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.
1,090
questions
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Why is であり Used in this sentence?
The sentence is
二人のやり取りに、当事者でありながら置いていかれた形の美智子は不満そうに唇を尖らせると.
I believe that であり may be being used here to connect the two verbs together but I'm not certain.
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0answers
29 views
What is the difference between 化粧する and 化粧をする？ [duplicate]
From what I've found online, there seems to be no real difference between ～する and ～をする but is that really true? I'm especially confused about this for irregular verbs...
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2answers
102 views
Are verbs of movement typically used in compounds?
I've been reading a lot of graded readers lately (targetted at JLPT N4/N3 level). I recognize that these are not "pure authentic native Japanese", but I also don't believe they are ...
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1answer
142 views
The verb [手伝]{てつだ}う, does it use the particle に?
For example, if I want to say "I helped my uncle yesterday", how would I say it?
昨日私のおじさんにてつだいました。
Or, I would just use the particle を.
昨日私のおじさんをてつだいました。
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1answer
127 views
Problem Understanding the 経つ Verb
So I came across this sentence in a textbook:
家の近くで殺人事件が起きて１か月経つが、いまだに犯人は見つかっていない。
I think the sentence is supposed to mean 'Since the murder occurred near my house, a month has passed, but the ...
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1answer
111 views
What is the etymology of ~らぐ verbs?
What is the etymology of verbs like [安]{やす}らぐ, [和]{やわ}らぐ, [薄]{うす}らぐ, [平]{たひ}らぐ, etc.? I know they all come from adjectives, but where does the 〜ぐ come from?
Maybe [揺]{ゆ}らぐ could also fit into this ...
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2answers
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Identifying ichidan and godan verbs from polite (masu) form?
I've googled, and it only comes up with results for the plain form of verbs. Is the answer just to change the polite form to plain form and then distinguish? If so, how do I do that?
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1answer
97 views
What is the word 喉首目?
イルーシュはがら空きになった喉首目がけて、今度は刃先を突き立てた。
The word 喉首目 is not in dictionaries, but it's used in this context simply for throat (喉). What is this word?
Also, can someone confirm if けて is for 蹴る (kick), ...
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1answer
176 views
What does 聞く actually represent (if it means both ask and listen)?
Usually, when words have multiple meanings (/translations) they're all just translations/branches of the same idea
(eg. 頼む is listed as '1. to request; to beg; to ask 2. to call; to order; to reserve...
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91 views
Does anyone know if this is supposed to be some kind of expression これが憎めないんだなぁ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3w8m7zZfs&t=2m5s
スリッピーはちょっと気が弱いが、これが憎めないんだなぁ。
Slippy is a bit faint of heart, ...
憎む 【にくむ】 to hate; to detest
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73 views
How does the て form work here?
So I've been told that when you use the て form of verbs in a sentence, the last verb is the one that tells you in what tense the sentence is, but I found this sentence:
目を合わせて逸らさない、というのはそれで真摯に見える。...
2
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1answer
100 views
Difference between 任せる and 任す?
Looking at the dictionary, both 任せる and 任す seem to have the same meaning and they're both transitive verbs, so I wonder if there is any difference between them. Is there any situation where one of ...
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0answers
111 views
Why do some endings have no verbs for them? I.e. ず・ぷ・ゆ
There seem to be a limited number of u-row characters that do not have verbs associated with them, and I'm curious why some of them do not exist. There once were ふ verbs, but there are no ぷ、ず、ゆ、づ ...
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2answers
131 views
To be hit by the sun verb
I found three ways to say "If I'm too exposed to the sun, I get a headache". Can you confirm that these three sentences are right? And if there are some nuances between them?
...
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How to say 'My stocks (investment) went up/down'
If I want to say 'my stocks went up/down', do I use the verbs 上がる/下がる as in
株式が上げました。
or are different verbs used?
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70 views
僕が書いた文章を直してくれませんか [closed]
練習としてポルトガル語（母国語）の文章を和訳してみました。構わずどんなところでも直してください！
これはなぜ人がはやく諦めるかについて。
失敗の懸念。たぶん最も一般的な理由。「負ける恐れが勝つ意志の息を止める」ということわざがあります。きみに勝って、のろくさせて、居心地場にとどめさせるからこそ意志の息を止める。この社会は私たちを失敗に備えていない。不準備の私たちは試すことさえ恐れている。...
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1answer
480 views
Meaning of にある時? (「死にそうな目にあった時…」
I found this sentence:
死にそうな目にあった時、すぐに入りなおさないと。
I know what it means, but I can't understand the grammar behind "にあった時".
5
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1answer
841 views
Meaning of せないかんのよ
Reading Tokyo Ghoul I found this sentence:
カミさんやらチビたちにまだまだ家族サービスせないかんのよ
After looking around I more or less understand it, expect the せないかん part: I'm guessing のよ are just ending particles and せない is ...
3
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1answer
67 views
When is 請じる used?
I read a novel, with the following sentence :
社会部記者と称する男は、快く支配人の部屋へ請じられた。
According to jisho.org,請じる means "to invite; to show (someone) in". I searched online for examples of sentences ...
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1answer
194 views
Is there a difference between 場が凍る and 場が凍り付く?
Is there a difference between 場が凍る and 場が凍り付く? Both seem to be in use. Both are 自動詞/五段活用. An example sentence by yours truly:
教室で先生に「お前何言ってんだ」って言っちゃって場が凍った
教室で先生に「お前何言ってんだ」って言っちゃって場が凍りついた
I have ...
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75 views
(Passive) verbs and nouns
I have question regarding the use of verbs as "adjectives" for nouns.
When should I use the passive form of the verb? When should I use the standard form of the verb?
For example, when ...
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3answers
350 views
Causative passive form vs. Passive causative form: Both are grammatically possible, but is there a citation to prefer one over the other?
The "causative passive" form is very well documented. It's easily made possible because the a causative verb is a valid ichidan verb, and therefore compatible with the passive conjugation.
...
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2answers
87 views
What does 送る mean in this sentence and is it similar to 生活を送る?
幻聴？あたし妄想見やすいタイプなのかな？父親の愛情なき幼児体験おくってっからな…
(first sentence for context)...because I experienced childhood without my father's love.
Would it work to also say 「幼児体験で育ったから」?
I'm also wondering if it is ...
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2answers
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Meaning of たりしたら
I was reading something and I found this thing attached to a verb. The sentence was this one:
ふと脇を見て、そこに洗濯物がたたんであったりしたら。
What meaning does it have?
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1answer
102 views
Using 来る for product release
Is 来る strictly for coming to a physical location, or can it be used to describe a product a product release.
For example:
来月映画は来ます。
The movie will be coming out next month.
これは先月来た映画の写真です。
This is ...
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1answer
254 views
Why are there so many three kana kunyomi verbs beginning with あ?
謝る、扱う、現れる、表す、諦める、争う、改める、…
Why are there so many verbs beginning with あ and with three kana kunyomi?
Is there some etymological reason for this? I can't imagine this is completely incidental, though ...
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1answer
128 views
What effect does adding 「取り~」 before a verb have?
I've encountered many verbs with 「取り~」 inserted. Up till now I've treated 「取り+verb」 as separate vocabulary, but quite often, the definitions are not much different than the base verb alone. In ...
4
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1answer
115 views
Can the particle を work as から in certain situations?
I found the next sentence:
村を飛び出した
Because of 飛び出す being an intransitive verb, then that を is not working as a direct object marker, right? Then can を work as a "substitute" for から in this ...
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1answer
57 views
What's the difference between 【Noun + が + いadj】 and 【Noun + の + Verb】
I was reading and I found the next sentence:
そこから動きの鈍った魔物がもぞもぞと入り込んでくる
And I had that question, What's the difference between that and saying
そこから動きが鈍い魔物がもぞもぞと入り込んでくる
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37 views
Past-tense inflection used for a future action [duplicate]
In this sentence
早く寝た方がいいですよ。
which is translated as
You should go to sleep early.
I am confused about the reason in which the past tense inflection for 寝る is used. Is this a similar construct ...
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1answer
64 views
Understanding the negative potential form
In this sentence:
無用なものを入れると、無用なものしか取り出せない
Which I interpreted literally as
"If you put in useless things, nothing but useless things aren't able to be taken out."
It seems that a more ...
4
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1answer
181 views
How would one say “to call on a student”?
I would like to write a sentence to the effect of "the student was afraid to be called on." I have searched all over to find the verb of "calling on" a student and the best I can ...
3
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1answer
121 views
Conjugating Nidan Verbs
I am studying elementary Japanese, not classical forms of the language. In the online dictionary Jisho.org, I found the verb 憂ふ/'to be worried or concerned about' listed as a nidan verb. Does that ...
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1answer
258 views
Where does the -a stem come from with auxiliary-constructed transitive/intransitive verb pairs if the base verb is a 二段活用 (or カ行変格活用)?
It seems to be generally understood that transitive/intransitive verb pairs, when they are not a 四段活用 and a 二段活用 that share the same 終止形, were created by taking a base verb, whether transitive or ...
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1answer
394 views
Why 鍵を開ける instead of 鍵で開ける
So I am a beginner when it comes to japanese and today I stumbled upon the phrase "鍵を開ける".
As I understand, one of the usages of the particle で is, how something or where something is done.
...
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2answers
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Difference between っての名詞 and る名詞
In the grammar explanation for なりに on japanesetest4you.com, I ran into the following sentence:
私には私なりの理由があっての事だったんです。
I am curious about one part in particular:
があっての
Is this any different than がある? I ...
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1answer
72 views
A question about 目を合わせる
So the thing is that I found the next sentence:
目を合わせて逸らさない、というのはそれだけで真摯に見える。
I understand the whole sentence and all, but that 「目を合わせて逸らさない」is troubling me.
I asked what it meant, and it was ...
4
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2answers
92 views
注意を向ける vs. 注意を向けさせる - same meaning?
I understand the difference in concept; YがXを向ける = "Y turns X", and ZがYにXを向けさせる = "Z makes Y turn X". But in practical usage with 注意を~, I can't tell the difference. Do native ...
2
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1answer
134 views
Modifying nouns - iku
My textbook (Minna No Nihongo I ch. 22) gives:
私がいつも買い物するスーパーは野菜が安いです
(The supermarket I always do my shopping at has cheap vegetables (for sale)).
I'm guessing this is ok actually, and it might be ...
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1answer
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やまをこえ、のを こえて、。。。— how to interpert “こえ”?
I'm a newbie and I'm now trying to parse my first text, the １１ぴきの猫 children book.
There is a sentence: 山をこえ、のを こえて、どんどん 行くと、はるかむこうに みずうみが みえました。
I think the overall meaning is clear, but I'm puzzled ...
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1answer
199 views
休む usage with を？
I'm a beginner to Japanese, and I just learned about transivity. I read that the verb 休む is intransitive, and it means "to take a break from." I also read that intransitive verbs cannot take ...
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1answer
36 views
歩いてた what is form of verb? [duplicate]
I have seeing in some song this:
いつもひとりで歩いてた
How was this form formed? (歩いてた) Explain tocme please.
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43 views
what does the と particle indicate or mean used before a verb? [duplicate]
We're taught that と particle is used as and & with connecting nouns.
1. But in this sentence 上司が「一杯、飲もう」と言った the verb 言った is followed by と.
And the sentence means [My boss said: "Let's have ...
2
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1answer
181 views
Comprehension problem of 世に囁かれる星の数にも届くそれらは、一種の「願望」である。
世に囁かれる星の数にも届くそれらは、一種の「願望」である。
I have this sentence in Japanese that I'm not sure I completely understand. My own comprehension of the sentence is: "Those who reach the severals stars in the ...
3
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1answer
124 views
Please explain use of 入る in this context
This is an excerpt from SAO - the context is that a character has suggested Kirito may be a spy. Leafa responds by saying:
スパイにしてはちょっと天然ボケ入りすぎてるし
Not asking for a translation, as I already ...
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1answer
93 views
聞かす vs The Causative Form of 聞く (and what about 聞かさせる???)
I was reading Naruto and came across the word 聞かされた. I understood its meaning, but soon got confused when tried to go about its conjugation. And thus I came across these...
寝る・寝かす
聞く・聞かす
待つ・待たす
散る・...
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1answer
140 views
Can I use て connecting form with ている?
I know I can use て-form to connect verbs (e.g chronological order) and I know I can use ている for repeated action. My question is: can I combine them?
For example:
毎日{まいにち}コンビニに行{い}って、 りんごを買{か}っている。
...
2
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1answer
146 views
How to negate connected verbs which in て-form?
As I know if I connect verbs with て-form then the last verb determine the tense, politeness. But how can I negate the sentence? Should I just negate the last verb or should I negate the verb which in ...
1
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1answer
65 views
Is there a situation where 造語 such as “ググる” could be used with the “ます” ending?
I ask this out of pure curiosity, but would there be any situation where you could reasonably say something along the lines of, "はい、今はそれをググります。"
What I've seen/thought of Katakana+る words ...
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0answers
50 views
Where does the か in なかった come from? [duplicate]
So I'm trying to understand Genki's preferred past negative form of です, that is: じゃなかったです. I'm confused by the なかった.
As I understand it from this source, this is a combination of two 助動詞: the 連用形 ...
