Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 24
Friday night at Midori
〜やしない ・ 〜ぞ／〜ぜ ・ 〜さ ・ 〜わ
In this lesson, you will learn the endings that give casual Japanese its voices: a rough 'not at all' with 〜やしない, the forceful ぞ and the buddy's ぜ, the relaxed, sure さ, and the soft わ. It is a Friday night in February, the bento is not selling, and Lisa's friends gather around her at café みどり, Tanaka by video from Seattle.
By the end you will be able to say
そんな こと、だれも 気にしやしない。Nobody cares about that at all.
今夜は おごるぜ。Tonight's on me.
なんとか なるさ。It'll work out somehow.
大丈夫だわ。It'll be fine.
もう 一杯 飲むぞ。I'm having another one.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜やしない — (rough) not at all; no way — The ます-stem + やしない (する becomes しやしない) is a strong, rough 'not at all': だれも 気にしやしない.
- 〜ぞ / 〜ぜ — (rough) I tell you; let's — ぞ and ぜ end a casual sentence with force: ぞ asserts or warns (遅れるぞ), ぜ is a buddy's 'I'm telling you' (おごるぜ). Both are rough and mostly men's speech.
- 〜さ — (casual) it's ..., you know — さ at the end of a casual sentence says something lightly but with confidence: なんとか なるさ (it'll work out).
- 〜わ — a soft ending — わ, said softly at the end of a sentence, adds a gentle feeling: 大丈夫だわ. Today it lives mostly in writing, older women's speech and some people's own way of talking.