Questions tagged [verbs]
動詞. A class of words which describe events or states and can be inflected to indicate tense, aspect, voice, and so forth. In citation form, all Modern Japanese verbs end in -(r)u.
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2answers
86 views
How to translate a line with no apparent main verb
I was trying to translate a song (full lyrics here: https://www5.atwiki.jp/hmiku/sp/pages/39203.html) and this one line confused me, primarily because of its lack of main verb.
過行く時の中 握る手が解けた
...
1
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0answers
50 views
Correct translation of sentence with できていません [duplicate]
I am confused with the use of できていません in sentence :
明日の宿題のレポートがまだ１枚もできていません
When I checked the dictionary it shows that できる means CAN(DO)/ BE ABLE TO while ている is for present progressive so I ...
1
vote
1answer
119 views
Characteristics of 'loan word root + る' verbs
This question follows on from these others:
What are the principles behind turning foreign language words into verbs?
Why are there very few non-する gairaigo verbs in Japanese?
Are there words ...
4
votes
1answer
168 views
Why does this Light Novel title get translated to the past tense?
The title of the light novel is:
ひげを[剃]｛そ｝る。そして女子高生｛じょしこうせい｝を拾｛ひろ｝う。
The English translation is:
I shaved. Then I brought a high school girl home.
I get that not having the past tense in that title ...
4
votes
2answers
99 views
What conjugation is 熱せられる? [duplicate]
This is a sentence from ねじまき鳥と火曜日の女たち by 村上春樹.
スチーム・アイロンの蒸気音とコットンが熱せられる独得の匂いを楽しみながら...
熱する is a "special suru verb". I am assuming 熱せられる is read as ねっせられる. What form of conjugation is this? It ...
1
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1answer
67 views
Dictionary form of verb as nouns
About verb modify as nouns
Normally verb if want to treat as nouns is add こと/物 /の
Today learned verb dictionary+に限る
Why it is use dictionary form verb instead of stem form
From what I learn before ...
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0answers
55 views
What is the meaning and utility of the “Koto” in the end of these five Karate-Do Principles? [duplicate]
The Japanese martial art Karate-Do has five principles on conduct that should be pursued by its practitioners. In all books it comes with the koto at its end, just after the principal verb. I've read ...
2
votes
1answer
130 views
How would you apologise for not inviting someone to an event?
In English I would say something along the line of 'Sorry! I forgot to invite you to the party'. This would be in conversation to a friend. How would this translate to Japanese?
Edit (First post to ...
4
votes
0answers
61 views
Understanding this usage of 「〜に変わって」
I am reading a selection from A Japanese Reader and am trying to figure out the meaning of this passage, especially the usage of 「これに変わって」:
古い行事のすべてをそのままに行うことは生活様式が異なってきた今日{こんにち}、無理であろうし、...
4
votes
1answer
129 views
Difference between 見覚える / 覚える / 思い出す
I saw this sentence in a show 見覚えあるけど
and I got confused with the differences between 見覚えある / 見覚える / 覚える / 思い出す?
I saw this answer that explained the difference between 覚える and 思い出す but not the rest....
5
votes
1answer
97 views
How does 出てます here translate?
Came across this dialogue while reading Japanese writings online.
Boy 1: オタクにじみ出てますよ
Boy 2: 違うっつってんだろ
My Japanese beginner skills would translate it as "Your otaku-ness is bleeding out." But I'm ...
2
votes
1answer
117 views
Progressive form of movement verbs (or other stative verbs)
This is a fork from the question What's the progressive form of 来る, 帰る and 行く.
So the question explained that when ている is conjugated with these movement verbs (or other verbs that are more or ...
5
votes
1answer
196 views
Is it legitimate to say「意味する」to mean “to mean”?
So like the title asks, I'm wondering if it's legitimate to say 「意味する」 to mean "to mean". I know 意味 is meaning, and I was wondering what the verb version of 'to mean' would be. An example sentence ...
5
votes
4answers
148 views
“i form” usage doubt
i've recently bought a japanese scroll, for decoration, with a famous quote from " the last samurai": 吐く息一つにも生命が宿り . but i think this is incorrect: in the film this was part of a speech, and there was ...
7
votes
2answers
303 views
Why あります instead of です in this sentence?
In the following sentence (from here),
北海道札幌市の円山動物園に、ミャンマーから来た３頭の象をみんなに見せるための広い場所と建物ができました。[...] 広さは５０００m²以上あります。
I would have expected です instead of あります: 広さ = ５０００m²以上.
3
votes
1answer
75 views
Following a train of thought
I was listening to an English conversation yesterday and had a question. The speaker was having a conversation, and then suddenly made a comment that didn't seem to relate to the previous topic.
I ...
2
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2answers
191 views
2
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1answer
190 views
Meaning of 前を歩いてた人
Context: in the manga りくどう, a girl named Naeshiro is thinking over the friendship between her boyfriend Riku and a boy named Mihara. Both of them are boxers, but Mihara is older than Riku and is ...
2
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2answers
159 views
Is there a rough variant of 飲む{のむ}?
Just as there are so-called rough synonyms for 食べる{たべる}, namely, 食う{くう}, 食らう{くらう} and 食む{はむ}, to represent eating with different nuance, are there any known variants of 飲む{のむ} for drinking?
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0answers
66 views
Sleeping verbs and まで vs までに
So I was wondering, pretty much all of the sleep related verbs switch meaning with まで and までに.
Was it always like that? Or was there a time when ８時まで寝る meant "going to bed at 8"?
Or take the even ...
7
votes
1answer
414 views
How would you say “I like to go bowling” and other suru verbs?
I would like to learn how to say "I like to go bowling" rather than "I like bowling." That is, I want to emphasize that I like to do it, rather than that I like the sport in general.
I believe 「...
2
votes
1answer
93 views
Can「確立する」function as an intransitive verb?
Was casually browsing through the Wikipedia page on modern Japanese literature and came across this line that has been bugging me for a bit. For context, I've included a bit of the beginning of the ...
3
votes
2answers
122 views
Meaning of the construction ～て〇〇年／〇〇か月になります
I saw the construction
～て〇〇年／〇〇か月になります
and it looks strange to me. Here is my question: does this construction mean that the action continues until now?
For example:
この 会社に 入って １０ 年に なります。
My ...
5
votes
3answers
177 views
Meaning of 寒くなる vs. 寒くなっています
Today it crossed my mind how I could translate this, and some confusion arose with the verbal forms to use.
If I wanted to say "I got cold", I would say
寒くなった
However, for "I'm getting cold", I ...
3
votes
2answers
115 views
Difference between 泊まる and 留まる [duplicate]
I'm just studying Japanese, and i know that 泊まる is like you Staying a night like hotel / some place that temporary , but i just found 留まる is also meaning stay/staying too in Basic Kanji book , but i ...
2
votes
2answers
115 views
Confused on verb conjuation U-verbs ru-verbs or godan ones?
I am doing japaneese N5 lessons for second time and I get REALLY confused.
As far as I know there are 3 categories of verbs:
Irregular verbs
Ichidan verbs
Godan verbs
But the sensei tells us that ...
2
votes
1answer
65 views
Verb form before そうです
今、新しい仕事を探しているみたいですよ。奥さんとも離婚するそうですよ。
I'd say 離婚しているそうですよ. Why is the form する used here?
If he has already got divorced, perhaps, it's better to say 離婚したそうですよ. Does this make sense?
10
votes
1answer
187 views
Meaning of「残るは」in a sentence
Came across this sentence in a memoir and I have a grammar question about it. For context, a person is thinking about someone sleeping nearby:
さっき声をかけてきたヤツは当分寝ないだろ。残るは寝ているか寝ていないかわからない隣の隣。
...
2
votes
1answer
78 views
What is grammar of strange form of やめる verb like “やめたくなったら”?
I found the word やめたくなったら. I think it's a conditional past form of やめる. Or maybe it's やめた conjugated with なったら (conditional form of なる). But the く in the middle distracts me: I can't find this form in ...
0
votes
1answer
77 views
乗り換え verbal noun does not take -する, instead 乗り換える?
Is anyone able to explain why the verbal noun 乗り換え does not take -suru, but instead becomes 乗り換える?
Cheers,
Luke
3
votes
2answers
88 views
彼は瞳をキラキラさせながら言った。
I think that it is "He said with shining eyes", but what a word "させ"? Why "させ+ながら"? Why not "しながら"?
4
votes
1answer
203 views
How to say “to work for”
I would like to say "I work for" company X.
I have found two ways of saying that:
仕える -> company-name に仕える
勤める -> company-name に勤める
But I can't find which one is correct or where to correctly use ...
6
votes
1answer
150 views
Why are there very few non-する gairaigo verbs in Japanese?
I can think of many gairaigo noun + する verbs in Japanese, like ゴルフする, but I can think of only a handful of non-する verbs in Japanese, such as ググる (mentioned in Are there words which consist of katakana ...
4
votes
1answer
99 views
How to write a sentence with several verbs associated to different objects?
I have searched the internet for help on using several verbs in one sentence when they are connected with different objects and performed by different people, but every search comes back with an ...
4
votes
1answer
117 views
「を」Vてある - Typo or actual construction?
Seen in the introduction to a book entitled 日本語文法ハンドブック, so it would greatly surprise me if it's a typo. Each section in the book is broken into parts and one is entitled "これだけは", being described ...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
When I need to say “I develop software” in Japanese which verb is the appropriate one?
I want to say "I develop software" in Japanese so I thought that I should use the verb する. But I can also say "I write software" and use the verb かく. So which of the following sentences is the correct ...
6
votes
0answers
72 views
How to wear clothes? [duplicate]
There are several Japanese verbs for 'to wear', depending on the kind of clothes. What if one wears several? What is 'wear' if 'I wear a shirt, pants, glasses and a hat'? Does one of かぶる, 着る, 履く and ...
5
votes
1answer
128 views
The particle へ in 山へ面している
tl;dr: Should へ be replaced with に here?
I was reading Imabi and found the following example:
小屋は山へ面している。
As far as I know, へ is used with motion verbs especially when transition from one (...
4
votes
1answer
99 views
Use of 当たる in this sentence
Character A and B (A's coach) discuss C (A's opponent), who is known for having an amazing defense. Then C joins in and positively talks with B about A's potential. Then C drops this line:
...
4
votes
2answers
156 views
Metaphorical meaning of 買う
Context: in the manga Rikudou, Riku follows his trainer risky instructions in order to win (the trainer had told him to take a lot of punches in order to understand his opponent's fighting style). ...
2
votes
1answer
141 views
Unsure of meaning for sentence found in article about an automatic train test
I'm reading this article and there is a sentence towards the end that looks like this
自動で走る電車の研究は、ＪＲ東日本が将来働く人が足りなくなると考えて始めました
I'm not entirely sure about the meaning of this sentence as I could ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Why we should use “を” instead of “に” when talking about a place?
I have a question regarding this sentence:
かのじょといっしょにこうえんをさんぽします。
If the "を" marks a direct object of a sentance, why we use it the way it looks above.
Could we use here "に" instead of "を"?
...
2
votes
2answers
110 views
Verb woes; two or three questions
I'm working on a translation and there's this one line I can get through but can't get a handle on.
こんなヤツに負けおって
いままで何のために練習
してきたと思っておる!
Problem 1 is that I can't figure out if this is one sentence ...
4
votes
1answer
110 views
Grammaticality of two kanji verbs without their conjugating part
A friend told me he's going to get a tattoo with "頑張".
頑張 doesn't exist on the dictionary without its -る conjugating part, so is it grammatically correct using it alone, as if it was a noun? Does it ...
2
votes
1answer
80 views
Can an adjective come after a verb?
I was trying to say "I write slow".
I figured it would be:
おそい（が）かく。
But a native speaker didn't understand me and said it was:
かくのがおそい。
Now I understand how の after a verb makes it a noun, ...
3
votes
1answer
85 views
Difference between “じゃない” and “ない”
I would like to ask what is the difference between "じゃない" and "ない"?
I know that "ない" is an i-adjective (info from dictionary).
But we have a sentence for example:
近くも遠くもないです。
Can we say:
...
0
votes
1answer
96 views
Verb past tense [duplicate]
Why do some past tense ru verbs conjugate with た(食べた) and others with った(帰った)？
1
vote
2answers
66 views
What is the correct verb for “packing up?”
I am not sure what verb I would use for "packing up" (e.g. Packing clothes into a suitcase). Would I use the verb 詰める {つめる}, which is "to stuff into?"
6
votes
1answer
145 views
What does te form of verbs mean in these two sentences?
犬は雪の中を走ってボールを取りに行く。
時間がありまして、映画を見ました。
Are the grammar in these two the same? If yes, why is there a comma in the second one and not in the first one?
1
vote
1answer
117 views
Difference between 会う and 集まる
I don't know exactly the difference between those two?
What are the most commons use for those ones?
For example, what are the difference between these sentences?
友達に会った
友達に集まった
