Some things You Should Remember

The sentence, 「わたしは、すしをすきです」 is wrong.

Instead, you should say 「わたしは、すしがすきです」.

Grammatically, one of the most misunderstood Japanese words by basic learners may be 「すき」. 「すき」is believed to be an equivalent verb of the English "to like".
However, in fact, 「すき」, in Japanese sentence structure, is a な-adjective just like 「しずか (quiet)」, 「べんり (convenient)」, or 「きれい (beautiful)」. Therefore, 「すき」, as an adjective, means "favourite", or "likable".

「わたしはすしがすきです」 is a typical 「は〜が〜」clause. This sentence means "I like sushi", although it is literally translated as "For me, sushi is favourite".

This is the reason why you should not use the particle, 「を」 in the sentence translated from English "I like..."

「すき」 conjugates as follows:

negative root	すき・じゃ	ありません/ない
verbal conjugation	すき・に	なる
dictionary	すき	です
plain	すきだ	から
nominal conjugation	すき・な	もの
conditional root	すき・なら	ば
て-form	すき	で
plain past-form	すきだ	った

「きらい」is also a な-adjective. However, because of it's negative sense, the sentence prefers 「は」 rather than 「が」.

「わたしは、うそつきはきらいです。」

"I hate liars."

Note:
Japanese, as well as English, has a verb version of "to like". 「すく」 (5だん動詞), however, It has only a limited use in modern Japanese language. It is mostly used in its negative form in written language. For example:
「私は、自分勝手な人間は好かない。」
"I don't like a selfish person.

Potential Expressions

When you try to say "can...", "be able to...", or "be available", you are making a "potential" expression. There are basically three ways to make a potential expression in Japanese:

1. noun + が + できる,
2. verb in plain/dictionary form + こと + が + できる,
3. verb in potential form.
   
   

1. noun + が + できる
   Nouns that mean some kind of "action" can be used in this pattern. For example, べんきょう、しごと、テニス、やきゅう、ラグビー are all capable nouns for this sentence pattern.
   
   
   • きょう、テニスができますか。　= Can you play tennis, today?
     
     
2. verb in plain form + こと + が + できる
   If there are no such "action" nouns available, you can make them from ordinary verbs by attaching 「こと」 to their plain/dictionary forms. Using this expression sounds a little formal.
   
   
   • きのうは、パーティーにいくことができませんでした。　
     = I couldn't make myself go to the party, yesterday.
     
     
3. verb in potential form
   A verb in potential form is the most popular expression used in colloquial conversations.
   
   
   • きのうは、パーティーにいけませんでした。　
     = I couldn't go to the party, yesterday.
     

Making Potential Forms of Verbs

There are two types of potential forms used in modern Japanese communication, which are, "traditional-formal", and "colloquial-informal" potential forms. "Traditional" forms are still widely recognised as "formal" language, however it is true that they sound too old in some communicative situations, particularly the "traditional" version of the 5-dan verbs.

On the other hand, although "colloquial" forms, particularly 1-dan verbs, are still not recognised by many people, their usage is spreading widely and quickly among Japanese people in everyday conversations.

A recommendation from the author of this site is to use "colloquial" form of 5-dan verbs and "traditional" form of 1-dan verbs for normal communicative situations, and use "colloquial" forms for both 5-dan and 1-dan verbs for very informal situations.

Irregular verb, する changes entirely to an 1-dan verb, できる in the potential sentence.

Potential Forms of Verbs

Traditional and Formal

		plain form		neg.root	＋れる／られる
	5-dan	よむ	→	よま	れる	can read
	1-dan	たべる	⇒	たべ	られる	can eat
	irregular	くる	⇒	こられる		can come
		する	⇒	できる		can do

Colloquial and Informal

		plain form		cond.root	＋ る
	5-dan	よむ	⇒	よめ	る	can read
	1-dan	たべる	→	たべれ	る	can eat
	irregular	くる	→	これる		can come
		する	→	できる		can do

(⇒ recommended for nomal use)

Japanese Modification System

In the Japanese sentence structure, a "modification" always occurs from the left to the right.

「にほんごのぶんぽうのじしょ」 = "a dictionary of grammar of Japanese" = "a dictionary of Japanese grammar"

「木の下で本を読んでいる人」 = "a person who is reading a book under the tree"

To master this structure, you will have to change your way of imagination from the Latin/European way, that goes "smaller category to larger one", to the Japanese way which goes "larger to smaller". For example when drawing a picture of "a person who is reading a book under the tree", you will probablly start drawing the picture with "a person" then "reading" then "a book" then "under" then "the tree". Now you must reverse this process and draw a picture starting from "the tree" then look "under", where you will find "a book reader".

Eevent Substitutes

In a sentence structure, sometimes you are required to handle an event, as a noun. If there is a noun that expresses an event such as 「べんきょう (study)」 or 「りょこう (trip)」, then you can use them as it is.
However, if there is no such "event-noun" to be found, you have to change a verb into a noun.
To do this, attach 「こと」 or the noun-substitute particle, 「の」 after the plain form of a verb.

「こと」 sounds more formal, or "written" than 「の」, but it has more general use for basic learners (because they are "grammatically correct"). Advanced or near-native speakers would prefer 「の」 in oral conversations in the following two cases because most native speakers prefer it, too.

• わたしは、レストランでたべることがすきです。
  I like to eat in a restaurant.
  
• わたしは、レストランでたべるのがすきです。
  I like to eat in a restaurant.
  
  
• 日本の大学でべんきょうすることは、お金がかかります。
  Studying at a Japanese university costs a lot of money.
• 日本の大学でべんきょうするのは、お金がかかります。
  Studying at a Japanese university costs a lot of money.

「の」 can not be used in the following sentence patterns in any case:

potential 「ことができる」

• ◎わたしは、車をうんてんすることができます。
  I am able to drive a car.
• ×わたしは、車をうんてんするのができます。

experience 「(plain past +) ことがある」

• ◎わたしは、車をうんてんしたことがあります。
  I have experienced driving a car.
• ×わたしは、車をうんてんしたのがあります。

custom 「(plain present +) ことがある」

• ◎わたしは、車をうんてんすることがあります。
  I drive a car sometimes.
• ×わたしは、車をうんてんするのがあります。

given task 「ことになる」

• ◎わたしは、車をうんてんすることになりました。
  I was selected to drive a car.
• ×わたしは、車をうんてんするのになりました。

decision making 「ことにする」

• ◎わたしは、車をうんてんすることにしました。
  I decided to drive a car.
• ×わたしは、車をうんてんするのにしました。

Object Substitutes

Noun-substitute particle 「の」can represent 「もの」 (material, or object in general), and replace them in the sentence.　
English translation can be "...one".

• もっとやすいものはありませんか。
  
• →もっとやすいのはありませんか。
  Do you have a cheaper one?
  

In the above two sentences, using 「もの」 sounds more formal than using 「の」.

Five Conditional Clauses

There are five types of conditional clauses in Japanese. They are:

1. ば-conditional;
2. なら-conditional;
3. たら-conditional;
4. と-conditional;
5. とき-conditional

These five conditional clauses have similarities and differences.

1. ば-conditional or plain conditional;
   
   This is the most "plain" conditional of them all. A pair of conditions are always compared in a sentence such as, if A then on, if B then off. In some cases the possibility is exactly "half and half".
   
   
   • おかねがなければ、かえません。
     If you don't have money, then you can't buy it.
     
     
2. なら-conditional or limiting conditional;
   
   This type of conditional clause is used when one wants to limit the condition such as, ONLY if A, B happens.
   
   
   • 1000えんなら、かしても いいですが、それいじょうは だめです。
     I can lend you money only if it is less than 1000 yen, not any more.
     
   • すしを たべるなら、あのみせが おすすめです。
     In the case you are going to eat sushi, I recommend that restaurant.
     
   • にちようびなら、いけますが、ほかのひはだめです。
     I can come only if it is on Sunday, but no other days.
     
     
3. たら-conditional or assumptive conditional;
   
   Being in plain PAST form, 「た」 implies the event is completed. This conditional clause makes listeners "guess" as if it has happened. Hence, it express a (uncertain or unrealistic) future. English translation can be "if" or "when".
   
   
   • １おくえんあったら、なにが したいですか。
     Hey, if you had a hundred million yen, what would you do?
     
     
   • それがおわったら、こっちをてつだってください。
     Please help me doing this when you have finished that.
     
     
   • にほんへ いったら、かぶきが みたいです。
     I would like to see kabuki theatre when I have arrived in Japan.
     
     English translation of the last exapmle would sound better without "past" or "perfection": "I would like to see kabuki theatre when I arrive in Japan."
     However, you should use たら-conditional in the equivalent Japanese sentence because "arriving in Japan" still belongs to a sort of "uncertain future" when it is said.

   
   

4. と-conditional or inevitable conditional;
   
   The case indicator particle 「と」 combines individual items. When used in a conditional clause, it combines two inevitable events such as natural cause and obvious result. An English translation can be "then", "and" or "when".
   
   
   • のみすぎると、ふつかよいに なりますよ。
     Drink too much, then you'll get a hangover.
     
   • このスイッチを いれると、でんきが つきます。
     Turning this switch on, and you'll get the light.
     
     

   Note

   : Learners should distinguish this expression from "とき-conditional". "と-conditional" has the nuance that things automatically happen in a logical time line. This makes the following sentence sound strange.
   
   • にほんじんは、ごはんを たべるとはしをつかいます。
     Japanese people eat meals, then automatically/naturally they use chopsticks.

   You should use "とき-conditional" when you try to say "Japanese people use chopsticks when they eat meals".

   • にほんじんは、ごはんをたべるときには、はしを つかいます。
     

   
   

5. とき-conditional or time conditional
   
   Time conditional clause usually consists of 「とき」 and a particle 「は」 or 「には」. It is translated as "when". The tense of the main and sub clauses have to match.
   
   • にほんへ いくときは、ビザが ひつようです。 (present/future tense + とき)
     You need a visa when you go to Japan.
     You need a visa when you are going to Japan.
     
   • にほんへ いったときには、すしを たくさん たべました。 (past + とき)
     I ate a lot of sushi when I went to Japan.

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