Editing Openai/6916afae-6ae0-800a-b91e-f4c494caf364 (section)

=== These are the “Tofugu-style” explanations you asked for — the deeper conceptual stuff Genki doesn’t provide, but which dramatically improves fluency. ===

==== sore (near listener) ====
are (far from both)

English collapses both ideas into that, but Japanese treats physical perspective as part of the meaning.

This explains why:
* それ (“that near you”) can sometimes feel slightly confrontational depending on tone — it can imply “the thing YOU have.”
* あれ (“that over there”) can be used jokingly about abstract things: - あれは何？ (“What is that (mess/idea/problem)?”)

This nuance becomes very real in conversations.

==== Most learners blur them early. ====

Think of it like:
* これ = this thing (pronoun)
* この本 = this book (adjective)

They are different parts of speech.

English also does this:
* “this” vs “this book”

So:
* ❌ これ本 is ungrammatical.
* ✔️ この本

==== This is a truly important structural rule: ====
* WH-words (だれ・どれ・どこ・どの・なに) → cannot take は → must take が

This will matter a lot in Lessons 3–7 when we build real questions.

==== どれ？ → general “Which one?” ====
どの本？ → specific, “Which book?”

Native speakers almost always use どの + N when possible because it narrows context.

Example with nuance:

どれがあなたのですか。
→ Which one (out of all these) is yours?

どのかばんがあなたのですか。
→ Which bag is yours? (More focused)

==== This is one of the hardest things for English speakers. ====

Genki example:
ゆいさん も にほんじんです。

The も attaches to ゆい — NOT to “Japanese.”

Wrong phrasing (but common learner mistake):

❌ にほんじんもです。

Reason:
English says “Yui is Japanese too,”
but in Japanese you always attach も to the thing being added to the set.

This becomes extremely important in conversation logic.

==== Genki explains politeness but not real-world usage: ====

Here’s the truth:
* じゃないです → default spoken Japanese → 100% natural; polite enough for daily life
* ではありません → formal, stiff, business/government/announcements
* じゃありません → sits in the middle, polite but slightly old-school

Your wife/family will almost always use:
* じゃないよ (casual)
* じゃないです (polite)

==== These are not optional flavor — they’re part of Japanese social logic. ====
* ね seeks agreement, checks shared understanding → soft, communal → “right?” / “isn’t it?”
* よ asserts information → stronger, confident → “you know” / “I’m telling you”

Examples:

これはにくじゃない ね。
→ “This isn’t meat, right?”

とんかつはさかなじゃないです よ。
→ “Tonkatsu is NOT fish (I assure you).”

Family and friends use them CONSTANTLY.

We will use these heavily in conversation practice.

==== Genki says おねがいします is “more upscale.” ====
Tofugu says it’s “for abstract requests.”

Here’s the real distinction:
* ください → give me X (a thing)
* おねがいします → please do X (an action)

You can say:
* メニューをください。 “Menu, please.” (Object)

But you would say:
* これをおねがいします。 “I’ll take this.” (Action: fulfill this order)

In real Japan:
* Restaurants → おねがいします
* Shops → ください

We’ll drill this live during conversation.

==== You noticed: ====
* どのがくせいがにほんじんですか。

Because WH-words require が.

This is the seed of something massive:
* は = topic
* が = focus / new information / the thing that answers a question

This lesson is laying the foundation for arguably the hardest structural concept in Japanese.

But you’re already strong here from Duo + existing experience.