In this article we will discuss on several questions displayed in Minna no Nihongo Chapter 6 in section practice A at page 54. All of the questions are already studied in all of the previous articles. By using the correct particle as an answer, we will solve all of the problems or questions as follows :
1. Hiragana :
こちらは IMC （ の ）マイク・ミラーさんです。
Romaji :
Kochira wa IMC ( no ) Maiku Mira-san desu.
Meaning :
This is IMC’s Mike Miller.
(This is Mike Miller from IMC)
The correct answer is particle の (no). It is a particle which is used to describe or modify a noun or to give an additional information or characteristics of a noun. It is describing Mike Miller which is from IMC .
2. Kanji :
カリナさんは 学生です。タワポンさん（ も ）学生です。
Hiragana ：
カリナさんは がくせいです。タワポンさん （ も ） がくせいです。
Romaji ：
Karina-san wa gakusei desu. Tawapon-san ( mo ) gakusei desu.
Meaning ：
Karina is a student. Tawapon is also a student.
The correct answer is particle も. It is a particle which is used to describe that two things are equal or the same. The above question states that both of Karina and Tawapon are the same which is both of them are students.
3. Kanji :
それは （ 何 ） の テープですか。 。。。日本語の テープです。
Hiragana ：
それは （ なん ）の テープですか。 。。。にほんごの てーぷです。
Romaji ：
Sore wa ( nan ) no te-pu desuka. … Nihongo no te-pu desu.
Meaning ：
What kind of tape is that ?. … That is a Japanese language tape.
The interrogative pronoun何 (nan) in this sentence is used to ask for an additional information of a noun if it is combined with particle の (no). Based on the previous question, particle の (no) is used to define or to to give a description or a characteristics about an item. To ask for the characteristics of the item we can use何の ( nan no ) which can be translated as what kind of.
4. Kanji :
これは （ 誰 ）の 傘ですか。 。。。わたしの 傘です。
Hiragana ：
これは （ だれ ）の かさですか。 。。。わたしの かさです。
Romaji ：
Kore wa ( dare ) no kasa desuka. … Watashi no kasa desu.
Meaning ：
Who’s umbrella is this ?. It’s my umbrella.
It is another interrogative pronoun asking for the owner of an item. As we also knew that particle の aside from modifying a noun or giving an additional information about an item it can also used as a particle which describe possession of an item. To ask the owner or who possess the item we will have to use dare no （ だれ の ）.
5. Kanji :
あのかばんは （ 誰 ）のですか。 。。。カリナさんのです。
Hiragana ：
あのかばんは （ だれ ）のですか。。 。。。カリナさんのです。
Romaji ：
Ano kaban wa ( dare ) no desuka.
Meaning ：
Who’s bag is that ?. It’s Karina’s.
The above question’s answer is also だれ (dare). It has the same answer with the fourth question. It is also a sentence asking the owner or the one who possess the item which is in this context is the bag. The difference is in this question the item doesn’t even has to be mentioned all along the question since it is already known by the both parties which is doing the conversation as the form of the question. We can see that かばん (kaban) it Is not mentioned anymore until the question ends.
6. Kanji :
電話は （ どこ ）ですか。 。。。あそこです。
Hiragana ：
でんわは （ どこ ） ですか。 。。。あそこです。
Romaji ：
Denwa wa ( doko ) desuka. … Asoko desu.
Meaning ：
Where is the phone ?. … Over there.
The answer for this question is doko (どこ). It is a proper answer since it is an interrogative pronoun used for asking the location of a place.
7. Kanji :
受付は （ どちら ）ですか。 。。。あちらです。
Hiragana ：
うけつけは （ どちら ） ですか。 。。。あちらです。
Romaji ：
Uketsuke wa ( dochira ) desuka. … achira desu.
Meaning ：
Which way is to the receptionist ? . …That way.
The interrogative pronoun どちら ( dochira ) is used in the above question as an answer for in a polite form since the function of it also used to ask for a location besides the interrogative pronoun どこ(doko) more specifically to ask for a direction to reach a location or a place.
So, rather than using どこ(doko) which is used to ask location in a plain form we can useどちら ( dochira ) to ask for a direction in a polite manner.
8. Kanji :
お国は （ どちら ）ですか。 。。。タイです。
Hiragana ：
おくには（ どちら ）ですか。 。。。タイです。
Romaji ：
Okuni wa ( dochira ) desuka. … Tai desu.
Meaning ：
Which country do you (come) from ? . … Thailand.
The interrogative pronoun どちら (dochira) can also be used to ask for someone’s origin or nationality. Since the one who ask the question using お (o) in front of くに(kuni) to indicate a honorific prefix we tend to use the formal words which in this case is どちら (dochira).
9. Hiragana :
それは （ どこ ） の ワインですか。 。。。フランスの ワインです。
Romaji :
Sore wa ( doko ) no wain desuka. … Furansu no wain desu.
Meaning :
Where do that wine (come) from ? . (It is) a france’s wine.
The perfect answer will be どこ. It is also trying to ask the origin of a wine but it is stated in an informal situation.
10. Kanji :
このカメラは（ いくら ）ですか。 。。。３５．０００円です。
Hiragana :
このカメラは（ いくら ）ですか。 。。。３５．０００えんです。
Romaji :
Kono kamera wa ( ikura ) desuka. … 35.000 en desu.
Meaning :
How much is this camera ?. (It is) 35.000 yen.
The answer for this question is いくら (ikura). It can be translated as ‘how much’. It is an interrogative pronoun used when we want to ask a price for an item.
11. Kanji : 図書館の 電話番号は （ 何番 ） ですか。 。。。
３１の ８６８９です。
Hiragana : としょかんの でんわばんごうは （ なんばん ）
ですか。 。。。３１の ８６８９です。
Romaji : Toshokan no denwa bangou wa ( nanban ) desuka. … 31 no 8689 desu.
Meaning ： What is the number of the library’s phone number ?. … It is 31
8689.
It is obvious from the conversation form acquired based on the above question the answer is 何番 (nan ban). It is a combination of 何 ( nan ) which can be translated as what and 番 (ban). Literally combined it can be translated as ‘what number’ from the answer ‘nan ban’. It is a suitable answer to ask for a telephone number .
12. Kanji : サントスさんは ブラジル （ から ）来ました。
Hiragana : サントスさんは ブラジル （ から ）きました。
Romaji : Santosu-san wa burajiru ( kara ) kimashita.
Meaning ： Santos came from Brazil.
It is a particle that is suitable to be combined with verb ‘kuru’ or ‘kimasu’ (to come). Particle から (kara) can be classified as a direction particle. Particle から (kara) which can be translated as ‘from ‘ is used in the above question following a country name or place indicating the subject ‘s origin came from that country name or place.
13. Kanji : きのう タクシー（ で ） うち （ へ ）帰りました。
Hiragana : きのう タクシー（ で ） うち （ へ ）かえりま した。
Romaji : Kinou takushii ( de ) uchi ( e ) kaerimashita.
Meaning ： Yesterday (I) came back home by taxi.
There are two answers for the above question. The first one is particleで ( de ). The particle is used to describe means or way to do something. It is used after ‘takushii’ which indicate by using taxi the subject is doing something which in the above question’s case was come back home.
The second particle へ ( e ) is a direction particle. It is a particle which describe the direction of the subject moves which in this case is the subject’s house.
14. Kanji : わたしは ８月 （ に ）友達 （ と ）北海道 （ へ ）行きます。
Hiragana ： わたしは ８がつ （ に ） ともだち （ と ） ほっかいどう （ へ ） いきます。
Romaji ： Watashi wa 8 gatsu ( ni ) tomodachi ( to ) Hokkaidou ( e ) ikimasu.
Meaning ： I am going to Hokkaido with my friend at August.
The above question has several answers. The first one should be answered with particle に (ni ). It is used in a various time expressions such as minutes, hour, month day or even year in a specific point in a time. The above question has a specific time declared which is the month of August.
The second answer is particleと( to ). It is a particle used to indicate that an activity is done together based on the above question’s context. It is translated as together, with. So, the above question indicate that the subject is going to Hokkaido together with his or her friend.
The third answer is a direction particle へ ( e ). It is indicating the direction or way the subject go or move.
15. Kanji : スーパー （ で ）パン （ と ）牛乳（ を ） 買いました。
Hiragana ： スーパー （ で ）パン （ と ）ぎゅにゅう （ を ）かいました。
Romaji ： Su-pa- ( de ) pan ( to ) gyunyuu ( wo ) kaimashita.
Meaning ： I bought bread and milk at the supermarket.
As the previous question the above question also has several answers. The first answer is particle で ( de ). It is a particle used to describe the place of action, activity takes or already happened. It is followed a place or a location name which is ‘su-pa’ or supermarket in the above context and the activity that involved was buy a bread and also a milk.
The second particle, と ( to ) it is particle used in the above question to connect between nouns usually two or three and can be translated as ‘and’.
The third answer is を( wo ). It is a particle that indicate object of an action. The object is the bread and also the milk and the action was to buy the object itself which is stated before.
16. Kanji : けさ なに （ も ） 食べませんでした。
Hiragana ： けさ なに （ も ） たべませんでした。
Romaji ： Kesa nani ( mo ) tabemasendeshita.
Meaning ： This morning I didn’t eat anything.
The above question is indicating a total negation concerning a meaning or stressing that there is nothing or none. It is particle も( mo ) which is followed with a negative verb. It means that the subject didn’t eat anything.