Past Tense

Finally! Getting to past tense. Right now, we are only looking at the past tense form of です. We`ll be covering past tense verbs next time.

おみやげ = Souvenir
ごはん = Rice; meal
しゃしん = Picture
てがみ = Letter
ひと = Person
メール = e-mail

So, with learning the past tense form of です we will be able to say things like “He was a student.” “That was not a temple.” And things of the like. To change です to past tense, we simply change it to でした. Everything else within the sentence will remain the same. The only word we change is です.
わたしはベルモントだいがくのがくせいです。 (I am a student at Belmont University.)
わたしはベルモントだいがくのがくせいでした。 (I was a student at Belmont University.)

See how every element of the above sentences if the same except for the tense of です? It`s that simple! Now, let`s move on to negative sentences. Remember how to say someone is NOT something?
わたしはがくせいです。 (I am a student.)
わたしはがくせいじゃないです。 (I am not a student.) (Don`t forget, you can also use じゃありません and ではありません. But for today, stick with じゃないです.)

To change a negative です sentence into past tense, change it to じゃなかったです. A little more complicated than the positive, but you can do it! This will be talked about a bit more in a post to be made within the next two weeks.
わたしはがくせいじゃないです。 (I am not a student)
わたしはがくせいじゃなかったです。 (I was not a student.)

Now, let`s go on to some examples!

Translate these sentences

1. I was an office worker.
2. Mom was a lawyer.
3. That was not a magazine.
4. That was not a hospital.
5. I was a teacher.

Another pretty short lesson! If you feel something wasn`t explained sufficiently, please let me know! I`d be glad to add something. Just let me know what you think can be done better! We`re starting to move along here, even with my slow posting rate. This month and the beginning of next month will be pretty busy. I`m actually teaching quite a few classes right now! Here are the answers to the above.

1. かいしゃいんでした。
2. おかあさんはべんごしでした。
3. あれはざっしじゃなかったです。
4. あれはびょういんじゃなかったです。
5. わたしはせんせいでした。 (You can also use きょうし instead of せんせい in this case. It is a more humble way of referring to yourself or someone close to you as a teacher.)

がんばってください!

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