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Japanese Sentence with English Translation

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Furigana Show|Add to ▼ Source Totoeba Project
They were the native New Zealanders before the Western people came.
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Vocabulary list

karera
pronoun
  1. they; them (usu. in ref. to males or a mixed-sex group)
ha
particle
  1. topic marker particle (pronounced わ in modern Japanese)
  2. indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated)
  3. adds emphasis
seiyoujin
noun
  1. Western people
seiyou
noun
  1. the West; the Occident; Western countries
jin
suffix
  1. -ian (e.g. Italian); -ite (e.g. Tokyoite) (indicates nationality, race, origin, etc.)
  2. -er (e.g. performer, etc.); person working with ... (indicates expertise (in a certain field))
  3. man; person; people (usu. in compound words)
ga
particle
  1. indicates sentence subject (occasionally object)
  2. indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions)
conjunction
  1. but; however; still; and
  2. regardless of; whether (or not) (after the volitional form of a verb)
yattekuru
expression, kuru verb
  1. to come along; to come around; to turn up
  2. to arrive at the present; to get where one is; to have been doing something (for a period of time)
izen
noun, adverb
  1. ago; since; before; previous
kara
particle
  1. from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity); since
  2. from (originator); by
  3. because; since (follows verbs, adjectives)
  4. out of (constituent, part)
  5. through (e.g. window, vestibule)
  6. after; since (following the te-form of a verb)
  7. expresses sympathy or warning
motomoto
adverb, no adjective
  1. originally; by nature; from the start
sumu

te-form

sunde
godan verb, intransitive verb
  1. to live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell; to abide
Suffix after the te form of a verb
iru

Plain Past Indicative Form

ita
ichidan verb, auxiliary verb
  1. to be ...-ing; to have been ...-ing (after the -te form of a verb; indicates continuing action or state)
nyuujirando
noun
  1. New Zealand
jin
suffix
  1. -ian (e.g. Italian); -ite (e.g. Tokyoite) (indicates nationality, race, origin, etc.)
  2. -er (e.g. performer, etc.); person working with ... (indicates expertise (in a certain field))
  3. man; person; people (usu. in compound words)
nanodesu
auxiliary
  1. it is assuredly that ...; can say with confidence that ...
nano
expression
  1. that's the way it is; yes (at sentence-end with falling intonation; used to make an assertion)
  2. is that so?; is it? (at sentence-end with rising intonation)
na
particle
  1. don't (prohibitive; used with dictionary form verb)
  2. do (imperative (from なさい); used with -masu stem of verb)
interjection
  1. hey; listen; you
particle
  1. now, ...; well, ...; I tell you!; you know (when seeking confirmation, for emphasis, etc.; used at sentence end)
  2. wow; ooh (used to express admiration, emotionality, etc.; used at sentence end)
nodesu
expression
  1. the expectation is that ...; the reason is that ...; the fact is that ...; the explanation is that ...; it is that ... (の and ん add emphasis)
no
particle
  1. indicates possessive (occasionally ん, orig. written 乃 or 之)
  2. nominalizes verbs and adjectives
  3. substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases
  4. (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion (often ん)
  5. (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis
  6. (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
da

Polite Present Indicative Form

desu
copula
  1. be; is (plain copula)
auxiliary verb
  1. did; (have) done (た after certain verb forms; indicates past or completed action)
  2. please; do (indicates light imperative)

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