Welcome to Level 2, Lesson 3!
Ready to share your intentions and offer helpful suggestions in Japanese? Lesson 3 at gokigen japanese blog introduces you to key patterns for expressing your will and giving advice to others, making your conversations more proactive and considerate.
The main goals of this lesson are to enable you to understand and use expressions of will/intention and advice and to effectively convey your intentions and advice to others.
Key grammar patterns and expressions you will master in this lesson include:
- Volitional Form (意志形): Learn how to form the volitional form of verbs. This form is used when you decide to do something yourself (e.g., 頑張ろう！ – Let’s do our best!) or when inviting someone to do something together (e.g., 一緒に行きましょう – Let’s go together).
- Expressing Intention/Plan: Learn how to express that you are currently thinking of doing something or have a plan using the pattern V(volitional) + と思っています (to omotte imasu) (e.g., 日本で日本語を勉強しようと思っています – I’m thinking of studying Japanese in Japan).
- Doing Something in Preparation (~ておく): Master the versatile pattern V-て + おく (te oku). This is used for actions done in advance to prepare for a future event (e.g., 部屋を掃除しておきます – I’ll clean the room in advance) or sometimes to indicate leaving something in a certain state (e.g., ドアを開けておいてください – Please leave the door open).
- Giving Advice (~たらどうですか): Learn a gentle and common way to offer advice or suggest a course of action to someone using the pattern V-た + らどうですか (tara dou desu ka), meaning “Why don’t you consider doing ~?” or “How about doing ~?” (e.g., もっと寝たらどうですか – Why don’t you sleep more?).
By the end of Lesson 3, Level 2, you’ll be able to clearly state your intentions and plans, talk about actions you’re doing in preparation, and offer helpful, polite advice to others. These patterns add direction and consideration to your Japanese conversations!
Explore the articles linked below to master expressing intentions and giving advice in Japanese!
