“Yes” In Japanese (Hai!)
Before we get started on more practice, let’s add one little thing to the mix, the word “yes” in Japanese.
Yes = はい
The word yes in Japanese is はい. We’re going to add this onto です sentences, really quickly. I’m sure you’ll see how it can be used as soon as you see an example.
せんせいです (it is a teacher)
はい、せんせいです (yes, it is a teacher)
Just as you would in English, adding はい to something will make you say “yes.” Makes total sense, right? Alright, let’s take a look at some questions and answers, which of course are using はい as well.
a みず ですか。 = Is it water?
a はい、みず です。 = Yes, it is water.
a いちご ですか。= Is it a strawberry?
a はい、いちご です。= Yes, it is a strawberry.
In the following video, you can practice answering these kinds of questions as well. Sadly, all of the answers are “yes, it is a _____,” which makes it pretty easy, and possibly a bit boring, but you’ll learn more and be able to do other things soon.
The vocabulary in this video aren’t vocabulary you necessarily have to know. In fact, it’s even better if you don’t know these words, since you should be focusing on the grammar. You’ll be asked a question, then there will be a pause for you to answer. If you understand the grammar, you should be able to figure out what the “noun” of the question is, and use that to answer the question as well. Give it a shot.
Awesome – so do you feel like you can answer questions (that is, as long as the answer is yes, it is a _____?).