775 - ～よう (I think I'll...)
JLPT N4: ～よう (I think I'll...)
Some grammar points are worth spending multiple lessons on.
This is one of them: Using ～よう to say "I think I"ll..."
For most people, the first time they encounter the ～よう conjugation pattern is in sentences saying "let's VERB."
That is, we usually first encounter ～よう as the more casual form of ～ましょう.
We had an N5 lesson on this: [NDL #469] - JLPT N5: ～ましょう.
A couple of examples from that lesson:
そろそろ帰りましょう。
そろそろ かえりましょう。
Let’s go home soon.
Literally: “soon / before long + let’s return home”
天気がいいから、歩いて行こう。
てんき が いい から、 あるいて いこう。
The weather is nice, so let’s walk there.
Literally: “weather + が + good + because, + walk (and) + let’s go.”
In that lesson, we also saw this brief explanation on conjugating ～よう：
If it's an ichidan verb (e.g. 食べる [たべる]), drop る and add よう (e.g. 食べよう [たべよう // let's eat]).
If it's a godan verb (e.g. 飲む [のむ; nomu]), change the final u sound to ou (e.g. 飲もう [のもう; nomou // let's drink).
Have you forgotten what ichidan and godan verbs are?
We have a lesson on that, too: [NDL #482] - Basics: Verb Types.
Back to the focus of this lesson: Using ～よう to say "I think I'll..."
This conjugation pattern can be used when you are talking to yourself.
You might be thinking the phrase aloud — that is, other people might be able to hear what you're saying — but technically you are both the speaker and the listener when using "volitional ～よう," as it is called.
For example, earlier we saw:
天気がいいから、歩いて行こう。
てんき が いい から、 あるいて いこう。
The weather is nice, so let’s walk there.
Literally: “weather + が + good + because, + walk (and) + let’s go.”
Since this is translated as "let's walk," we can infer that the listener is a different person than the speaker.
However, if the speaker were talking to himself or herself, our translation would change:
天気がいいから、歩いて行こう。
てんき が いい から、 あるいて いこう。
The weather is nice, so I think I'll walk there.
Literally: “weather + が + good + because, + walk (and) + let’s go.”
Another example of "volitional ～よう"：
今日は暑いから、スカートを履こう。
きょう は あつい から、 スカート を はこう。
It’s hot today, so I think I’ll wear a skirt.
Literally: “today + は + hot + because, + skirt + を + let’s wear (lower-body clothing).”
A couple of our earliest NDLs covered this grammar point, too, by the way:
- [NDL #54] - I think I'll... go to sleep.
- [NDL #55] - Yo, hey. I think I'll... tell you my plans...
By reviewing those two lessons, along with this one, you should find that you have a pretty strong understanding of this highly common grammar pattern.
Three more sentences, and you'll be done:
明日からは、毎日５時に起きよう。
あした から は、 まいにち ごじ に おきよう。
Starting tomorrow, (I think) I’ll start waking up at five o’clock every day.
Literally: “tomorrow + from + は, + every day + five o’clock + に + let’s wake up / let’s get up.”
仕事をする前に、ちょっとゲームをしよう。
しごと を する まえ に、 ちょっと ゲーム を しよう。
I think I’ll play my game a bit before I start working.
Literally: “job / work + を + do + before + に, + a little bit + game + を + let’s do.”
もう１２時半か。そろそろランチを食べよう。
もう じゅうにじはん か。 そろそろ ランチ を たべよう。
Oh, it’s already twelve thirty. I think I’ll have lunch pretty soon.
Literally: “already + twelve thirty + か. + soon + lunch + を + let’s eat.”
All finished, fellow student.
However, we have a few more N4 lessons coming up that use the ～ようconjugation pattern, so I recommend reading this lesson, as well as the lessons mentioned above, more than once, if you have time.
Understanding how to put verbs into ～よう form will make life a lot easier in our next few lessons.
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