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.
3
votes
0answers
48 views
Verb (とどめる) and its meaning in these sentences
I was looking for the meaning of the verb (とどめる) and how it differs from (とめる). I understood that (とどめる) means (to stop "potentially" from moving). But how does that meaning relate to the following ...
0
votes
0answers
64 views
かなえてくれる what does it mean [on hold]
Recently I listened to the song doraemon and found a word I just can't search in the dictionary though it's shown on the lyrics translation but I think it's not detailed enough .it goes like this ...
2
votes
1answer
214 views
Doubts about 判明する and verb tenses
I was checking the example sentences of 判明する on the Weblio EN-JA dictionary and it seems that, when it means "to turn out (that)", 判明する is written in the dictionary form (it turns out) or in the past ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Difference in meaning between 掴む and 捕まえる [duplicate]
掴{つか}む and 捕{つか}まえる both mean to catch and both are transitive verbs.
Is there a difference in meaning or usage?
Note that there is an intransitive to be arrested: 捕{つか}まる - to be caught/arrested, ...
3
votes
0answers
47 views
The verb いる (居る) with an inanimate subject? [duplicate]
In a novel I’m reading, I’ve come across a usage of いる that surprises me. The context is that a woman is driving along, deep in thought about an encounter she has just had with another character, when ...
1
vote
0answers
53 views
Making adverb form of verb + なります
I was reading an NHK article and came across this line:
お金{かね}を払{はら}うとき「キャッシュレス」を利用{りよう}する人{ひと}が増{ふ}えて、現金{げんきん}をあまり使{つか}わなくなっているためです。
It comes after a line that says "This is the first time the ...
0
votes
1answer
91 views
Negative adjective 恐怖せず [duplicate]
恐怖せず
I think it means “fearless”, but I don’t know the particle sezu. Is this old-fashioned?
1
vote
0answers
60 views
ます form vs ています form to describe habitual actions [duplicate]
I know that ています basically means that the verb is in progress (-ing), but I don't understand why the form is used in these sentences.
私【わたし】はあの会社【かいしゃ】で働【はたら】いています。
姉【あね】は毎日【まいにち】ジョギングをしています。
...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
How to say “that” as in “the cow that ate” in Japanese?
I'm sure there are plenty of resources on this topic, but I don't know what keywords to use to find them.
I want to know how you might create a noun by saying that the noun does something.
For ...
4
votes
2answers
163 views
Can you answer the question 何を飲みますか？ with 水です。?
It doesn’t seem that natural, as 水です seems to mean “It is water”, rather than a shorter form of 水を飲みます.
3
votes
1answer
90 views
What part of speech is the 「〜たい」 form of a verb?
To say that one wants to do something, one uses the 「〜たい」 form of the verb, for example, 「日本に 行きたい です」.
In the 「〜たい」 form, the word behaves like an adjective, using similar patterns such as 「〜くない」 ...
2
votes
1answer
123 views
How to interpret intransitives in non-past tense
I've been reading linguistics books lately and they've gotten me reexamining things I've learned in Japanese textbooks for foreign learners.
Susumu Kuno's book The Structure of the Japanese Language ...
1
vote
1answer
118 views
What is the implied-verb represented by the sentence-ending を in the following context？
I am trying to understand the dialogue being spoken by the narrative character on the page below, specifically the fourth line of dialogue from the right in the picture.
「……さっきは何で、あんなことを？」
What is ...
0
votes
3answers
135 views
How does “suku” (empty) become “suite”?
Just started learning Japanese two weeks ago. I have so many questions. If my question sounds a little silly, please bear with me.
I just learned that adjectives + desu and verb + imasu. But how do I ...
1
vote
2answers
73 views
The meaning of いた in this sentence related to be left surviving
The whole sentence is:
だが、偶然にも生き残ったサイア人たちがいた。
Could it be:
However, fortuitously surviving sayajins remained.
In this case, this いた is the past of 居る? If this right, 居る could have the reading "...
2
votes
1answer
100 views
Difference between「のびる／のばす」and「のべる」
With the use of a dictionary, along with reading some web pages, I understood the meaning as well as the proper usage of 「延びる／延ばす」and 「伸びる／伸ばす」. But I noticed an overlapping in meaning regarding「延べる」...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Purpose of のは in this sentence?
What is the purpose of のは in the sentence “今浮かんだのは”?
The context is, I asked someone what their favorite English word was and they said “Hmm 今浮かんだのは bullshit. Just kidding!”
Would the translation be ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
Why is 燃える + ゴミ = burnable? But the verb is not in ta-form
I saw this in the book.
管理人{かんりにん}: 燃{も}える ごみは 月{げつ}・水{すい}・金{きん}の 朝{あさ} 出{だ}して ください。
I remember that If we want to use a verb as an adjective, we need to change a verb into the Ta-form, but this ...
4
votes
1answer
309 views
What does こした mean?
In the sentence:
まあいいや、(列車は)空いているにこした事はないし
What does こした mean? Is this 越す or 鼓する or something other?
And does まあいいや mean "well" or "whatever"?
2
votes
2answers
159 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
vote
0answers
53 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
130 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
204 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
106 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
vote
1answer
72 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 ...
1
vote
0answers
57 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
135 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
74 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
139 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
105 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
130 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
203 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
154 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
310 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
76 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
votes
2answers
197 views
2
votes
1answer
194 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
votes
2answers
160 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?
1
vote
0answers
72 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
418 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
98 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
126 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
180 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
119 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
130 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
80 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
189 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
81 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
79 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
94 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"?
