Learn This Basic Grammar to Make Your Language-Learning Journey Smoother

Instead of panicking because of the tens of thousands of words you’ll need to learn to become fluent, why not focus on the few grammatical rules first?

I love learning grammar. I know that’s a rare opinion. Most of the people I’ve met hated it. To be honest, I used to hate it too. What changed everything for me was discovering its potential, when I studied Japanese. Japanese seems extremely hard to learn. It’s not. It’s different from western languages, but its structure is just as well-organized. Learning a few patterns is enough to erase this preconception. Here are just a few examples to prove my point:

• There’s no conjugation table. There’s not even a tense for the future.
• The main verb is always at the end of the sentence, without exception.
• Nine main particles are used to indicate what each part of the sentence is for. (は、の、へ、に、で、を、が、から、まで)

I could go on but you get my point. There are many more rules and specific patterns to learn, but just learn how to use the above 9 particles and you can make pretty much any kind of sentence with a dictionary. Why would you wait for years before giving yourself this opportunity?

Where Should You Start?

If you’re only starting to learn a new language — Welcome to this beautiful world! — research the standard sentence construction. Is the subject at the beginning? At the end? Where is the main verb set?

This is what we call the linguistic typology, the organization of sentences. Basically, it consists of ordering the three main parts of sentences: the subject (S), the verb (V), and the object (O).

English is an SVO language as we can see in this example: “I (S) am (V) home (O).” So are Chinese and French. Japanese is an SOV language. So are Hindi and Latin. Arabic and Welsh are VSO languages.

Find which one the language you learn is. If it’s different from your native language, get your ear used to it through lots of exposure.

In my experience, SOV languages are the “easiest” to learn. Since there isn’t much variety in verbs in daily life, you hear the same verbs appearing again and again. This means that as long as you concentrate on the final word, you can get an idea of the topic.

Let’s say you’re watching a movie and someone says “昨日の夜、彼は博物館で王冠を盗んだ” (“kinou no yoru, kare ha hakubutsukan de oukan wo nusunda”, “he stole a crown from the museum yesterday night”). Even if you don’t understand most of the sentence, the verb “steal” (nusunda) will give you an idea of what happened. Had it been in the middle of the sentence, you’d have had to find where it was.

Learn Typical Conjunctions

Once you’ve understood how to construct basic sentences, it’s time to dig a bit deeper. Learn how longer sentences are built. Begin with learning a keyword: FANBOYS.

FANBOYS stands for “For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So”. Those are the most typical parts of longer sentences. Once you know how to say them, you’ll be able to innovate in the language.

You can then learn some other useful expressions like “Because of”, “Before”, or “With”. Such expressions will allow for smoother and more even varied conversations.

By the time you know those, you’ll have spent only a few days or weeks and should only be missing vocabulary. Before you dive into the ocean of words to learn, let’s first finish your toolbox’s starting kit.

Learn a Few Specific Combinations

To have a large toolbox as quickly as possible, learn a few common expressions. These will vary from language to language, but here are a few you probably should learn.

• I want to (followed by an action verb)…
• I think/thought…
• I must…
• I can…
• I wish…
• I should…

Some languages will have different ways to express the same idea. Learn one form and stick to it for now. You can expand and work on nuances at a later stage. What matters is to have a functioning toolbox.

Obviously, each language will have its own set of challenges. German will have cases and three genders. Japanese will have three writing systems and a lot of implied content. Spanish will have a complex conjugations system. Thai will have tones and a complicated alphabet.

Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. It’s time to prove to yourself what this preparation can do for you.

Create a Text on Your Own

As you develop your basic grammar toolbox, start writing in your native language a simple text. I usually go for a simple dairy-like text. Something I’d write for myself anyway in my diary. The only difference is in the effort I put to use these grammar patterns. Here’s an example:

I wish I could travel to Korea but I can’t yet. I want to improve my skills first. For now, I must concentrate on what I can do. I think I will practice with my friends or on my own. This should help. Anyway, let’s see.

Do you think this will be too complicated for a beginner? I agree. It is. But what is mostly preventing you is the lack of vocabulary and practice.

Pick a dictionary and let’s start. Find all the words you don’t know yet and write their translation on a piece of paper. Once you have all of them, get puzzling! Try to piece the words together with the grammar you’ve learned so your sentences make sense. A quick heads-up: it probably won’t.

That’s fine! Turn to platforms like Journaly, Italki, or HiNative, and enter the text you’ve just translated. If the platform allows it, add your original text. Native speakers will then correct your errors, for free. Depending on the language, it could take a few days.

Once you have the text corrected, try to understand the modifications made. If they don’t make sense, ask the corrector they made the change. Most people will reply quickly and explain the changes. After you’re done with this analysis, you can look at both versions and be proud.

You’ve created a text most people would take 6 months to produce. Congratulations!

Final Thoughts

Take this moment and hold it dear. This will be your proof you can learn this language. Hang the text on your wall if need be, but don’t forget this feeling. You’re already many steps ahead of most other learners. Also, you’ve built essential foundations for the language to grow on.

Repeat this process often at first, so you can get a good hold of these basic grammar patterns. You can then experiment with the language and have as much fun with it as possible.

Watch movies, listen to podcasts, create friendships with natives or other learners, read easy books, etc. Have fun. Learn the vocabulary you want to know. If you hate cooking, don’t learn the terms for “mince” or “roast”. If you’re not interested in fantasy, don’t learn terms like “magic” or “spell”. Learn what you like.

Your grammar skills will allow you to avoid panicking every time you create a new sentence. Yes, you’ll learn certain grammar patterns don’t work in certain situations. Yes, you’ll learn nuances. But instead of being overwhelmed, you’ll tackle them with a relaxed mindset because you’ll have strong foundations. And that’ll help you learn faster.

Enjoy your grammar. You’re about to leave your fear of it behind.

This magnificent journey is only beginning.