The inflections of verbs. How the endings of verbs change to reflect grammatical factors such as tense and aspect.
34
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5answers
3k views
Differences among -たら、なら、-んだったら、-えば, etc.
Japanese language has a lot of patterns for "if" clauses. What are the differences among the following patterns and how do we choose to use one over the others?:
行ったら
行くなら
行けば
行くんだったら
行くのなら
行くとしたら
...
23
votes
7answers
948 views
Difference between negative forms {-ず} and {-ぬ}
{-ず} and {-ぬ} are two alternatives to the negative form {-ない} / {-ません}. But I noticed that depending on the word, it's either {-ず} or {-ぬ}, although it seems like some words can take both suffixes. ...
17
votes
5answers
780 views
Does -ou / -you / -mashou conjugation have a negative form?
Does the -ou / -you / -mashou (the "let's X") form have a negative counterpart? For example, how do I say "let's not X" for the following?:
行こう
食べよう
寝ましょう
As far as I can remember, the Japanese ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
Is Japanese really an agglutinative language?
In the linguistics topic of language typology, Japanese is often included in lists of agglutinative (or agglutinating) languages, but when learning or reading about Japanese grammar exclusively this ...
14
votes
2answers
1k views
Why is 知りません the negative form of 知っています？
I'm reading Minna no Nihongo (Chapter 15) and it says what I wrote in the question. I would think the negative would be 知っていません。
14
votes
2answers
285 views
Why is it なさそう and not なそう
"It seems there is none" is なさそう, which escapes the usual rule for 形容詞 (イ-adjectives), which says "drop the い and add そう".
Is there a historical explanation for this exception? And does it have ...
14
votes
1answer
672 views
～うございます - keigo い-adjectives
I'm not sure if this is actual keigo, or just a polite form of adjectives. Anyway, there are several that we're all familiar with that are still used today.
はやい → おはようございます
ありがたい → ...
14
votes
1answer
209 views
General applicability of the ～ませ conjugation
I have only found the ～ませ conjugation used in the following honorific verbs:
いらっしゃいませ
くださいませ
なさいませ
Can the conjugation be applied to other honorific verbs, like おっしゃいませ or めしあがりませ?
Or even common ...
12
votes
2answers
506 views
What exactly does an adjective stem + そう mean?
The other day I posted a picture of some food on Facebook, and I noticed that all of my Japanese friends were saying 「おいしそう」. I made a good guess to what it meant, but I wasn't certain what exactly ...
11
votes
4answers
300 views
“Unsolvable problem”
What is the correct construction of "unsolvable problem"? Is it "解{と}けられない問題{もんだい}"？(Question 1)
Plain(intransitive): 解{と}ける "To be solved".
Potential form(of intransitive): 解けられる "can be ...
10
votes
1answer
565 views
Where does the verbal form しとく come from?
In a manga I am currently reading, one of the character exclaims:
安心しな。秘密に しとく から。
The general meaning of the second part ("I'll keep it a secret") is quite obvious, and it seems that "しとく" ...
10
votes
2answers
396 views
What is the difference between [plain form of verb]～そう and [root of verb]～そう?
I heard both forms of [plain form of verb]～そう and [root of verb]～そう in an anime I watched, reproduced below, so I'm wondering how are they different and how to choose to use one over the other?
...
10
votes
2answers
264 views
About the な part in negative imperative verb form (e.g. 飲むな)
In the Japanese version of "don't drink and drive" slogan, 【乗るなら飲むな】 (also 【飲んだら乗るな】), what part of speech is the な that follows the plain verb 飲む (or 乗る in the second variation) to form the negative ...
10
votes
1answer
134 views
Meaning of せい conjugation of する?
I came upon this line of dialogue in a book I'm reading, from a character who has old-fashioned speech patterns:
できる限りの鶏肉を用意せい…
I assume this せい is some form of the verb する, though I'm not even sure ...
10
votes
2answers
202 views
Which verbs have 辞書形 (dictionary forms) that look like ~ます conjugations?
I recently confused 励ます (hagemasu) for the ~ます form of 禿げる (hageru).
Although this actually lead to a rather amusing conversation, I'm wondering if there are other examples of this to watch out for?
9
votes
3answers
549 views
What exactly is the difference between <verb>-てしまう and <verb>- [切]{き}る?
I've read that both the ～てしまう and ～きる (18th meaning of 切る at http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?1MUE%E5%88%87%E3%82%8B) forms are used to signify something has been ...
9
votes
2answers
195 views
What is the purpose of the suffix “さ” on adjectives?
What is the purpose of the suffix "さ" on adjectives like 美しさ and 多さ?
The former is the title of an essay by Banana Yoshimoto, so I don't have much context for it. The book editors translated it as ...
9
votes
2answers
564 views
About 「同じ」 {onaji} and 「同じく」 {onajiku}
As far as I know, 「同じ」 {onaji} is not a 形容詞 {keiyoushi} (-i adjective) so how does it become 「同じく」 {onajiku}? Or does {onajiku} not come from {onaji}?
Also, are there any other non i-adjectives that ...
9
votes
1answer
175 views
How should I use 始める (はじめる) and 始まる (はじまる) as a suffix to intransitive verbs?
When describing intransitive actions that are commencing, I often end up saying dumb things like 沸き始まる (わきはじまる) instead of 沸き始める (わきはじめる) - starting to boil. Perhaps it's some meta pattern I am ...
8
votes
3answers
321 views
What's the difference between 言わないでほしい and 言ってほしくない
What's the difference between 言わないでほしい and 言ってほしくない ?
If the intended message is "I don't want you to say it" which of the two above would be more suitable?
8
votes
3answers
309 views
What conjugation/form is the ませ (for example: いらっしゃいませ)?
I know it's used for greetings in a restaurant or store. But what type of verb conjugation (ex: polite, plain, honorific, imperative, or something else) is it? Is it used with other verbs? Is it ...
8
votes
2answers
219 views
What's the meaning of ず in 通ず? (Not a negative)
It's from the Japanese saying, 読書百遍意自ずから通ず(Repeated reading makes the meaning clear). In this case, the ず ending doesn't make the verb negative. What is the function and nuance of this usage? Is this ...
8
votes
2answers
287 views
Transitive/Intransitive + にくい (and +られる)
This question is based on the discussion arising from "Unsolvable Problem"
Start of Excerpt
Relevant discourse extracted from "Unsolvable Problem":
Quoted from Derek Schaab's reply to ...
8
votes
1answer
236 views
What form is 恐るる?
In Final Fantasy VIII, Bahamut has a little speech:
…G.F.とは我らのことか
我らを力として使うとは…
恐るるべきは人間どもよ
I'd never seen two るs doubled up like that. Which conjugation is this? It seems to have plenty of ...
8
votes
2answers
558 views
How to differentiate ～られる conjugation between passive form and potential form?
For verbs of group 2, whose ～ます form is formed by dropping the ending ～る from the plain form, both the passive and potential forms have the same conjugation: ～られる. Example:
食べられる
1. to be eaten
...
8
votes
1answer
158 views
Can けれども be analysed further?
Consider the conjunction ども, e.g.:
行けども
言えども
Formation rule:
Verb Hypothetical form (仮定形) + ども
This leads me to hypothesise that the conjunction けれども (meaning "but; however; although") is ...
8
votes
1answer
354 views
Usage and meaning of [passive verb]-てみれば
I am familiar with the set phrase 「言われてみれば」 as a way to say "Now that you say that", but as I examine the phrase further, the phrase structure strikes me as strange. The 〜てみる conjugation is commonly ...
8
votes
2answers
174 views
7
votes
2answers
235 views
Saying “as if to say” - What's happened to 言う in と言わんばかりに?
Can you help breakdown 言わん?
彼女は当たり前と言わんばかりに答えた
She answered as if it was a matter of fact.
Are these incorrect, have different meanings?
彼女は当たり前と言うばかりに答えた
彼女は当たり前なことばかりに答えた
...
7
votes
5answers
185 views
Is there a general rule for deriving xasu→xaseru intransitives such as 死なせる from 死なす?
There are a number of verbs where there is a 〜xasu → xaseru transformation to produce an transitive verb from an intransitive, eg:
死なす→死なせる
生かす→生かせる
飲ます→飲ませる
Is this some kind of generalized rule? ...
7
votes
2answers
325 views
Meaning of …立てちゃいなよ
I am organizing an event and posted a flyer on a famous SNS.
Someone commented on it saying: イベント立てちゃいなよ
From the context I guess it is advising me to create an event (SNS feature), am I mistaken?
...
7
votes
1answer
351 views
What is the difference between 見える／聞こえる and 見られる／聞ける?
In Japanese, there is a potential form to express that it's possible for something to be done.
My own examples of potential form:
辛【から】い食【た】べ物【もの】が食【た】べられる。 (I can eat spicy foods.)
...
7
votes
1answer
147 views
おいてきてしまった vs おいてしまってきた
Is there any difference in the sentence when we mix the order of the conjugations in this sentence:
1) あいにく私はカメラを家においてきてしまった
2) あいにく私はカメラを家においてしまってきた
Or are both "correct" and mean the same thing ...
7
votes
1answer
211 views
When is it appropriate to use [v] ないでくれ instead of [v] な?
Initially I wanted to compare the rudeness level of [v]ないでくれ。 and[v]な。 but since that may be a rather vague question:
In what situation is it appropriate to use [v]ないでくれ。 but not [v]な。 ?
In what ...
7
votes
1answer
173 views
Does it make sense to say [v]ませんでしたら instead of [v]なかったら?
I'm wondering whether it makes sense to say [v]ませんでしたら instead of [v]なかったら.
When I googled for that conjugation there were very few results, but since there were results, I wonder if people actually ...
6
votes
3answers
197 views
It's time to [verb]
I know this is dangerously close to a translation question, but bare with me.
Today I found out a co-worker of mine is studying Japanese as well. And at the end of the conversation I wrote: Jikan wa ...
6
votes
3answers
319 views
Positive Past Plain form of Iku is Itta not iita?
I thought when you get a type one verb ending with "ku" you replace it with ita. For example Kaku (to write) goes to Kaita. So I'm guessing Iku is an exception, does this happen with other verbs too ? ...
6
votes
3answers
479 views
What does “+ra shinai” conjugation mean?
In episode 76 of Fairy Tail, Gildarts said this to Natsu:
本気でそう思ったら、止めらしないよ。 (honki de sou omottara, tomera shinai yo)
Which was translated in the subtitle as:
If that's what you honestly ...
6
votes
2answers
200 views
How is 「なう」most commonly appended to verbs?
I read the other two questions on なう on this site, and I want to know what the most common way to add なう after a verb is.
I've seen なう most frequently with nouns. This is supported by ...
6
votes
3answers
158 views
Which forms of a verb do I need to memorize to distinguish ichidan from godan?
Can I get away with memorizing only these two forms of a verb?
Dictionary form かえる ("to return")
Positive polite non-past form, like かえります
If I compare these two forms, I can determine whether ...
6
votes
1answer
161 views
Does the verb 死ぬ has a 死ぬる form?
I have come across a conjugation of 死ぬ verb which I've never heard before. It is 死ぬる, I have heard it in a TV show, you can see the relevant part in this video.
Is this a depreciated form? If so, ...
6
votes
2answers
315 views
い-Adjective Conjugation: かったです vs でした
When we first studied adjective conjugation in my Japanese class, I kept making the same mistake habitually; I would conjugate the past tense of い-adjectives with でした at the end instead of dropping ...
6
votes
2answers
540 views
Why do we use 〜ないで instead of 〜なくて before auxiliary ください?
I was taught in college that the 〜ない verb conjugation behaves like an i-adjective, thus it has 〜く form, it takes 〜ければ for "if" scenario, it modifies the noun that follows it etc. Also, I know that the ...
6
votes
1answer
138 views
What is going on with 書けている? What is Potential Form+ている?
I'm having difficulty in understanding 書けている (initially observed from an answer to "パソコンが 得意だ/わかる/上手だ"). Also observed from SPACEALC:
この小説は上手に書けている。
最もよく書けている記事。
...
6
votes
1answer
262 views
How to distinguish between passive and potential forms of the verb?
I've read that potential form of the ru-verb is formed by replacing る with られる, which is exactly the same for the passive form of ru-verbs. How can we tell the passive form and potential apart in this ...
5
votes
3answers
162 views
Is there a past tense conjugation form for ば？
I have been looking at conjunctive forms of verbs and my grammar books shows me a negative and affirmative version of ば but what about a past tense and a past tense negative?
Would they be じゃなてれば and ...
5
votes
2answers
105 views
Help to understand the ending verb “動かねーんじゃね”
Original sentence: アドビやら、お絵描き系のアプリは、誰かが実証しない限り、動かねーんじゃね？
I can't understand the structure of the last verb. So far I understood that 動か(conjugated form) + ねー(negative particle) + んじゃ(???) + ね(question ...
5
votes
3answers
213 views
What's the difference between [V-ながら][V2] and [V-ている]間[V2]?
What's the difference between [V-ながら][V2] and [V-ている]間[V2] ?
For example, is there any difference in nuance between these 2 sentences:
トムはテレビを見てる間勉強していた
トムはテレビを見ながら勉強していた
5
votes
1answer
109 views
Is the regular form of verbs with irregular polite/honorific forms still grammatical?
Hi all I was wondering for verbs with irregular polite/honorific forms, is the regular form still used/grammatical ?
For example, the humble form of 借りる is 拝借する. But would お借りする be acceptable ?
...
5
votes
3answers
100 views
Does “させ” comes from the verb 刺す or just する ?
Recently I came across this sentence in a computing-related technical document:
some software と連携させ、 some feature のカスタマイズを作成します。
I get the meaning (after having integrated some product, we will ...
