Zelda-san, arigatou gozaimasu.

> I hope this thread stays around for a while.

I hope so, too, lol. Seriously, I intend to keep this until this story ends.

> How would I say everything here, or everything in this thread, or everything within this lesson was helpful?

kore wa, sugoku yaku ni tachimasu.
This (lesson/thread) is very helpful (to me).

> What about "Shizusan, thanks for teaching"

Shizu-san, oshiete kudasatte arigatou gozaimasu.
or
Shizu-san, oshiete kurete arigatou.

The former one is more polite, and the latter one is more friendly.

Thanks again for your kind words!

Shizu

7. adjective + koto wa + adjective

This expression means like "I can say the state (of the adjective) is true exactly", but it gives something negative to the listener or makes him/her expect oposite thing against the listener's expectation after the expression. Because of that, this is often used when you want to avoid to tell the truth at that time.

(Mr. and Mrs. Akiyama are talking in the car which is heading for their new appartment.)
B: nee, donna apaato? atarashii?
(Hey, what does the appartment look like? Is it new?)
A: un, atarashii koto wa atarashii yo.
(Yeah, it's new (the word "new" is correct about the meaning).)
B: fuun... maa, ii kedo.
(I see... oh well (sounds unclear though).)

(The car arrived at an old appartment.)
B: chotto, "atarashii" tte itta noni...
(Come on... although you said to me "it's new"...)
A: demo, hokano apaato yori atarashii n da yo.
(But it's newer than other appartments.)

This expression is often used as
[ (adjective) koto wa (adjective) kedo... ]

kono piza wa, oishii koto wa oishii kedo, sugoku takai desu.
This pizza is delicious (I can admit it), but it's very expensive.

kono hon wa omoshiroi koto wa omoshiroi kedo, chotto nagasugiru.
This book is interesting (I can say so exactly), but it's a bit too long.

You can use na-adjectives as well, but in the latter one, you change the "na" to "da".

kono ichigo wa, shinsenna koto wa shinsen da kedo, zenzen amaku nai.
This strawberry is fresh (I can say it's true), but it's not sweet at all.

Not only adjectives, you can also use verbs.

B: nee, koohii iru?
(Hey, do you want coffee?
A: n, iru koto wa iru kedo, mou chotto ato de. ima isogashii n da.
(Umm, I want it (I admit it), but a little later. Now I'm busy.)

Shizu

8. adjective + shi

This "shi" works as "and", and it implies the sentence has another/other thing besides the state by the adjective.

(Some days later, B's friend C made a call to B.)
C: ohisashiburi. genki?
(It's been long time (since our last meeting/hearing). How are you?)
B: uun, maamaa kana.
(Umm, not bad, maybe.)
C: apaato wa dou?
(How about the appartment?)
B: n, furui koto wa furui n da. demo gakkou kara chikai shi.
(Well, (I must say) it's old. But it's near the school (and).)

(sore wa) gakkou kara chikai.
It's near the school.

(sore wa) gakkou kara chikai shi.
It's near the school (and...).

In fact, B's husband A is a teacher, and "the school" here indicates his new working place. The appartment isn't so good for B, but she used the expression "shi" to try to show that the state isn't so bad for her or her husband either. "Shi" is often used repeatedly twice or more together with each adjective, and because of that, the listener expects the second "adjective + shi" even if the speaker said just one thing. Or, the speaker might say just one thing when he/she can't find anything else at that time, and it might be so easy for the listener to understand about that depending on the situation.

The general pattern is
[ adjective1 + shi, adjective2 + shi ]

kono resutoran wa ii ne. oishii shi, yasui shi.
This restaurant is good, huh? It (the food) is delicious and cheap.

(When doing job outside)
samui shi, kurai shi, mou kaerou yo.
It's cold and dark; let's got back home soon!

[ na-adjective (remove "na") + da + shi ]

ryokou ni wa ikenai yo, binbou da shi, isogashii shi.
I can't go to trip because I'm poor and busy.

(binbouna - poor)

Like above, you can use i-adjectives and na-adjectives together with in a sentence. And when you have lots of things to say, you can use more adjectives. When you're very happy or irritated, you often do.

(When you want to tell about your new girlfriend)
kawaii shi, yasashii shi, ryouri wa jouzu da shi, saikou da yo.
She is cute, kind and good at cooking; perfect!

(When you want to complain about your boss to your friend)
ouhei da shi, ijiwaru da shi, baka da shi, ashi wa mijikaishi!
He is arrogant, mean, stupid and his legs are short!

(Note: when you're so mad, you may say such childish things, lol.)

"Shi" makes the listener expect other existence besides the statement. When you want to say just two things for example, you say the two things without "shi".

ryokou ni wa ikenai yo, binbou de isogashii kara.
I can't go to trip because I'm poor and busy.


Shizu

I guess it wouldn't be too much to add some info about the "shi" topic. But I always saw it like a non-exhaustive way of expressing reasons in a similar way to the "tari + suru" topic for verbs. I guess that's why it has such a wonderish air around it when one's using it. But that is pretty much what is being explained by Shizusan.

9. toka

This is often used in more colloquial conversation, and the meaning is "or something like that". That means, it's used when you're not confident about your remembrance.

(A ,Mr. Akiyama, is heading for the teacher's room in the high school. He hears the voices by some students from a classroom nearby.)
A: (in his mind) kono gakkou mo, kanari furusou da na.
(Also this school looks quite old.)
S: kyou, atarashii sensei kuru rashii zo. Akiyama toka itta kana?)
(Today a new teacher will come here, I hear. Maybe his name is Akiyama or something like that.)
A: (in his mind) maa, ii ka. seito wa genki sou da shi.
(Oh, well. The students are fine, it seems.)

akiyama to iu
his name is Akiyama

akiyama to ka iu
his name is Akiyama or something like that

(Note: here, the verb "iu (say)" is used as the past tense "itta".)

In this situation, the student doesn't know that the teacher catches his speaking voice, and because of that, he (the student is a boy) says about the teacher's name without "sensei" which is quite rude. Normally Japanese teacher is called "family name + sensei", but if the teacher isn't there, students (especially boys) don't care about that at all.

This "toka" has a nuance like "for example", and it's often used also "and (etc)".

(The conversation between B and C on the phone.)
C: sonnani furui no? mushi toka deru no?
(Is it (the appartment) so old? Insects appear, for example?)
B: deru deru. konchuu zukan toka tsukureru kamo yo, haha.
(Of course! I may be able to make a insects guide book, for example, haha.)
C: a, gomen, sorosoro kaimono ni ikanai to.
(Oh, sorry, I have to go to shopping soon.)
B: nani kau no?
(What are you going to buy?)
C: tamago toka chiizu toka. jaa ne.
(Eggs and cheese etc. See you!)

For "etc", another word "nado" is often used. But "nado" is used just for the last noun, and you use another one "ya" as "and":

tamago ya chiizu nado.
Eggs and cheese etc.
tamago toka chiizu toka.

The latter expression is much more conversational than the former one.

Shizu

10. koto ni naru/suru

naru - the dictionary form

This is often used as "become".
"koto ni + naru" indicates that the state is decided regardless of your will or intention.

(A entered the teacher's room and is greeting in front of the teachers.)
A: hajimemashite, Akiyama to moushimasu. kyou kara kochira de hataraku koto ni narimashita. yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
(Hello, my name is Akiyama. Nice to meet you. (it was decided) I work here from today.)
D: kyuu ni kuru koto ni natte, taihen deshita ne.
(It was not so easy for you to be decided to come here suddenly, I imagine.)

Also in the first lesson, he told to his wife as follows:
raigetsu, tenkinsuru koto ni natta yo.
It was decided that I change the working place next month.

If the state was decided by himself, he used "suru" instead of "naru":

raigetsu, tenkinsuru koto ni shita yo.
I decided that I change the working place next month.

kyou kara kochira de hataraku koto ni shimashita.
I decided to work here from today.

But in this situation, it's quite unnatural to use "suru" because you can't decided such a thing by yourself.

Past tense:
[ koto ni + natta/narimashita ]

konya wa sushi o taberu koto ni natta yo.
(It was decided) I/we eat sushi tonight.
konya wa sushi o taberu koto ni shita yo.
I decided to eat sushi tonight.

Present tense:
[ koto ni natte iru/imasu ]
konya wa, sushi o taberu koto ni natte iru yo.
I'm/we're supposed to eat sushi tonight.
konya wa sushi o taberu koto ni shite iru yo.
(I've already decided that) I eat sushi tonight.

Note: in the last pattern is often used when talking about your habitual act rather than a specific event like above.
yoru wa itsumo sushi o taberu koto ni shite iru yo.
(Habitually) I always eat sushi for dinner. (and this was decided by myself)

By the way, sometimes you use "naru" even though you decided something by yourself.

raishuu, ryokou ni iku koto ni narimashita.
(It was decided) I/we go to trip next week.

For example, you want to go to trip for several days, but you may feel a guilty to ask your boss to take some holidays for that. So, even though it was decided by yourself, you will say like above with "naru" as if someone (from your family members for example) decided it.

eeto, jitsu wa rainen kekkonsuru koto ni narimashita.
Well, actually, (it was decided) I/we will marry next year.

Also in this case, you may use "naru" even though it was decided by yourself or both of yourselves because you feel like you're shy or embarrassed to tell this too happy happening to your friends or colleagues.
But possibly it might not have been your intention unfortunately, and you may tell to your closer friends:

rainen kekkonsuru koto ni natte simatta yo...
(It was decided) I will marry next year (unfortunately)...

This is by the function of "te-form + shimau" which has a nuance of regrettable feelings. So, when you regret it despite of the decision by yourself, you may say also like this:

rainen kekkonsuru koto ni shite shimatta yo...
(It is regrettable to me) I decided to marry next year...

But when you're so happy, also you may use this expression, and maybe it's because you may feel like you'd better pretend to regret because of the too happiness. And, please remember that "te-form + shimau" also means "have done".

rainen kekkonsuru koto ni shite shimatta yo.
I've decided to marry next year!

That means, the expression depends on the situation, your personality or your tone about the meaning.

Shizu