This is the entire grammar of MiniCore Japanese: twenty fixed sentence patterns. Every blank (___) takes any noun you own — including every noun you harvest in the field. The frames are numbered in the order the lessons introduce them, which is also, roughly, simplest and most useful first.
The only question rule you need (taught in Lesson 2): statement + ka = question. Any frame ending in desu or -masu becomes its yes/no question by adding ka — nothing else changes. Frames written with (ka) below are ones you’ll use both ways daily; frames with ka built in are the ones that only exist to ask.
| # | Frame | It says | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | sumimasen | excuse me / sorry / thank you (for the trouble) | L1 |
| 2 | ___ desu (ka). | it’s ___ / I’m ___ — is it ___? | L2 |
| 3 | ___ wa ___ desu (ka). | (as for) ___, it’s ___ | L2 |
| 4 | ___ (o) kudasai. | ___, please (give me) | L2 |
| 5 | (___ wa) ikura desu ka. | how much (is ___)? | L3 |
| 6 | ___ wa arimasu (ka). | is there ___? / do you have ___? (things) | L4 |
| 7 | ___ wa imasu (ka). | is ___ around? (people & animals) | L4 |
| 8 | ___ wa doko desu ka. | where is ___? | L4 |
| 9 | ___ ga hoshii desu. | I want ___ (a thing — not at the register) | L5 |
| 10 | [verb]-tai desu. | I want to [verb] | L5 |
| 11 | ___ ga ii desu. | I’ll go with ___ / I’d prefer ___ | L5 |
| 12 | ___ onegaishimasu. | ___, please (services, destinations, the check) | L5 |
| 13 | ___ wa dou desu ka. | how about ___? / how is ___? | L5 |
| 14 | [verb]-masu ka. | do you / will you [verb]? | L6 |
| 15 | ___ wa nan-ji desu ka. | what time is ___? (kara = opens from, made = until) | L6 |
| 16 | [verb]-te kudasai. | please [do] — six memorized verbs only | L7 |
| 17 | ___, ii desu ka. | is ___ okay? / may I? | L7 |
| 18 | wakarimasen. / daijoubu desu. / chigaimasu. | I don’t understand / I’m fine (no thanks) / that’s not it | L8 |
| 19 | ___ ga suki desu (ka). | I like ___ — do you like ___? | L9 |
| 20 | [verb]-masen ka. | won’t you ___? / shall we? (yes: [verb]-mashou!) | L9 |
Three rules keep the frames polite and natural:
- Frames 9 and 10 are for your wants only. Asking someone -tai desu ka / hoshii desu ka pries in Japanese — ask about their plans instead (frame 14), make an offer (frame 13), or invite (frame 20). Frame 19 is the exception: suki questions are normal small talk.
- Money changes the frame. At the register it’s frame 4 or 12 (kudasai / onegaishimasu), never frame 9 — hoshii is for telling your companion what you feel like, not the cashier.
- Chain, don’t build. Complex thoughts are short frames joined by demo (but), dakara (so), sorekara (and then), kedo (though) — never one long sentence.
And when you need something no frame seems to cover, the AI translator will build it for you from exactly these twenty patterns — or show you which frame you were missing.