Lesson 4. Grammar Item #3-b (p. 80)
Professor Yamashita was a student at Tozai
University.
· Professor Yamashita is a student at Tozai University.
à
やましたせんせいは
yamashita-sensei-wa
とうざいだいがくの がくせい です
touzai daigaku-no gakusei -des-u[1]
-be [LV][Polite]-Present Tense
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the Linking Verb be (= be in be {N or Adjective}) in the polite style with the PAST TENSE
à
でした /des-ita/ (à deshita)
be [LV][Polite]-Past Tense
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1) やましたせんせいは
yamashita-sensei-wa
とうざいだいがくの がくせい でした
touzai daigaku-no gakusei -des-ita
-be [LV][Polite]-Past Tense
a) My specialty was history.
b) The present (for my graduation) was a Waterman fountain pen.
c) The hamburger was 600 yen.
(Lit., Talking about the hamburger, (its price) was 600 yen.)
The
professor was not a student at Kansai Gaidai.
· The professor is not a student at Kansai Gaidai.
à
せんせいは
sensei-wa
かんさいがいだいのがくせい じゃ
kansai gaidai-no gakusei -zya[2]
-being to TOPIC
ありません
ar-imas-en
exist-Polite-Negative
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the Linking Verb not be (= not be in not be {N or Adjective}) in the polite style with PAST TENSE
à
じゃ ありません でした
/zya ar-imas-en des-ita/
(à zya arimasen deshita)
being to TOPIC exist-Polite-Negative was [Polite]
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N.B. There is no immediate past negative form corresponding to /en/, as /ita/ (in /des-ita/) corresponding to /ru/ (in /des-ru/) for the affirmative. The form /en/ is a fossil, or an expression of the negation of Classical Japanese.
N.B. The literal translation is ‘It was the case that the professor is not a student at Tozai University’.
2) やましたせんせいは
yamashita-sensei-wa
とうざいだいがくの がくせい じゃ
touzai
daigaku-no gakusei zya
being to TOPIC
ありません でした
ar-imas-en -des-ita
exist-Polite-Negative -was [Polite]
d) I was not a good undergraduate student.
e) The dinner at the party was not sushi.
f) Yesterday was not Sunday.