Lesson XV
41
2. There is no perfect tense of verbs in Japanese. The present perfect tense is expressed by the present tense, and the past perfect by the past tense.
| Kinō kara koko ni imasu | I have been here since yesterday. |
| Shōwa jūgo-nen kara jūshi-chinen made koko ni imashita | I had been here from 1940 to 1942. |
3. There are no relative pronouns in Japanese. Relationship to another noun or pronoun in a sentence is expressed by placing the verb before the word to which the relative pronoun would refer.
| Koko ni sunde iru hito | Persons who live here. |
| Eigo wo hanasu heitai | Solder who speaks English. |
4. Verbs in succession. Whenever verbs appear in succession be sure to make all of them progressive except the last one. The tense of the final verb decides the tenses of all.
| Asoko ni itte tabemashita | I went there and ate. |
| Koko ni kite, tatte, machinasai | Come here, and stand and wait. |
5. Type sentences:
| Koko ni kite tachinasai | Come here and stand. |
| Nan no butai ni zokushite imasu ka | What unit do you belong to? |
| Doko de horyo ni narimashita ka | Where were you captured? |
| Anata no butai ni nan-nin orimashita ka | How many men were in your unit? |
| Shishōsha wa nan-nin deshita ka | How many casualties have you had? |
| Anata no butai no ichi wa doko desu ka | What is the location of your unit? |
| Butaichō no namae wa nan desu ka | What is the name of your unit commander? |
| Saigo ni tabemashita no wa itsu deshita ka | When did you eat last? |
| Nani wo tabemashita ka | What did you eat? |
| Tanku wa ikutsu arimasu ka | How many tanks have you? |
| Kimono wa jūbun desu ka | Do you have enough clothing? |
