How to Use いい

[@kanamenaito]

Let me add some other mistakes that Japanese learners often make when using いい. In Japanese, if you can replace いい with おいしい or 上手, then it is weird to use いい. If you want to say "this miso-soup is good" and say この味噌汁はいいです, it sounds very weird. If you are talking about the taste, if something tastes good, in this situation people normally just say おいしい, この味噌汁はおいしいです, using いいです here sounds very unnatural. The same thing can be said about 上手. "Your English is good", in this situation Japanese native would say 英語が上手ですね instead of using いい. It sounds very unnatural to use いい in this situation. There might be other situations I haven't covered, I will add them here if I find them.

[@charlesclauss7545]

If you have a Patreon, for one I would subscribe, and for another the link should be in the video description

[@kanamenaito]

@@charlesclauss7545 added it. Thanks.

[@karaoke_bqv]

@@kanamenaito I will be very happy if we can have a Q&A with you. Your education, your background, ... things like that. You're really good at both English and Japanese. Your videos are top-notch. Thanks a lot!

[@lucasacosta8259]

@@karaoke_bqv i second this comment

[@MrGrabReal]

@@karaoke_bqv i third this comment

[@zebulawienandt]

It took way too long for someone to properly explain to me the differences in using よ and ね... finally!

[@d0xter742]

grammar explanations rarely fall upon you, you have to search them out yourself

[@ggmedia]

Duolingo told me really early on.

[@sixzino]

@@ggmedia fr ngl

[@ArnaudMEURET]

Except as often in Japanese, if it sounds simple, it’s only because it’s only part of the whole story…😓

[@KenjaTimu]

I think it's better to figure out as much as possible on your own. I just started learning Japanese a few months ago. This is probably the earliest I could learn this distinction and have it be interesting and memorable. It was probably too soon for ii, I didn't quite get all that. But I'm just learning for fun. :) To have something to do when I watch anime. Kimi to anime ga mitai.

[@ampoule1878]

I find that the いい in the case of refusing something is very similar to "(no), I'm good" in English. Very neat.

[@airacristina2693]

Could say the pharase? Or the person just say いいです and it's ok?

[@susanma4899]

Exactly. In English we often say, "That's okay" or "I'm fine" to mean "no thanks."

[@lordnatu]

Except, if someone asks a favor of you and you respond "I'm good" that's very rude

[@ampoule1878]

@@lordnatu depends on context and circumstance but yes it can be, since you are refusing something but the same can be said for refusal in any language

[@alexismayfield522]

@@ampoule1878I would say in all cases it’s rude but the rudeness is acceptable if this is like a close family member or it’s a situation in which you don’t care about being thought of as rude like if someone you don’t like asks a favor of you and you say “I’m good”. I don’t think there is ever a polite way to use it when someone is asking a favor of you

[@coffee-is-power]

"it sounds like i'm a p*rn producer" 💀💀💀💀

[@elzarchik4816]

😭😭😭

[@susanma4899]

"It sounds sexual." LOL, I've never heard that before and it reminds me of something. Years ago my Japanese coworker would say to us (foreigners) "thank you for the other day" in English. He was directly translating the Japanese phrase 先日はどうも. I always snickered because it just sounded sexual to me, and I'd bat my eyelashes and say "You're welcome...."

[@deotexh]

Doesn't sound sexual to me

[@worldcomicsreview354]

Get a Japanese person to say "Haribos" for you.

[@waffleless]

Oh yeah, that does sound suggestive haha

[@NathanHigiers]

How bruh ?

[@バイスグレゴリ]

I think this idea says more about Japanese culture than it does about foreigners.

[@LimeGreenTeknii]

It's funny how it goes both ways. 要は頭がいい is just the normal way to say "Kaname is smart," but saying "Kaname's head is good" sounds like you're talking about sex in English 😆

[@hs2763]

日本人ですが、英語リスニングへの苦手意識を無くすトレーニングも兼ねてよく聞いています。 ここまで日本語を分解して考えたことがなかったので、聞いていてとても楽しいです。これからも楽しみにしてます。

[@pavelsmichenko8821]

こんにちは、先生。一つ質問してもいいですか？ 答えていただけたら、ありがとうございます。

[@Leo-Tyrant]

You are...incredible. 4 years of daily studding and in 4 minutes your videos provide more insight than thousands of hours in other mediums. Just joined your Patreon, please keep it up. (本当にいい先生ですよ）

[@quai7865]

本当に素晴らしい先生ですね♪♪

[@NiqIce]

そうそう。これはいい動画です

[@that1pianist]

The explanation of the difference between よ and ね particle endings was also super helpful!

[@airacristina2693]

ね is like " isn't it? ". よ gives an enthusiasm. You can say よ is like " ! ". And " か " is like " ?"

[@AwestrikeFearofGods]

2:40 In English, "I'm good." "I'm okay." and " I'm fine." are casual ways to say "No thanks." The full phrase, "No, but thanks to you anyway, for offering. I'm fine already." would sound ridiculously formal.

[@garrettramos8052]

教えてくれてありがとうございます要先生。この動画はとてもすぶらしい。１年前、日本語を勉強しはじめたり、たっぷりビデオを見たりします。そして要さんのような先生がベストだと思います。日本語が上手になりたい。このコメントを読んでくれてありがとうございます皆さん。

[@modesttomato4332]

要先生の動画はすごくいいですね😉

[@ciscoortega9789]

Excellent video. Something about this presentation style just clicks with me. You never joke around or do gags, without being boring. You have a very naturally engaging way of speaking

[@amarug]

I keep being amazed how your videos often look N5-ish level and then you watch them in awe as a fissure of time and space openes up worlds you have never seen before. I am almost ready for N2 and I surely speak quite "fluently" in the sense that I can hold long conversations without ever having my aite ask me "What do you mean" because they didn;t understand me - yet still I know I sometimes use "unnatural basics" and your videos help to wipe those issues away! Many many thanks!

[@CChissel]

This channel is so helpful, I’m glad I found it. He’s a really good teacher, I think my Japanese will improve a lot as I use these videos alongside my lessons.

[@joeljenkins9424]

I lived in Japan 25 years ago for 2 years and became pretty fluent, but since returning to the US my opportunities to speak Japanese are few and far between. Your videos are the best ones I watch to keep Japanese in my mind, your topics are great for taking someone from book-smart to street-smart 日本語. Makes me miss living in country.

[@jozef_chocholacek]

Discussing yo/ne makes me - as Czech speaker - giggle, as in Czech we also use yo/ne (yo written jo in Czech). Yo means "yes" in colloquial language, ne means no, but they are used as well as particles for question / confirmation in the quite similar way as in Japanese. 😅

[@Yotanido]

In German, we also use jo/ne for yes/no. And at least in my region of Germany, we also use "ne" pretty much the same way it's used in Japanese. Don't use "jo" like that, though.

[@buvvins6687]

@@Yotanido i use "Jo" as a greeting often and "ne" means mostly something like "have you not?/are you not?/is it not?" etc. "Jo, du warst doch letztens in Frankreich im Urlaub, ne? "Du arbeitest doch immernoch bei x, ne?" The "ne" that is used for "No" is written the same but pronounced differently. But since this is not standard Hochdeutsch anyway it does not really matter.

[@meeese6_]

japanese 🤝 german ええ？ちょっと待って…

[@dumbo_airlines7485]

In Afrikaans we use Yo (written as Jo) like English speakers use wow and ne we use exactly the same as in Japanese

[@JoaoVHS]

Brazilian here, "né" is an abbreviation for "não é" in Portuguese, which can mean "it isn't", but it's mostly used at the end of sentences with the meaning of "isn't it?". Again, just like ね. I'm surprised so many other languages share it!

[@Vasco1-n7x]

I started to give up a little finding Japanese youtube channels that could teach me in a way I understood and find interesting, but this is a brilliant channel that makes sometimes the simple and beginner based stuff in Japanese interesting and educational.

[@davisbreci5332]

Another fantastic channel is Organic Japanese with Cure Dolly. It's a very strange channel both in terms of the presentation and the method of teaching but start watching her series (I don't remember exactly what it's called but its the playlist with like 90 videos in it) from the BEGINNING no matter how advanced you are I promise. It's an incredibly interesting approach to the language that shatters a lot of misconceptions that come from books/resources that attempt to teach Japanese in terms of English. It's gonna be weird at first but I promise if you keep an open mind it will go a long way.

[@acl-qv4dw]

As a self-taught learner, KZbin has been a large source of where I get information on how to sound like a native speaker. While there are many helpful videos, your channel has been the most insightful that I've come across, hands down. I'm so grateful to have found this channel. Thank you!

[@JoeVanore]

I just want to say that out of dozens of KZbin channels teaching Japanese, what you are doing is truly unique. Your focus on everyday, colloquial speech really sets these lessons apart.

[@ji_-to2478]

You're a life saver, just as I decided to start studying Japanese again, out of nowhere your channel pops up in my feed.

[@Yufina88]

Over 10 years ago I learned some basic Japanese and now I'm hooked without having any intention of studying. Your videos are incredible!

[@dumbo_airlines7485]

Probably one of, if not the best Japanese learning channels. So happy I found it

[@yoichi6758]

I always feel happy and excited whenever I see Kaname teach really good japanese language

[@alcapone8708]

Dear Kaname, your videos are my favorite over all others! You provide very good insight and detail in your lessons, not just plain information. It helps me understand much easier than reading a book. To add to your great knowledge, you are very pleasant to listen to, its easy to tell you really like what you do and that's what makes your videos even better! I hope we can continue learning from you for many years to come 🙂Thank you for all the hard work you put into this!!!

[@harukilol727]

I feel happy about understanding most of the example conversations at the end, it makes me feel like I've made a lot of progress with Japanese sjkdfk I also love that he makes funny sentences, the kind of sentences that will get in your head due to how funny it seems or sounds.

[@imthecryptic]

"That sounds sexual" XD

[@riainoo]

Congrats on 100k 🎉 Mans came out of no where and dropped the most useful japanese lessons.

[@HEKTOKOTYL]

I'm really impressed! This is by far the most helpful channel I've found for learning Japanese, and I see it being useful for a range of learning levels. I have a handful of friends that are also learning Japanese, and I'm going to recommend this to each of them. Thank you and keep it up! このチャンネルの動画は素晴らしいです！

[@foogod4237]

It took me quite a while to realize that the meaning of いい is often much more complex than a lot of sources make it out to be. Kudos for tackling this subject when a lot of other people just gloss over it entirely. I still remember being really confused when starting out while reading a manga (よつばと) at the following exchange (talking about buying gifts to give to neighbors after moving in): A: 変なもん 持ってくんなよ B: 俺はプリンが 好きなんだ A: いや おまえの 嗜好はいい Wait, is he saying that B's choices/preferences are bad (いや) or that they're good (いい)? I asked around and got confirmation that he was indeed saying they were _not_ desirable, but still never fully understood why いい was used here until much later when I got a much better understanding of all the different ways that the word is actually used (in this case, いい(です) has a similar meaning to the "no, thank you" usage in the video (I tend to think of it as being sorta equivalent to saying "I'm good" in English), meaning basically "no thank you, we'll be fine without getting your personal preferences involved")

[@airacristina2693]

Thank you so much. I was reading yotsuba later and I was confused by this.

[@UnbridledWeeping]

I kept getting yo and ne particles mixed up until I heard someone explain ne as like the British “innit?” Now I just think “n for innit” and remember which is which.

[@max3446]

よ and ね translate reasonably well to "..., you know" and "..., right?" (or "init") respectively.

[@HollyMacNaughton]

Great comment

[@calengo454]

it got a bit easier for me because as a portuguese native speaker, a big coincidence happened in both languages, where né? (não + é?, not + is? -> isn't + it? [-> innit?] [-> ...right?]) sounds a lot like Japanese ne.

[@koxukoshu]

この動画はやくにたった！すごくいいですよ！The pateron segue at the end was brilliant :D

[@jeremybrown6449]

you're the best Kaname - the best Japanese teacher I have ever heard because you explain all of nuanced Japanese that no books tell you! I showed your lessons to my Japanese wife who is fluent in English and said you're incredible! Keep it up! Looking forward to the next video

[@addylenwest8536]

Your videos are incredible, it’s so nice to get granular nuances explained!

[@floralzero]

Thank you Kaname for teaching us how to compliment his videos correctly

[@AB-om2qp]

さすが、先生！いつも通りすごく役に立ちましたよね

[@Sunlest]

These videos are SO good. They really help get the small bits of Japanese.

[@ToonNick]

I've never really used patreon before, but your content is so good that I at least want to help out a little! :D Thanks for all the videos you've been making, they're super useful and I appreciate how deep you go into each subject you cover

[@vanessameow1902]

LOVING these practice kaiwas at the end, pls keep em coming!

[@gameskyjumper1721]

the よ (yo) sounds like "Yo! This wine is good!" and the ね (ne) sounds like "This wine is good, right?" (You looking for confirmation from the person you are talking to). Also I think いいです means the same as "I am good." as in when someone offer you something, and you are rejecting the offer, you said "No, I am good. I don't want it."

[@コミ-e8z]

It's a very helpful video, I'm glad you threw in the mini-lessons about the particles as well. Your explanation of 'ne' and 'yo' was much more intuitive than the previous ones I've heard.

[@Lazarus-cj8gn]

かなめ先生の教え方がいいですね

[@catherineroberts5239]

I imagine the use of いいよ to say okay is similar to how in English we use “fine” to say okay. actually this is also true for describing people. if we call someone “fine” it has a sexual connotation too 😂 but if we describe objects we’re just saying that it meets our standards.

[@susanma4899]

Ooh, good one! I didn't make that connection!

[@butter-biscuit2248]

That makes a lot of sense!

[@HollyMacNaughton]

Interesting

[@Madchris8828]

I like these very practical examples for how to use and how not to use iidesu in sentences. Very cool

[@efemji]

i love your videos, no bullshit, no filter. if i were wrong you just tell me bluntly. love it. keep them coming!

[@debrarantilla9879]

かなめ先生の動画は素晴らしいと思います。

[@Iscream4j0y]

Your videos are great, it always seems like something bizarre that I'd never heard of, I really like that rather than the usual "This is how you learn Japanese" approach everyone does, I feel like in my normal studies, I probably wouldn't many of the explanations you provide! Every time I see an upload on my timeline, I always get excited to check it out

[@Johanna-nw5vz]

先生、日本語を手伝ってくれてありがとうございま。これはすごくいいビデオです！

[@Android25K]

I've always wondered how ね and よ were used since I've heard them so much, thank you!

[@Yozora-no-Hime]

やっぱり、かなめ先生のレッスンは最高ですね。　面白いだから、「早くもっと勉強したい、学びたい」気がわいてますね~!😅 今日も本当に、ありがとうございました! ☀️

[@grindingspider]

Basically what i learned from this video is to say this under your videos: 要先生の動画はいいです。

[@jackskelington9453]

I went to Japan back in October and I tried a shirt out at a Uniqlo. I came out of the fitting room and one of the employees was there.With my basic understanding of Japanese, she said something along the lines of "did the clothes fit you well?". I'm not great at speaking so I just said "いいです" and as I was leaving I heard her giggle repeating what I just said. Afterwards, I felt a bit down about a random japanese girl laughing at me, but mistakes happen when learning something new. Thanks for the video! This would have been helpful to watch before I went inside that Uniqlo.

[@sarahlynch2468]

As a Canadian, I feel like the ね particle works a lot like the Canadian " Eh?" We add " Eh?" To the end of a sentence when whe expect the listener to agree with us, so using ね in places where I'd usually add an "Eh?" Makes sense to me and is easy to remember. 今日はいい天気ですね。= The weather's nice, eh?

[@marLamaDeo]

Hey mate why is your English so good? Did you study overseas?

[@KamiSeiTo]

I hope there will be a "How to use いい？" #2 !!

[@philippzerbe6678]

要先生のどうが、すごくいいです。

[@SimpleMusings]

Thank you for explaining those ending particles "yo" and "Ne" which are often skipped when going over dialogue

[@louieestrivo]

Wow, I was wondering about "よ" and "ね" before I thought it is just an expression and anyone can use it the way the want it. After watching this, now I know when to use it.

[@bayangintokii4774]

Do you know how I understand the quality of this video? I already know these, already use them fluently and natural but everytime he’s giving an information its completes the thoughts in my mind. Now this is a quality content!!

[@funpheonix9752]

すごくいい動画です！ I just found your channel and I’m really enjoying it so far ❤

[@michaelcherokee8906]

Thank you so much for giving us this much comprehensible input. That is something that is rather lacking in language learning.

[@Wmann]

As for “No thanks.” for いいです, I think it’s closer to “I’m good.”, which also gives the “No thanks” part but with different words but closer to いいです.

[@Trynottoblink]

You are a god for making these videos. I’m learning Japanese on my own and these are immensely helpful.

[@Nayelianne]

This brings me back to the time when I was at an izakaya and had ordered something, but they only had a different variation available, so they came to check if it was okay. I remember nodding and saying いいです, sort of immediately worrying about the ambiguity, try to correct course with a 大丈夫 in my anxiety, doing a thumbs up and other things as she tried to confirm the response. We waited for about half an hour, unsure if the message had come across as a negative or a positive in the end. We ended up leaving without getting to try that particular item of the menu (the reservation had time limitations), but I feel for the waitress, she must have been very confused by the mixed signals.

[@tykep1009]

外人さんの日本語コメントを見ててよく見かける間違いだったので、いい動画ですね。

[@d4rkrai831]

Congratulations on 100k subs! 🎉🎉🎉 Your content is so underrated and it deserves more attention from every japanese learner. Thank you for providing us truly わかりやすい japanese experience 😄

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Under rated have you seen the subscriber count on most Japanese language learning channels if anything his growth is amazing considering he has only 15 videos. I have seen so many that have 100 videos and only have 3k subs. Still very good channel.

[@purpleicicles]

The example dialogues at the end of the video were nicely done and very helpful - thank you!

[@RavnVidarson]

This was very helpful, thank you!

[@abdoolzaidtoorabally4284]

この動画の長さはすごくいいですね。

[@HuugyBearInc]

Your videos are soooo gooodd… I am just starting japanese but I know your channel will help alot

[@MostlyAlone]

If I could have asked you to make any one video explaining something it would have been this one! There are tons of very good content creators and teachers on this platform that I deeply appreciate, but you are the special sort of person who is able to understand exactly which things are difficult and why. You're like the teaching equivalent of the infamous machine technician who knew how to repair a very expensive piece of equipment by striking it hard with a hammer in one very specific location in a very specific way. When trying to translate things and wrap my head around the way いい applies meaning to the sentence and its different usages has really been stumping me. I felt like a really dummy for not realizing before now that *d'oh!* いい is an...い-ADJECTIVE! 🤦‍♂🤦‍♂🤦‍♂ Sometimes a word like this いい is just so vague that the way it's used doesn't make sense until someone outright tells you what the "correct" answer is to provide that clarity.

[@itagane7288]

Question: At 7:53 you apply いい to various nouns to describe the subject. Since they are used as attributes/traits, I was expecting them to be connected to the subject with の but you used は on all examples. Could の also be used there and if so, would it add a different feel to the sentence? For example, 田中さんの声がいいです instead of 田中さんは声がいいです

[@cherrypanda887]

You can use の but the nuance is a bit different! は marks the topic. So if you use は and Tanaka is the topic, it would be “Tanaka’s got a good voice”. If you use the possessive, it would be “Tanaka’s voice is good”. Hope that makes sense :)

[@amuntutana4266]

とても有益な動画 です。ありがとうございます。

[@purplejesus5214]

Another fantastic video! Clear, concise and to the point. Alot of example sentences too which makes it really easy to follow and understand the situation. The best japanese teaching channel ive seen!

[@Krillin.N]

One of my friends who studies Japanese shared this video with me. Since there don't seem to be any Japanese people in the comments, I would like to comment on the first half of the video. The word "いい" itself does not have any sexual connotations. For example, the word "いい" (pronounced "ii") does not generally carry a sexual meaning. However, depending on the context and colloquial expressions, it may acquire a sexual undertone. Nevertheless, the word "いい" itself does not inherently possess a sexual meaning; it is simply influenced by the way it is used or related expressions. For instance, if a friend says, "この映画はいいよ" (pronounced "Kono eiga wa ii yo"), it simply means that the movie is good, without any sexual implications. However, if someone says, "いいところに触れてほしい" (pronounced "Ii tokoro ni furete hoshii"), this could potentially imply a sexual request. The meaning of words can vary based on not only the words themselves but also the context and the speaker's intention. Therefore, to accurately understand the meaning of a specific word, it is necessary to consider the context in which the word is used.

[@butter-biscuit2248]

I saw someone in the comments who made the connection to how we use the word “fine” in English Just like you were saying ｢いい｣ doesn’t have an inherently sexual connotation, it’s the same way as “fine” I thought that was a really good point for us English speakers

[@qwmx]

That makes sense. Inwas mind blown about the "sexual connotation" part, never in my life of learning Japanese and looking at fanfic materials have I seen it being used like that, albeit, those are innocent fanfic works.

[@daviddennis5748]

Thank you! This was a really helpful video! I wasn't quite sure what the Nani Nani ga part meant, but I think I figured out that you mean -whatever you want to say you like then ga particle. - The examples helped there. That honestly helped me understand that particle a little better now.

[@zenfighter3224]

Thank you so much for breaking down and explaining the subtleties of Japanese language!

[@kekswaffel207]

I understood some of the phrases and words but I'm at the beginning of learning. Thank you, it helped me very much 😊

[@flamoonigirlolivia]

:) Love that all your example sentences are so relatable and genuine and useful for beginners! -things we actually would want to be saying :)

[@MrTaipeiguy]

Thanks for your great lessons. Your explanations are very clear and comprehensive, and you always pick great topics to discuss.

[@jingyulee96]

Really appreciate these videos on conversational nuances, thanks

[@-sorta]

Glad I picked up on that nuance naturally, I read the thumbnail and knew what was wrong right away

[@SchmelzKeaseLP]

要先生の動画はいいです。たくさん勉強しました！

[@tonyflamingo3444]

Thank You For The Explanation 要先生の動画はいいです

[@majinkiller8106]

I feel so proud that I already knew this lol, still got a long way to go but I’m glad I’m actually progressing nicely.

[@bb-wh7eu]

Congrats on 100k subscribers! I appreciate your videos!

[@penitent_1]

カナメ先生の動画すごくいいですね。

[@ElenaGarc1]

Once again, gold! Thank you so much

[@sjnok2905]

This was great! Would you ever do a video on how to use 感じ？

[@sarveshverjat134]

北海道から教えてくれていつもありがとうございます。

[@teresagirlando]

I'm glad to have seen this and other your video before going to Japan.

[@deuxanges5220]

You are a good teacher... Thank you

[@Chocobooo92]

Im come because of ii, but im stayed for particle yo/ne. Men, I was wondering for ages whats is going on about yo/ne! You helped me a lot. Arigatou gozaimasu!

[@Dustbuster725]

Well, this was important to learn 😂 Saved from some real awkward conversations

[@domonicsdaniel4497]

Also, いいです as in "No, thank you" can be easily translated to "No, thanks, I'M GOOD" in English as well. Or just like "I'M GOOD, thanks." Quite similar usage.

[@makusadventure6130]

your videos are very helpful.. i'm a new subscriber.. please keep posting videos!

[@HookTheMonster]

Your videos have helped me so much with my understanding of the よ and ね Do you offer online classes or have any recommendations to speed up learning?

[@MatchaMusashi]

Shoutout to everyone who was here before 100k. Kaname san has some of the most impresive english speaking skills ive seen in a japanese language channel.

[@Green_Peas9999]

田中さんはすごくいい人です

[@YuiraKun]

That was a smooth transition to patreon introduction

[@ThirdCoastGardening]

Thanks. I learned something today.