10 GAKKOU >
      • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
      • SCHOOL VOCABULARY
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • DOUBUTSU - ANIMALS >
      • STORIES AND SONGS >
        • Zou no hana - The Elephant's Nose
        • Kobutanukitsuneko
    • YEAR 10 KANJI
  • YEAR 11
    • Y11 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • THINGS AROUND TOWN
      • NANI GA ARU? - WHAT IS THERE?
      • MAE / YOKO / USHIRO - Locations
      • ADJECTIVES - REVIEW
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCES
      • CHIISAKUTE, FURUI - Small and old - Joining adjectives
      • EKI GA ATTE, BENRI DESU - Forming compound sentences
      • IROIRONA MACHI - Descriptions of various towns
      • TARI-TARI - Do things like...
      • KARA - from, so, after >
        • KARA = FROM
        • KARA = THEREFORE/SO
        • KARA = AFTER
      • DOU YATTE IKU? - Giving Directions
      • NANI GA DEKIRU? - WHAT CAN WE DO THERE?
      • ASOBI NI KITE - COME AND VISIT
      • MACHI ONLINE READING LINKS
      • COUNTERS
      • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
      • AKAI NO GA HOSHII - I WANT THE RED ONE
      • IKURA - HOW MUCH?
      • SORE WO KUDASAI - THAT ONE PLEASE
      • NANI GA II - WHAT WOULD BE GOOD?
      • NI SHIMASU - EXPRESSING A DECISION
      • TO OMOU - I THINK
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • GIVING & RECEIVING - AGERU KURERU MORAU
      • OISHISOU - LOOKS DELICIOUS
      • TABETAI - WANT TO EAT
      • TSUMORI - INTEND
      • DESCRIBING PEOPLE
      • MOU, MADA - ALREADY, NOT YET
      • SUGIRU - Too much
      • NAGARA - While doing
      • TE MO II - PERMISSION
      • NARIMASU -BECOME
      • KOTO GA DEKIRU - CAN DO
      • CONNECTIVES - Joining words
      • SEQUENCE MARKERS AVERBS OF TIME
    • WATASHI-TACHI NO MACHI - OUR TOWN
    • KAIMONO - SHOPPING 1
    • KURISUMASU - CHRISTMAS
    • OTHER LANGUAGE NOTES
    • PRESENTATIONS - Oral language features
    • NCEA LEVEL 1 KANJI
    • FUNNY JAPANESE COMMERCIALS
  • YEAR 12
    • YEAR12 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • -NO HOU GA - COMPARISONS/ MORE - THAN
      • ICHIBAN - COMPARISONS/THE MOST
      • HODO NAI - COMPARISONS/ NOT AS
      • ONAJI GURAI - COMPARISONS/ SAME AS
      • DOUSHI - VERBS
      • KOTO NI SURU - DECIDE TO DO
      • SURU MAE NI - BEFORE WE DO
      • -TA ATODE - AFTER WE'VE DONE
      • CHIISAI TOKI - WHEN I WAS LITTLE
      • VERB AIDA - WHILE VERBING
      • -TE MIRU - TRY SOMETHING AND SEE
      • KISETSU - SEASONS
      • USING と FOR IF/WHEN
      • NO - NOMINALISING ADJECTIVES
      • TENKI - WEATHER
      • AME GA FUTTE IMASU - IT'S RAINING
      • NO/KOTO - NOMINALISERS 2
      • RELATIVE CLAUSES
      • TE FORM + IKU/KURU
      • REPORTED SPEECH-SOU DESU
      • DOU YATTE - HOW TO
      • YARIKATA - HOW TO
      • KOTO GA ARIMASU KA - HAVE YOU EVER...
      • TABETE SHIMAIMASHITA - ENDED UP EATING
      • NANI KA/DARE KA - SOMETHING/ SOMEBODY
      • NANI MO/DARE MO - SOMETHING/ NOTHING
      • BEGIN DOING - SHIHAJIMERU
      • TAME NI - IN ORDER TO/FOR THE SAKE OF
      • SHIKA NAI - NOTHING BUT
    • NCEA LEVEL 2 KANJI
    • ONLINE READING LINKS
    • HOMESTAY UNIT VOCABULARY
  • YEAR 13
    • YEAR13 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • NODE - EXPLAINING CONSEQUENCES
      • ~SHI - EMPHASISING SUPPORTING INFORMATION
      • TARA - IF
      • ~NARA - IF
      • ~TARA II - SHOULD
      • ~SHITA HOU GA II - OUGHT TO
      • ~SHINAI HOU GA II - OUGHT NOT TO
      • ~KOTO NI NARU - IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT~
      • ~NAKEREBA NARANAI - I HAVE TO
      • ~NAKEREBA IKENAI - YOU HAVE TO
      • ~NAKUTE MO II - YOU DON'T HAVE TO
      • ~RARERU - THE POTENTIAL FORM
      • ~TE HOSHII - WANT SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE MORAU - GET SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE KURERU - SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING FOR US
      • ~KA DOU KA - EXPRESSING UNCERTAINTY
      • ~ TSUMORI WA NAI - HAVE NO INTENTION OF ~
      • ~HAZU DA - EXPECTATION/SHOULD BE
      • ~TRANSITIVE/INTRANSITIVE VERBS
      • SUPPORT/CHALLENGE IDEAS
    • NCEA LEVEL 3 KANJI
  • VERBS
    • ICHI(1)-DAN VERBS
    • GO(5)-DAN VERBS >
      • う-VERBS
      • く-VERBS
      • ぐ-VERBS
      • す-VERBS
      • つ-VERBS
      • ぬ-VERBS
      • ぶ-VERBS
      • む-VERBS
      • る-VERBS
    • IRREGULAR VERBS
    • VERB TENSES - HOW TO USE THEM
  • LINKS AND RESOURCES
    • VIDEO RESOURCES
    • LISTENING RESOURCES
    • ONLINE COURSES