Translation guide
The English auxiliary verb 'do' has no direct equivalent in Japanese. This guide covers how to express questions, negation, emphasis, and other functions that 'do' performs in English, using Japanese grammar patterns and strategies.
The learner wants to turn a statement into a yes/no question, similar to English 'do you...?' or 'does he...?'
Add か to the end of a plain form sentence to make a question. This is the most basic way to form a yes/no question in Japanese. No word order change is needed.
あなたは日本語を話しますか。
Do you speak Japanese?
彼は来ますか。
Does he come?
In casual speech, の (with rising intonation) replaces か for yes/no questions. Often used by women and children, but also by men in informal settings.
日本語話すの？
Do you speak Japanese?
In very casual speech, simply saying a statement with rising intonation can turn it into a question. No particle is added.
日本語話す？
Do you speak Japanese?
The learner wants to negate a verb, similar to English 'do not' or 'does not'.
Conjugate the verb into its negative form. For ru-verbs, drop る and add ない; for u-verbs, change the last kana to its あ-row equivalent and add ない. This is the standard negation.
The polite negative form. Add ません to the verb stem (masu-stem). Used in formal situations.
私は肉を食べません。
I do not eat meat.
The learner wants to emphasize the action of a verb, like 'I DO like it' or 'He DID go'.
Use the structure 'verb + のは + adjective/verb + だ' to emphasize the truth of a statement. This is a cleft sentence that highlights the action.
彼が来たのは確かだ。
He did come (it is certain that he came).
Particles like よ (assertive) or ね (seeking agreement) can add emphasis to a statement, similar to the emphatic 'do'.
私は行きますよ。
I DO go (I assure you).
The explanatory のだ/んだ can be used to emphasize or explain a situation, often translated with 'do' in English for emphasis.
彼は来るんだ。
He DOES come (I'm telling you).
The learner wants to avoid repeating a verb phrase, like 'I like it, and so does he' or 'I didn't go, but she did'.
Japanese often repeats the verb or uses そう (so) to refer back to a previous action. There is no direct equivalent of 'do' as a pro-verb.
私は行かなかったが、彼女は行った。
I didn't go, but she did.
彼は日本語を話す。私もそうだ。
He speaks Japanese. So do I.
The learner wants to add a tag question like 'don't you?' or 'doesn't he?'
Add ね with rising intonation to the end of a statement to seek confirmation, similar to '..., right?' or '..., don't you?'.
あなたは日本語を話しますね？
You speak Japanese, don't you?
Add だろう (casual) or でしょう (polite) with rising intonation for a tag question, often used when the speaker assumes agreement.
彼は来るだろう？
He'll come, won't he?
The learner wants to tell someone not to do something, like 'Don't touch!'
Add ないで to the verb stem to form a negative request or command. This is the standard way to say 'don't do'.
触らないで。
Don't touch.
Polite negative request. Add ないでください to the verb stem.
触らないでください。
Please don't touch.
There is no Japanese word for the auxiliary verb 'do'. Attempting to translate it directly will result in unnatural Japanese. Instead, use the appropriate grammar pattern for the function you need (question, negation, emphasis, etc.).
か is the standard question marker and can be used in both polite and plain speech. の is a casual question marker often used in informal conversation, especially by women and children. Using か in casual speech can sound blunt or masculine.