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.
929
questions
2
votes
1answer
81 views
Question about conjugating verb + たい
Why is 帰る conjugated 帰りたい and not 帰たい when adding たい to it?
Is it conjugated this way because 帰る is a godan verb?
1
vote
1answer
124 views
What is the meaning of 過ぎる in this sentence?
The verb 過ぎる shows up in the following sentence:
二年間の景気後退期を過ぎれば、この国の経済は最悪の状態を脱するかもしれません。
I think I understand the sentence but the problem is that I'm not sure what 過ぎる exactly means. It is in ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
ます Verb Stem + another verb grammar meaning?
I was practicing writing and got corrected by a few native speakers. They all had a correction in common where they took the ます Verb Stem and then just added a different verb on the back.
What ...
3
votes
3answers
139 views
What does 勝ったな mean?
I’ve stumbled upon the phrase 勝ったな and it was translated there as “he will win” but what conjugation is that?
1
vote
0answers
23 views
Can 終わる be used as a transitive verb? [duplicate]
I came across this sentence in my textbook (上級へのとびら):
電話を終わるあいさつ
As far as I'm concerned, 終わる is an intransitive verb and as such, it can't be used with the particle を, but with が. The transitive ...
3
votes
1answer
106 views
Meaning of verb + つもりも + potential verb + 程
In a letter by a mangaka at the end of a manga, I encountered the following sentence:
〝正しいこと〟なんて描くつもりも描ける程、自分を上等とも思っていないけど〝つまらないこと〟だけはしないようにしていきたいなって思います
Is verb + つもりも + potential verb + 程 a ...
1
vote
0answers
44 views
Usage of とwhere it seems てshould be used [duplicate]
I recently started playing Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! in Japanese, and I have seen this grammar come up a few times. Most recently in the following dialog.
この ポケモンジムは 閉まっとる
To me it seems as if the ...
5
votes
2answers
143 views
verb てーform + もいいです VS. verb + こと + ができます: whether equivalent or not
(1) カードで払うことができますか。
(2) カードで払ってもいいですか。
In google these two sentences were both translated into: Can I pay by card?
Whether there exists any subtle differences? Or are they completely equivalent?
0
votes
1answer
100 views
Meaning of “仕掛ける機会”
I was reading something and I came across this sentence:
それだって仕掛ける機会が得られなかったというだけで、殺しそのものを失敗したわけでも証拠を残したわけでもない。
My problem is that I don’t understand what 仕掛ける機会 means in this context. I know that ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
Logic behind grammar patterns
One of my current biggest challenges in learning Japanese sentence patterns is knowing which verb forms to use when linking to set phrases.
The largest classes of verb forms I've seen that are used ...
3
votes
1answer
119 views
difference between 呼ぶ and 言う:
What would you say is the difference between:
君にアホだと言う
And
君をアホだと呼ぶ
I saw there are some similar questions about this topic, but I think none answers this especific matter.
Thanks
4
votes
1answer
374 views
「和む」is a common word?
「[和む]{なごむ}」is a word that you can hear in everyday conversation? Or just in poems or songs?
3
votes
1answer
287 views
What does 「選挙を追った」 mean here?
選挙カーも走らない静かな選挙戦だったが、投票率は何と８９・４１％。
飛び地の村の不思議な選挙を追った。
Source: https://www.sankei.com/premium/news/191209/prm1912090002-n1.html
An enclave town with a quiet election campaign without any cars ...
2
votes
2answers
210 views
Can 決めてない mean “crazy”?
Context: after the commander of a platoon (小隊長) says some apparently incomprehensible things, one of the soldiers whispers to another:
こいつ、なんか決{き}めてないか？
What is the meaning of 決めてない here? ...
1
vote
1answer
72 views
Is the yasumi in oyasuminasai the same as yasumi (day off / break)?
I have known oyasuminasai (good night) for around a year now.
Today I learned the word yasumi (break / day off).
It instantly rang a bell and then oyasuminasai sprung to mind.
Is there a connection ...
3
votes
2answers
149 views
強がる usage and meaning
~がる is used to describe third person's feeling but today I found this word "強がる私" I don't know why 強がる is used with first person like 私.
Is it because the speaker speaks in other point of view ?
3
votes
1answer
114 views
How does this passive sentence work?
I'm confused with this sentence.
顔はやや仰向きがち に、天の栄光をながめやる 目が、深くやすらか にみひらかれて いた。
I would like to understand how it's constructed.
I think 目 is the passive subject of みひらかれて いた as が is its particle, ...
0
votes
0answers
83 views
What is the meaning of おちょくっとる? [duplicate]
This sentence here:
"なっ… お前おちょくっとるのか！？
I didn't understand おちょくっとる, is it a form of the verb おちょくる? What is the meaning in this sentence? Thanks.
-1
votes
1answer
55 views
Question about the use of 察す
I was reading a light novel, and this sentence came up, is と here working as quotation with 察して? and what can the verb in this situation mean?
むしろ追いかけられていると察して、逃げ足を速めるに違いない。
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Construction behind 「やり」in this sentence
「それはわしがやりおまえが追いつめられたのでわしの攻撃と同じ事！」
I am having trouble with the「やり」in this sentence.
I believe that it is a verb and possibly takes the same tense as 「追いつめられた」(similar to verbs linked via the "て-form"...
3
votes
1answer
276 views
Could anyone explain this 置く置かない to me please
I found the sentence
けんかして嫁が出ていきました。
けんかの原因は、家に下宿人を置く置かないの件です
And I have a doubt about using of 置く置かない How should it be translated ? and
How to use it
I have never seen this grammar using ...
2
votes
1answer
122 views
What does …て…て mean?
I have the following sentence.
その白い比いない裸体は、薄暮の背景の前に置かれて輝やいていた 。
I understand the use of ~て in ~ている, but I'm confused by two consecutive verbs using ~て as in 置かれて輝やいていた. Should I understand them ...
2
votes
1answer
166 views
How can this sentence be understood?
I'm reading 仮面の告白 by Mishima Yukio, and I came across this sentence:
そのほか に縄目は見えず、青年の裸体を覆うものとては、腰のまわりにゆるやか に巻きつけられた 白い粗布があるばかりだった。
I would like to understand how is this sentence made by the ...
4
votes
1answer
196 views
Nominalizing verb with い-ending vs ーの
In my Japanese class today, we were supposed to say a sport we liked. I said:
泳ぎが好きです。
We haven't learned this way of nominalizing verbs or the names of many sports, so my 先生 shook her head no and ...
1
vote
2answers
81 views
A question about ~はしない
I do understand what it means, but I want to know if it's mostly used from 1st person perspective because in many examples that's how it translated.
"I will never/There is no way I..."<-That is how ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
Can a verb be modified too many times?
Several years ago, I was taking a Japanese course and was given an assignment to translate an English sentence of my choosing. (There was probably more to the assignment than that, but I don't recall....
4
votes
3answers
247 views
How to translate わからない in the following sentence
Context: a boxer named Yanagi is fighting against an opponent named Hyodo. Although Hyodo is really young, he is considered a very talented boxer and is often called genius (天才). Yanagi is thinking ...
1
vote
1answer
153 views
What does 「夢{ゆめ}に触{ふ}れる」 mean?
It's part of the lyrics of a song. The actual line is:
どれほど夢{ゆめ}に触{ふ}れている?
I checked the definitions of 触れる as an intransitive verb on Weblio and came to the conclusion that this is most likely ...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
What’s the difference between “書けるか” and “書けますか“?
What’s the difference between “書けるか“ and “書けますか” (Can you write?). I read the rule for the potential form, but then in an example it said ます on the end instead of る. So do both work and what’s the ...
3
votes
1answer
102 views
“服を汚した” vs “服を汚くした”
Now that I know it's not natural to say “服を汚くした” given no results found, I am just wondering is it more common to directly use the verb itself than to change its adjective form into an adverb to ...
1
vote
1answer
115 views
が vs は for intransitive verbs
In my textbook it says that to say:
There is a good restaurant in this building.
the translation is:
このたてものにいいレストランがあります。
However, why is が used and not は? Would は be indicating a contrast (...
-2
votes
1answer
60 views
What is the difference between しました and した
週末に何をしましたか。
Here what is the grammer of しましたか.
Shouldn't it simply be したか, where した is the た format of する ?
8
votes
3answers
3k views
Which verb means “to pet <an animal>”?
I was trying to translate "May I pet the dog?", but I'm having trouble finding what word means "to pet".
Looking it up on jisho.org I get 可愛がる, but translating it back using various services gives me ...
2
votes
1answer
143 views
I don't understand this correction to my sentence. Please explain!
でも今ほとんどすべての暇は日本語を勉強することを過ごしています。 "I spend most of my free time studying Japanese"
A couple people corrected me and said it should be: 日本語を勉強して過ごしています。
I know you connect 2 verbs with the te form, ...
11
votes
3answers
710 views
What are some examples of three-mora atamadaka verbs besides 帰る?
I couldn't find a good way to research this on my own, I'm afraid.
I'm not looking for a comprehensive list by any means (in before it turns out 帰る is the only one...), but rather just a few examples ...
1
vote
0answers
49 views
What form is 急がば in 急がば回れ? [duplicate]
What form is this. how do you use it and is it only used for proverbs? The closest I know for the verb Isogu is Isoganai or Isogeba, but not Isogaba.
2
votes
0answers
77 views
む archaic volitional? Translated as Imperative [duplicate]
While watching Konosuba I came across following sentence:
「我が真紅の流出もて 白き世界を覆さん」
What troubles me is the 「覆さん」. The translation used an imperative here, what fits most of the other spells in the ...
6
votes
1answer
129 views
Is V2 + ころ / ごろ a pattern or not
Xは食べごろだ。
Time to eat X.
X is ready to be eaten.
Question:
Can -koro/-goro be used as a general pattern by adding to masu-stem of the verb to produce meaning, that it is time to do this?
For ...
3
votes
1answer
97 views
Kanjied 出した vs kananed だした in -dasu/dashta pattern
雪が降り出した。
It started to snow (unexpectedly).
In Maggie's article on this pattern "How to use V + 始める ( = hajimeru) / だす ( = dasu) / かける ( = kakeru)" she uses hiragana for this verb.
In jisho.org ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Full っている vs shorter ってる: slang or official tool
I know, that I can skip い in building continuous form of a verb.
For example:
雪が降っている。
雪が降ってる。
are equal and mean: [It's snowing.]
Question:
how legal is it to skip い in case like this?
...
1
vote
2answers
132 views
~くて on a verb? How do you indicate desire?
「右手【みぎて】で描【か】いた、今ここに避難所【ひなんじょ】はないんだ。息【いき】を吸【す】いこんだ。つまらない世界【せかい】壊【こわ】したくて。」
Translation: Drawn with my right hand, here, now, as for the shelter, there is none. I inhaled. The boring world wants to be ...
2
votes
1answer
397 views
Meaning of 小せェもんに縛られてる
Context: in a flashback, a Cuban boxer is thinking back to when he was in Cuba before seeking asylum (亡命) and migrating to America. He had just won a gold medal for his country in the Olympics.
...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
～め ending, apparently not imperative?
Context is the song 「その血の記憶」：
空白のラストページに… Into [dative of motion towards] a blank LAST PAGE,
そのこぶしを叩き込めーッ！ [Star Platinum] will throw that fist (???)
End of THE WORLD！その血の記憶！ ...
2
votes
1answer
208 views
What is the Japanese verb for vaping?
Is there a term for vaping? The use of flavored type devices for vaping. I found the word denki tabako for the device. I was wondering what the verb would be. Thank you.
4
votes
2answers
136 views
What does やられてる mean in this sentence?
I came across this line today which left me a bit confused:
彼らには子分を二人もやられてる。
The speaker is referring to men from a gang. I've struggled with the meaning of やる outside of its most basic usage, but ...
5
votes
1answer
980 views
What is the meaning of 上げて落としたみて?
I'm reading this manga, and came accross the following monologue:
たかが弦ごときで世界の終わりみてーなツラしやがって
俺が上げて落としたみてーで後味ワリーだろがッ
俺の昼寝返せ!!!
I can't understand what 上げて落としたみて means. Is this an ...
1
vote
2answers
193 views
Meaning of もったいぶらず in the following sentence
Context: while talking about himself, a boxer says:
今持ってるモノはもったいぶらず全て出す。それが俺の武器に繋がるんでねェ。拳に表れるんだよォ ――――[生き方]【スタイル】ってヤツは。
According to dictionaries, the meaning of もったいぶらない is unpretentious, modest. ...
2
votes
1answer
78 views
Difference between 虫取り and 虫取りをする?
I'm a beginner, so I'm sorry if this is obvious: I was just reading a text which said
虫取りをしました
which, according to google, means "I took insects", which confused me at first because 取り is already ...
0
votes
1answer
82 views
Why is 探そう not 探しそう?
In a manga I am reading, I came across the following sentence. 注目集めてるな。早くミクを探そう。
The speaker just crashed on his skis and a crowd of people started to gather around, thus garnering a lot of attention ...
0
votes
1answer
134 views
What is the meaning of している in this sentence?
I know from looking at the title many of you are thinking "Frey, you should KNOW THIS by now." And to be honest I should, its just a matter of the more research I did only served to further confuse me....
