That class of words which describe events and states and can be inflected or conjugated to indicate relative time, as well as many other nuances.
18
votes
3answers
773 views
When is Vている the continuation of action and when is it the continuation of state?
Last night, when I asked my wife to send an email to me, she said もう送っている which I took to mean that she was "sending the message". (The message had a big attachment so I imagined that it could take a ...
25
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the difference between the nominalizers こと and の?
As Derek mentioned in his postscript, both こと and の are nominalizers that can turn a verb into a noun.
ピアノを弾【ひ】く。 I play the piano.
ピアノを弾{ひ}くのが好{す}きです。 I like playing the piano.
...
13
votes
2answers
374 views
“太ってる猫” vs “太った猫”
Greetings people I saw this sentence in a textbook: 彼女は太った猫が好きじゃない。, which was translated to "She doesn't like fat cats".
I was under the impression that 太ってる猫 means something like "cat that is in ...
10
votes
2answers
680 views
If Vて+いる isn't a gerund, then what is it?
I always thought that a verb ending in the て form along with the いる suffix was the English equivelent of the "ing" form of a verb.
Thus:
see = 見{み}る, seeing = 見{み}ている
do = する, doing = している
...
10
votes
3answers
984 views
Usage of ～じゃん (～じゃない)
I'd like to know if I can put ～じゃん at the end of every adjective, if there are any exceptions to that usage, and if it's different from ～じゃない.
Adj (na) + じゃん
便利じゃん
便利だったじゃん
便利じゃないじゃん
...
26
votes
5answers
681 views
How should I choose between [知]{し}る and わかる?
Both 知る and わかる get used for "know", "understand", "learn", "find out", and various other concepts. How do you know which to use when? Are there any rules to help you decide?
Additionally, both of ...
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。
15
votes
4answers
3k views
What exactly is “なの” (nano)?
I asked a female Japanese friend to translate a sentence for me and it ends in "nano" which I took to be either an alternative question particle to -ne or -ka; or possibly two particles I don't know ...
12
votes
3answers
212 views
Dissecting つく verbs
I think we all are familiar with する verbs, which are verbs that are formed by appending する to nouns. Examples include 勉強する, 愛する etc. This pattern is very convenient because it can be appended to ...
14
votes
2answers
321 views
Plain verbs that end with ぬ other than 死ぬ
Are there any other verbs than 死ぬ whose plain forms end with ぬ? Why are they so rare? Is it because the verb 死ぬ itself has special etymology why it ended up having the ぬ ending?
9
votes
1answer
319 views
aru vs iru : Why is aru in “Watakushi-wa untenshu-ga aru” (私は運転手がある) unacceptable?
There is a generally expressed rule in Japanese that, when declaring existence, いる is used for animate subjects, and ある is used for inanimate subjects. There are some interesting variations in what is ...
5
votes
2answers
345 views
Correct usage of [verb stem] + に + [another verb]
I'm a little unclear on the use a verb stem, followed by に and another verb.
Take these two examples:
特別なビザをもらって行った
特別なビザをもらいに行った
I think the first means "I went with a special visa", but ...
3
votes
2answers
148 views
Stem classification 終止形 vs 連体形（しゅうしけい vs れんたいけい）
What is the difference between 終止形 and 連体形 and which one is the correct term for the dictionary form?
The Japanese Grammar Wiki entry says...
Terminal form (終止形 shūshikei) -u
is used at the ...
6
votes
2answers
227 views
What exactly is おく doing in 聞いておく?
Earlier today my friend and I were looking for a restaurant that someone had recommended we go to. We couldn't find it, and so my friend suggested I should check again with the person who recommended ...
5
votes
2answers
270 views
Passive verb forms for intransitive verbs
Okay, so I'm confused about passive verbs.
From how I understand it, the verb is performed on the subject.
but how come you can say something like
明日の会議に行かれるんですか？
Are you going to tomorrow's ...
12
votes
3answers
336 views
Do viruses あります or います?
Do viruses あります or います?
Currently, I'm under the impression that animals and humans use います (though see this question), while plants and inanimate objects use
あります. Do viruses fall under the latter ...
6
votes
1answer
197 views
Is it true that all verbs have a corresponding noun form?
Is it true that all verbs have a corresponding noun form (which is formed by making the -masu form and removing the -masu)?
Like 遊び and 遊びます
飲み and 飲みます
生き and 生きます
死に and 死にます
5
votes
4answers
435 views
Are 終{お}わる and 済{す}ませる synonyms?
I know that they both mean "finish". But I wonder if there are situations or contexts where you can use one but not the other.
18
votes
3answers
625 views
How do I express sentences like: He is dying?
For instance, "He is eating" is "Kare wa tabete iru". However, "He is dying" is not "Kare wa shinde iru". Another example is "He is going to Japan" is not "Kare wa nihon ni itte iru". So if I can't ...
17
votes
5answers
818 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 ...
11
votes
2answers
238 views
can we optionally include (or exclude) an を particle in between the noun of the する-verb and the する itself?
when we have a する verb, (e.g. 支度する、案内する、心配する) is it true that we could optionally insert an を particle in between the noun and the する?
Because in the example sentences here and here, we can see this ...
9
votes
2answers
159 views
How does one use the “[V ます stem] に [Vタ]” pattern (as in 待ちに待った)?
Every now and then I hear 待ちに待った, as in:
待ちに待ったライブ a long-awaited concert
I started wondering if this pattern can apply to other verbs, and it certainly seems to, if Google is any indication. I ...
14
votes
1answer
214 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
289 views
Can と and を be interchanged with 思う the way I think they can?
Compare the following two sentences:
あそこに[行]{い}こうと[思]{おも}っている
あそこに[行]{い}こうを[思]{おも}っている
If I'm right about this, they both mean that the speaker is thinking of going somewhere.
However, the ...
8
votes
1answer
237 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
183 views
How different is 冷やかす from 冷やす? And 散らかす from 散らす?
I've long known 冷やす as the transitive counterpart of 冷える. But thanks to one question here, I've realized that there is another version with an extra syllable in it: 冷やかす. Although 冷やかす seems to have ...
6
votes
3answers
260 views
Verb classifications by japanese learners
As a studies of Japanese I've come across two distinct ways to group verbs for purposes of remembering how to conjugate them.
う動詞 / る動詞
Group1 / Group 2
Pacerier mentioned a verb1 and verb5, can ...
5
votes
2answers
187 views
When is 終わる used as a transitive verb?
On Are 終わる and 済ませる synonyms?, there were some questions whether 終わる is used as a transitive verb.
Space ALC seems to have a few results for を終わる, but far more for を終わらせる and を終える. Looking at sense ...
14
votes
2answers
804 views
Passive-transitive-verb vs. Intransitive-verb （他動詞の受け身 vs. 自動詞)
Here's another question for you experts out there. I think I know the answer to this as well, but it still creeps up in my mind all the time; something I'd like to research more. I want to know ...
10
votes
4answers
420 views
Am I coming or going? 戻ってくる vs 戻っていく
A little while ago I was in a shop, and about 5 minutes after I left, they phoned me to tell me I had left my USB stick there. I said I would head back and pick it up.
I used 戻って行く to mean "I'll go ...
7
votes
2answers
278 views
Can placements of adverbs be altered freely?
I'm curious if there is any difference in nuance between these two sentences:
彼は少なくとも週に一度車を洗う。
彼は週に少なくとも一度車を洗う。
I'm aware that grammatically speaking both are 100% right, but this question is not ...
5
votes
2answers
991 views
Does the volitional form of a verb mean both “lets” and “I want to”?
I was taught ages ago that the volitional form of a verb means "let's" do something. For example, if you take 行く and change it to 行こう, you get "let's go".
However, I feel like I can use the same form ...
11
votes
2answers
194 views
Rare/Obsolete verb forms
I have noticed that some verbs have this "rare" or old form that is no longer used much (if at all). Here are some examples.
おそる： おそるべき者 → One who is feared
ほむ： ほむべきお方【かた】 → Seen often in my ...
11
votes
3answers
442 views
Would the plain form of a verb usually be translated as future tense?
In a recent question I asked, this example sentence was offered:
映画を見る。 (I will watch a movie.)
What struck me about this was that the translated version was the future tense.
However, I always ...
8
votes
2answers
587 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
...
6
votes
3answers
487 views
Are there verbs that are neither intransitive nor transitive?
i was taught that verbs are either transitive or intransitive.
but what kind of verb is 分かる ?
WWWJDIC lists it as intransitive.
Yet the replies/comments from this thread Why is it 日本語 [[が]] わかります ...
5
votes
2answers
246 views
What is 方 used for (when attached to a た-verb)?
I have the following sentence:
早く行った方が良かったでしょう。
Here, if we take it apart we shall have:
早く(Adverb) 行った(Verb, Past tense) 方(?) が(GA, Subject particle) 良かったでしょう(Verb, Past tense) 。
What is ...
5
votes
1answer
193 views
なり as an archaic 'to be'?
In the following saying:
時は金なり。
What exactly is なり? My dictionaries seem to give a number of different options that could all explain its use here.
Is it 成る? Is it 也, an archaic version of です ...
5
votes
1answer
195 views
What is the nuance when は directly follows a verb in plain form?
It seems like this is a remnant of (or reference to) older forms of Japanese. Is that all there is to it, or does it have special meaning?
Examples from songs:
歌声 笑い声 満ちる大空 目指すは憧れ
...
4
votes
1answer
176 views
Is 来おった the 連用形{れんようけい} of くる plus おる → おった?
I came across the following dialogue, which occurs right as the hero arrives:
「やっと来おったか。」
I'm not sure how to parse 来おった. Is it 来{き} + 居{お}る? If so, what exactly does this form mean? Do other ...
3
votes
1answer
154 views
What forms of verbs (potential or passive) are more frequent in Japanese?
A simple question to those speaking and the native ones. What of the two forms (potential verbs or passive voice verbs) in Japanese verbs is more frequent?
This question may seem strange, but I need ...
2
votes
1answer
229 views
Difference between に and が for intransitive verbs
What is the difference between 試験に受かる and 試験が受かる?
It seems that the first one means "to pass an exam" while the second one is more like "passing exams" (really not sure about it).
In which cases ...
0
votes
2answers
218 views
Possible ways to express remembrance and recall
How is it possible in Japanese language to express concepts of recall and remembrance?
I mean, recall is generally referred to the way we take out something from our memory which is related to ...
