This site introduces, in a simple way, grammar patterns and notation styles to help you read Japanese classics.

• There are 12 sections: Introduction, Issues with spoken Classical Japanese, Vocabulary problems, Orthography, Stem elements, Adjectives, Verbs, Paradigm chart (showing verb inflection), Copulas, Useful particles and Expressing concepts.
• In the vocabulary section, examples are introduced where, even though the word is the same, the meaning differs in classical and modern Japanese.
• You can download a PDF file that shows how verbs and adjectives inflect.

How to…

Move your cursor to 'Classical Japanese' over the title '文語入門 (Bungo Nyûmon)' to show the 12 items: Introduction, Speaking Issues, Vocabulary Problems, Orthography, Stem Elements, Adjectives, Verbs, Paradigm Chart (PDF), Copulas, Useful Particles, Expressing Concepts, and Bibliography.

Click 'Vocabulary Problems', the third item from the top, to see a table showing examples of differences in meaning between classical and modern Japanese.

Click 'Paradigm Chart (PDF)', the eighth item from the top, to download a PDF of classical verb and adjective conjugations.