Japanese from zero · N4 Lesson 28
Minju's secret
〜が する ・ 〜さ ・ casual speech ・ keeping a secret
In this lesson, you will learn to talk about what you smell, hear and sense with 〜が する, to turn adjectives into nouns with 〜さ, to speak naturally with friends, and to ask someone to keep a secret and promise to keep one, as Minju and Lisa do by the river.
By the end you will be able to say
花と 草の においが するね。It smells of flowers and grass, doesn't it?
遠くで 小鳥の 声が する。I can hear birds in the distance.
ミンジュの 優しさは、私が 一番 知って いるよ。I know your kindness better than anyone, Minju.
これは 秘密。だれにも 言わないで。This is a secret. Don't tell anyone.
決して 言わない。約束する。I'll never tell. I promise.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜が する — there's a smell, a sound, a feeling — What you notice with your senses, or a hunch, takes が する.
- 〜さ — turning an adjective into '-ness' — い → さ (and a な-adjective + さ) makes a noun for how much of a quality there is.
- Casual speech in depth — With friends, particles drop away and questions and explanations end in の.
- Keeping a secret: asking and promising — だれにも 〜ないで asks for silence; the plain negative + 約束する promises it.