- JLPT N4
な《禁止》
NikoJLPT N4: な《禁止》
If you don't already know, the word 禁止 (きんし) means something like "prohibited," "not allowed," etc.
It shows up in quite a few of our lessons. For example, we saw it in the following sentence from this lesson: JLPT N4: ～てもいい (permission).
すみませんが、写真撮影は禁止になっています。
すみません が、 しゃしんさつえい は きんし に なっています。
I’m sorry, but photography is not permitted.
We're not actually using the word 禁止 in this lesson, though.
Rather, we are exploring a grammar point that is used when some type of activity is 禁止, is forbidden or not allowed: な.
Specifically, the pattern we'll see is:
V る ＋ な
don't VERB
Vるな is a fairly strong way of telling something not to do something.
Since it has a rough sound to it, you will hear it used more often by male speakers. This isn't to say that women can't use it, though. I've heard women use it on a number of occasions.
You'll also hear kids using it:
僕のこと、マリオって呼ぶな！
ぼく の こと、 マリオ って よぶな！
Don’t call me Mario!
Or perhaps you'll see it posted on a sign somewhere:
触るな。危険。
さわるな。 きけん。
Danger. Do not touch.
Here's an example of a father saying it to his son:
泣くな。もう小学生だろう。
なくな。 もう しょうがくせい だろう。
Don’t cry. You’re in elementary school now, aren’t you?
The nuance is, "You're old enough to not be crying about something like this, aren't you?"
Vるな can be softened a bit by putting よ after it.
This makes it sound less like a command that must be followed. There is a slight nuance of pleading:
ごめんごめん。そんなに怒るなよ。
ごめん ごめん。 そんなに おこるな よ。
Sorry, sorry. Don’t get so mad.
↑ Remember this sentence for when you want to make your girlfriend even angrier than she already is.
Vるな doesn't have a rough-sounding nuance to it when it is embedded in a sentence (e.g. when you're quoting someone).
As such, it is not particularly "masculine" when used this way:
お母さんに、宿題が終わるまで遊びに行くなと言われた。
おかあさん に、 しゅくだい が おわる まで あそび に いくな と いわれた。
My mom said I can’t go out to play until I finish my homework.
Fairly simple grammar point, yeah?
You'll come across this one quite a bit, so be sure to read through the examples a few times.
JLPT N4: な《禁止》
If you don't already know, the word 禁止 (きんし) means something like "prohibited," "not allowed," etc.
It shows up in quite a few of our lessons. For example, we saw it in the following sentence from this lesson: JLPT N4: ～てもいい (permission).
すみませんが、写真撮影は禁止になっています。
すみません が、 しゃしんさつえい は きんし に なっています。
I’m sorry, but photography is not permitted.
We're not actually using the word 禁止 in this lesson, though.
Rather, we are exploring a grammar point that is used when some type of activity is 禁止, is forbidden or not allowed: な.
Specifically, the pattern we'll see is:
V る ＋ な
don't VERB
Vるな is a fairly strong way of telling something not to do something.
Since it has a rough sound to it, you will hear it used more often by male speakers. This isn't to say that women can't use it, though. I've heard women use it on a number of occasions.
You'll also hear kids using it:
僕のこと、マリオって呼ぶな！
ぼく の こと、 マリオ って よぶな！
Don’t call me Mario!
Or perhaps you'll see it posted on a sign somewhere:
触るな。危険。
さわるな。 きけん。
Danger. Do not touch.
Here's an example of a father saying it to his son:
泣くな。もう小学生だろう。
なくな。 もう しょうがくせい だろう。
Don’t cry. You’re in elementary school now, aren’t you?
The nuance is, "You're old enough to not be crying about something like this, aren't you?"
Vるな can be softened a bit by putting よ after it.
This makes it sound less like a command that must be followed. There is a slight nuance of pleading:
ごめんごめん。そんなに怒るなよ。
ごめん ごめん。 そんなに おこるな よ。
Sorry, sorry. Don’t get so mad.
↑ Remember this sentence for when you want to make your girlfriend even angrier than she already is.
Vるな doesn't have a rough-sounding nuance to it when it is embedded in a sentence (e.g. when you're quoting someone).
As such, it is not particularly "masculine" when used this way:
お母さんに、宿題が終わるまで遊びに行くなと言われた。
おかあさん に、 しゅくだい が おわる まで あそび に いくな と いわれた。
My mom said I can’t go out to play until I finish my homework.
Fairly simple grammar point, yeah?
You'll come across this one quite a bit, so be sure to read through the examples a few times.
Niko
