Slight Hiatus

Hey guys!

So, as a lot of you know, I just got my wisdom teeth removed. So I don't think I'll be posting anything for about a week while I recover. In the meantime, if anyone has any grammar points they would like me to write about in the future, please let me know!

-vicky

Using 〜ておく, in preparation of doing something.

おく is the verb you use when you want to express that what you are doing is in preparation for something else, or doing something in advance. It is always used with a verb in て form before it, and is often paired with a 前に clause.

Examples:
パーティーの前に、食べ物を買っておきます。
I bought food before the party (in order to prepare for it).
卒業式の前に、しょうたいじょうをおくっておきます。
Before (my) Graduation Ceremony, I send out invitations (in advance).
電車に乗る前に、きっぷを買っておきます。
Before riding the train, (I) buy a ticket (in advance).
クラスに行く前に、宿題をしておきます。
I do my homework before going to class (to prepare for it).

There are also casual ways to say "ておく", these are とく and どく.
とく is used when the て-form of a verb ends with て.
Examples: たべておく→たべとく、買っておく→買っとく
どく is used when the て-form of a verb ends with で.
Examples: 飲んでおく→飲んどく、読んでおく→読んどく
Since this is a CASUAL way of saying ておきます, you will never use とく or どく in ます form, it just sounds weird.
Here are some examples:
友達が来る前に、へやをそうじしとく。
Before my friend comes, I clean my room (in preparation for their arrival).
しけんの前に、きょうかしょを読んどく。
Before the exam, I read the textbook (in preparation for it).

Using 前 and 後

前 means "before and 後 means "after", therefore you use them to talk about what happens before or after something!

Lets start with 前:
When using 前, you MUST use plain form before it.
Verbs: 食べる、飲む
Nouns: Add の: テストの、結婚式の
Also, there is an optional particle of "に" after it.
食べる前に、”いっただきます”といいます。
Before eating, (I) say "ittadakimasu".
旅行に行く前に、飛行機のチケットを買います。
Before going on a trip, (I) buy an airplane ticket.
テストの前に、勉強します。
Before the test, (I) study.

Now for 後:
When using 後, you MUST use plain past form!
Verbs: 食べた、飲んだ
Nouns: Add "の": テストの、結婚式の
Also, there is an optional particle "で" after it.
食べた後で、“ごちそうさまでした”といいます.
After eating, (I) say "gochisoosamadeshita".
結婚した後で、家を買います。
After getting married, (I) buy a house.
テストの後で、家に帰ります。
After the test, (I) go home.

Using ~てしまう to express regret or completion of something

The verb しまう, can be used two different ways. The first is to express completion of something, and the second is to express regret that you did something.
The way to use it in grammar is the same for both uses, so you will have to look at the context of the sentence to figure out the meaning.

しまう is an う verb, so it conjugates like this:
ますform: しまいます
Past form: しまいました
Plain form: しまう
Past plain: しまった
Volitional form: しまおう

When using しまう, you must use a verb in て form in front of it.
Here are some examples:

お酒を飲みすぎてしまいました。
I (regrettably) drank too much.

レポートを書いてしまった。
I finished writing my report.

ノートをわすれてしまった。
I (regrettably) forgot my notebook.

晩ご飯を作ってしまいました。
I finished cooking dinner.

Note: The clause before しまう MUST be something that you have ALREADY done! Even if you are expressing regret, it must be regret about something that has already happened.

Casual form of しまう: ちゃう and じゃう
The casual form of しまう depends on the verb that comes before it.
If the てform ends in て, like 食べて or 買って, then the て+しまう turns into ちゃう.
Examples:
ケーキを食べちゃう。
三十ドルのかばんを買っちゃた。
BUT.
If the て form ends in で, like 飲んで or 読んで, then the で+ しまう turns into じゃう.
Examples:
お酒を飲んじゃった。
本を読んじゃう。

Stem form

Stem form is EASY.
Take a verb, any verb, it doesn't matter if it's う or る.
Got the verb? Ok. Is it in ます form? No? Put it in ます form.
Now drop the ます.
That's stem form!

EX:
たべます→　たべ
のみます→　のみ
いきます→　いき
ねます→　ね
します→　し
およぎます→　およぎ

Purpose using に

This is a basic way of saying,
"I'm going somewhere to do something."

LOCATION に PURPOSE に MOTION VERB.

The first に marks the location that you are going/coming from.
The second に marks your purpose.

I the "purpose" part of the sentence, you must use STEM FORM or an activity noun of a verb.

EX: 
Location    に         PURPOSE        に    MOTION VERB
    うち       に    ばんごはんをたべ    に    かえります。
                     I go home to eat dinner

がっこう     に   しゅくだいをだし     に    いきます。
        I go to school to turn in my homework.

とうきょう  に    ともだちにあい       に    きます。
           I come to Tokyo to meet my friend.

スーパー     に         かいもの           に   いきます。
            I go to the supermarket to shop.

Using もう and まだ

もう and まだ have different meanings depending on if the ending verb is negative or affirmative.

Here is the first way you can use them:
もう〜affirmative = already
まだ〜negative = not yet

Here are some examples:
A: ばんごはんをもうたべましたか。
   Have you already eaten dinner?
B: いいえ、まだたべていません。
No, I have not eaten yet.
OR
B: はい、もうたべました。
Yes, I have already eaten.

A: このクラスをもうとりましたか。
Have you already taken this class?
B: いいえ、まだとっていません。
No, I have not taken it yet.
OR
B: はい、もうとりました。
Yes, I have already taken it.

The second way to use them is this:
もう〜negative = not anymore
まだ〜affirmative = still

Here are some examples:
A: あのレストランでまだアルバイトをしていますか。
Do you still work part time at that restaurant? 
B: いいえ、もうしていません。
No, not anymore.
OR
B: はい、まだしています。
Yes, I am still doing it.

A: あのひとがまだすきですか。
Do you still like that person?
B: いいえ、もうすきじゃありません。
No, I don't like them anymore.
OR
B: はい、まだすきです。
Yes, I still like them.