Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 1: 9/18

方(かた)

Way of ~ing, How to ~, Manner of ~ing

Structure

Verb［ます］+ 方(かた)
［する］Verb + の + 仕方(しかた)
Noun + の + Verb［ます］+ 方(かた)

Examples:
飲(の)みます + 方(かた)
勉強(べんきょう)+ の + 仕方(しかた)

Details

  • Register

    Standard

  • 使用域

    一般

About かた

When 方(かた) is attached to the ます stem of a verb, it carries the nuance of the 'way of doing (A)'. This is identical to 方(かた)'s standard meaning of 'way', or 'direction'.
  • 何(なに)その食(た)べ方(かた)、口(くち)を閉(と)じてよ。
    What is that way of eating? Please close your mouth.
  • ネクタイの結(むす)び方(かた)を弟(おとうと)に教(おし)える。
    I will teach my brother the way to tie a necktie. (How to do it)
  • 外国語(がいこくご)の勉強(べんきょう)の仕方(しかた)が分(わ)からない。
    I do not know how to study a foreign language. (The way to do it)
When used with する verbs, sometimes the construction 仕方(しかた) is seen. This has exactly the same meaning as the form without kanji, and may be thought of as meaning 'way of dealing/attending to (A)', as 仕(し)'s original meaning is 'to attend to (A)'. In these cases, the する verb is followed by の, and then 仕方(しかた).
  • 先輩(せんぱい)、ファックスの仕方(しかた)を教(おし)えてください。
    Senpai, can you teach me how to fax?
  • 私(わたし)は高校(こうこう)の時(とき)に母(はは)から貯金(ちょきん)の仕方(しかた)を教(おそ)わりました。
    I learned how to save money from my mother, when I was in highschool.
Fun Fact
After attaching 方(かた) to a verb, the entire expression is thought of as a noun-phrase. This means that it can be followed by particles such as は, を, and others, to create longer sentences.
  • 引(ひ)っ越(こ)し屋(や)さんの家具(かぐ)の運(はこ)び方(かた)を見(み)て、彼(かれ)らの体力(たいりょく)にビックリした。
    After seeing the way the removalists were carrying the furniture, I was surprised by their strength.

Examples

  • 彼(かれ)の泳(およ)ぎ方(かた)は変(へん)だ。

    His way of swimming is strange.

  • お菓子(かし)の作(つく)り方(かた)を学(まな)ぶ。

    I will learn how to make sweets.

  • 文法(ぶんぽう)の勉強(べんきょう)のし方(かた)を教(おし)えてください。

    Please teach me how to study grammar.

  • 妻(つま)はリモコンの使(つか)い方(かた)が分(わ)からない。

    My wife doesn't know how to use the remote.

  • 彼(かれ)のスパゲッティの食(た)べ方(かた)は良(よ)くない。

    His way of eating spaghetti is not good.

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かた – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (3 in total)

  • kfrl

    kfrl

    I have a question about one of the example sentences, not necessarily this grammar point per se:

    面白い言い方をするね。

    Why does this use するね rather than だね? Isn’t it a simple “X is Y” statement? Are the two equivalent?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    Hey @kfrl and welcome on the community forums!

    面白い ‘funny’ 言い方 ‘way of talking/speaking style’ ‘をする to do’ ね ‘right/isn’t it/emphasis (come on)’

    So it means something along
    “You put (said) it in a funny way.”

    面白い言い方だね。
    “It is a funny way of talking.”

    In other words, very similar meaning.

    Cheers

  • Superpnut

    Superpnut

    why is this right809×212 15.2 KB

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