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.
5
votes
2answers
245 views
Are there verbs that end with ず,づ, ふ, ぷ, しゅう, ちゅう and じゅう? Why not?
I noticed that verb ending syllables cover all of -u syllables (る,く,ぐ,す,つ etc) except ず,づ, ふ, ぷ, しゅう, ちゅう and じゅう.
I suspect that ず is reserved for the negative conjugation thus no plain form verb ...
10
votes
1answer
317 views
歩く {aruku} vs 歩む {ayumu}
I always know that 歩く is the verb to use when talking about walking. But I'm aware the kanji 歩 has another verb 歩む. In WWWJDIC, the example sentence given is:
ビルはあの会社の社長になるまで成功への道を歩み続けた。 Bill ...
2
votes
1answer
203 views
Plain verbs vs [conjunctive form 連用形]+をする (e.g. 間違える vs 間違えをする)
(Question 1)
Are there any differences in nuance and usage of conjunctive form of verb (連用形) + をする compared to the plain form of those verbs whose conjunctive forms can be used as nouns?
For ...
8
votes
1answer
297 views
「かしこまる」と言う自動詞について / About the verb “kashikomaru”
皆さんこんにちは、
日本語で質問がお聞きしてみたいのですが、言葉や文法を間違えたらお許しください。
では、「かしこまりました」とは誰かに命令や注文を頼まれた場合などの返事とすることもよくありますが、「かしこまる」と言う自動詞がこの表現以外で使われる場合はありますか？
"kashikomarimashita" is usually used as a response to somebody's ...
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 ...
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
2
votes
1answer
113 views
Can the ったら form of a verb be used to mean “after?”
Take this example:
AったらB
Could this mean, "After doing A, B happened?"
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?
0
votes
1answer
146 views
What is the らせ form of a verb?
I'm trying to understand this:
賞品？おそらく！リナちゃん.....私の後ろの笑い声輝くんがたくさんで黙らせ
The last word, 黙らせ, is confusing. Is this a combination of different forms?
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
13
votes
2answers
279 views
What is the difference in nuance and usage of the two kanji forms for なおす (naosu), 直す and 治す?
Stolen directly from Grigory M's question in the definition phase:
http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/7526?phase=definition
10
votes
2answers
146 views
How do I know when to read the kanji 抱 as 【だ・く】, and when to read it as 【いだ・く】, or even 【うだ・く】?
This sentence was in a grammar textbook:
彼は同僚にライバル意識、ひいては殺意すら抱いていた
Here's how it's read (except for the last kanji, for which this question is about):
かれは どうりょうに ライバル いしき、ひいては さついすら ??ていた
...
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?
7
votes
5answers
186 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? ...
12
votes
2answers
290 views
The verbs of learning: 勉強する, 習う and 学ぶ
How are the following verbs which are related to learning different to each other?
勉強する
習う
学ぶ
12
votes
4answers
319 views
To not have: 持っていません or ありません？
Whenever I go to the Life supermarket near my house, they ask me at the check out:
ライフカードを持っていますか？ (Do you have a Life
[members] card?)
I always respond with something like:
いいえ、持っていません。
...
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
...
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 ...
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
1answer
111 views
Can 差す be an intransitive verb?
WWWJDIC lists 差す as an intransitive verb, but in all of the example sentences I've seen it looks more like a transitive verb.
So my question is, is 差す a transitive or intransitive verb?
9
votes
1answer
176 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
192 views
What is the difference between 交ざる / 混ざる {まざる} and 交じる / 混じる {まじる}?
Both {まじる} and {まざる} with both initial kanji characters 交 and 混 are intransitive verbs that are translated into this by rikaichan:
to be mixed; to be blended with; to associate with; to mingle ...
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
...
2
votes
1answer
331 views
The differences and similarities between ーたら and ーば [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Differences among -たら、なら、-んだったら、-えば, etc.
There are different ways to say "if" in Japanese. I want to concentrate on these two verb endings which mean "if": たら and ば. ...
11
votes
1answer
200 views
What is the difference between these four forms of “to do”?
There are at least four verbs that mean "to do" in Japanese: する, なさる, いたす, and やる. What is the purpose of each, and when is it appropriate to use them?
