Basic Grammar Questions

[Still_studying]

I just started learning Japanese this year, so I'm quite the newbie >_<
I have two questions:

When do you use Iku and when do you use Kuru? I just learned this in class the other day and I'm still confused. It was described in my textbook as "Ikimasu is used to indicate motion away from the speaker's location, or a location associated with the speaker. kimasu is used to indicate motion toward the speaker, or toward a location associated with the speaker."
I think it left my head in a foggier place than where it started.

When and where do you use the contrast particle も? I know that there needs to be a parallel structure between the sentences involved, but beyond that I don't know....

I appreciate any help.

 

[lonesoullost3]

The basic translations of いく and くる respectively are "to go" and "to come". In English, it's really the same implicit meaning, but we just don't use it that way. But for Japanese, think of it this way:

Friend: "Won't you come over?" (meaning to where your friend is now - his house)
You: "Sure, I'll go over." (meaning to your friend's house)

Japanese:
Friend: "きませんか？"
You: "ええ、いきます。"

It's really quite simple: if you're moving away from your current position (or if someone is moving away form your current position) - they are GOING (いく) away from you. If someone is moving towards your current position, they are COMING (くる) towards you. Just remember that the english, "Sure, I'll come over." doesn't translate into くる because you're not moving towards yourself - you're moving away from where you are towards your friend (so from your friends perspective, you are くる-ing).

As far as も is concerned, I assume you're talking about も after ～て? If I use the sentence （I'll only use hiragana, not knowing your kanji ability): それをいってもだめです。 (Even if you say that, it's no good.) The も implies an "even if" situation. Xて・でもY (where て・で depends on the verb) means "Even if X, Y." I hope that helps a bit.

Something to consider is でも at the beginning of sentences - typically translated as "but." However, the linguistic origin suggests that it's a contrastive-も and a shortened form of それでも - Even if that... (or to include the verb, "Even that being..."), which means "but". ^_^

 

[Still_studying]

Okay, I understand いく and くる
and for も, I meant the contrast particle は (as you can see, my Japanese skills are in the pits... ) as in the example:
わたしは えいご を はなします。 でも、ちゅ うごくごは はなしません。
I understand it in simple sentences combinations like that.
But speaking of も I don't understand how to use it when it replaces は in terms of "also".
A (correctly answered) question on a test that I got wrong that incorporates both is:
ちちは すしを たべます。 ははも すしを たべます。 でも、 わたしは すしを たべません。
I put the particles I got wrong in bold. It's the second one that confuses me because if it is "My mother eats sushi too" why isn't it ははは すしも たべます。(and I'm aware that my sentence might make absolutely no sense...)

 

[undrentide]

But speaking of も I don't understand how to use it when it replaces は in terms of "also".
A (correctly answered) question on a test that I got wrong that incorporates both is:
ちちは すしを たべます。 ははも すしを たべます。 でも、 わたしは すしを たべません。
I put the particles I got wrong in bold. It's the second one that confuses me because if it is "My mother eats sushi too" why isn't it ははは すしも たべます。(and I'm aware that my sentence might make absolutely no sense...)

These two sentences are different in meaning.
ははも すしを たべます。
My mother eats sushi, too. / My mother also eat sushi.
In this case, "too" "also" modifies "mother".
My father eats sushi, and so does my mother.

ははは すしも たべます。
My mother eats sushi, too. / My mother also eat sushi.
In this case, "too" "also" modifies "sushi".
My mother eats sashimi. She also eats sushi.

 

[Still_studying]

Yay! I understand
Thank you both!

 

[lonesoullost3]

Good luck on your studies!