Niagara Nippon Nagara

Verb (base II) + nagara - to do while 'verb'ing.

You are able to express past tense and current tenses with this bunpo. After reading the following examples, plug in your favorite Japanese verbs and play, it makes learning Japanese fun!

Example.1. sara o arainagara, kuchibue o fuku. – While doing the dishes, I whistle.

Example 2. enka o kikinagara, sake o nomu – While listening to an enka[1], I drink sake.

Ghetto Grammar Formulation Breakdown –

Put verb in base II
a. ex 1. The verb arau (to wash) with direct object sara (dishes) is sara o arau - to do the dishes.
b. arau in base II becomes arai.

Fuse arai and nagara to make arainagara, or the phrase while washing… plugged
And played

Past tense, non-polite (familiar), plain-form ending –

Ex. 1 sara o arainagara kuchibue of fuita. I whistled while doing the dishes.

Past tense, polite ending –

Ex.1 sara o arainagara, kuchibue of fukimashita. – While doing the dishes, I
whistled.

Past tense, non-polite (familiar), plain-form ending –

Ex.2 enka o kikinagara, sake o nonda.

Past tense, polite ending –

Ex.2 enka o kikinagara, sake o nomimashita.

Do your best! Ganbatte Ne!
Makurasuki sensei Yori
For some grammar straight from the ghetto go checkout Leroy’s homework at

http://forums.eog.com/online-sportsbooks-and-gambling-discussion/ghetto-grammar-test-88595.html


[1] . Japanese Folk Song