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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Why is とき used with instantaneous verb 気づく?
気づいたときには たまっているもの
You'll save [enough money] before you know it.
At least based on the dictionary definition and examples, 気づくseems to be an instantaneous verb, "realize". How then does とき ...
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140 views
"Continuous" vs "Discontinuous" verbs: What to call them in English and Japanese?
On my trip home today, I was thinking about how うちに帰っている would be incorrect for my current situation, as I'm currently travelling home and not already at home. I'll walk through my thought process ...
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1answer
55 views
What does the word もえる mean in the following sentence and what is the kanji for it? [closed]
Here's the sentence:
もえるごみと一緒に毎週土曜日に集めます。
That sentence has been taken from the text explaining different ways of garbage disposal.
What does the word もえる mean here and is there a kanji for it?
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40 views
Why is ～ましょう form used in the following situation?
この部屋は図書室です。本やCDを借りたり、宿題をしたり出来ます。日本語の本が２０００冊あります。外国語の本は１０００冊あります。CDは５００枚あります。CDを聞くときはヘッドホンをしましょう。友達と話すときは小さい声で話すようにしましょう。
Why do we have to use the ～ましょう form here instead of just using the ～ます form?
...
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78 views
Nuance of 在る for a person in this song
In the song "my code" by GARNiDELiA, there're these two lines:
噛｛か｝み締｛し｝めた痛｛いた｝みも 消｛け｝せない傷跡｛きずあと｝も
私｛わたし｝が私として在｛あ｝るために
I understand what the second line means, and I've read other posts on ...
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Don't understand past tense used as present perfect in Japanese
I'm reading a Japanese beginners book in which I have found a 'present perfect' sentence for the first time, but I don't understand it very well:
The sentence
見たことがある女の人がいます
according to my book, is ...
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1answer
156 views
Use verb in -masu form + kana to wonder about something instead of using the -darou form
The following sentence (in a context which is speaking about a woman):
青いワンピースを着て、どこに行くんだろう。
Can be translated as:
Where is she going in a blue dress?
Could I use「かな？」instead of the「ーだろう」form? E.g....
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1answer
202 views
Why do all Japanese verbs in dictionary form end with -u?
Most of the search results while trying to research this question turned up with tutorials on verb conjugation.
Why do all Japanese verbs in dictionary form end with -u? What is the reason, ...
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148 views
What tense to use for verbs describing abstract actions?
Here are 3 examples of 重きを置く.
昔は徳育に重きを置いた。People used to attach weight to moral culture. [斉藤和英大辞典]
聞くことと話すことに重きを置いた言語獲得の体系 system of language acquisition focusing intensively on listening and ...
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1answer
60 views
What does "ふってきて mean in the sentence "これが、突然空からふってきて..."? [duplicate]
I know the sentence means something like "This suddenly came out of the sky...".
"これが" means "this is" (side question: why add "が" instead of just keeping it as ...
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1answer
123 views
What is the difference between 切り替える and 変える?
I'm trying to figure out which verb to use if I want to say "Let's switch between speaking English and Japanese", but in general I would just like to know.
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175 views
Is there a native word in Japanese that refers to "to have intercourse with" with high fidelity?
I realized that after learning Japanese for so many years I still don't know what the word is in Japanese that has the meaning "to have intercourse with" specifically.
Therefore, I am ...
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79 views
Is there any pattern to tell which verb of the two is transitive and which is intransitive?
Let me first explain what I mean. Take these two pairs for example:
付く、付ける (the first one is intransitive, the second one is
transitive)
抜く、抜ける (the first one is transitive, the second on is
...
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1answer
222 views
Where do 覚悟なさい、我慢なさい come from?
The more common 「覚悟しなさい」 and 「我慢しなさい」 seem also much more intuitive: 覚悟する➞覚悟しなさい
覚悟なさい、我慢なさい seem to be feminine markers. How did they come about?
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251 views
Stating or doing in Japanese (です or する)?
もし戦いになったら作戦変更だ
The translation of this sentence in context is "If they start fighting, I'll change my strategy". My question is, why would you choose to use だ in this situation instead of ...
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106 views
知りませんでした or 知っていませんでした?
A 「宿題はもう出しましたか」
B 「いいえ。昨日宿題がありましたか。私は___」
知りませんでした
知っていませんでした
覚えません
覚えませんでした
I am a little confused because I don't quite catch the difference between the first two options. There was a similar ...
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1answer
119 views
Qual o significado de ようで e ような na seguinte frase? | What is the meaning of ようで and ような in this sentence?
Estou analisando a letra de uma música chamada 君が好きだと叫びたい. Cheguei em um ponto de dúvida na frase 恋をしているようで 躍らされてるような.
Mais especificamente eu gostaria de entender o conceito por traz de ようで, o ...
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111 views
Is it possible to know if a verb is ichidan or godan from its other forms (e.g.: masu form)?
I have bee nreading this article about ichidan and godan verbs, how they are conjugated and how to differentiate them from its plain form (食べる for instance).
Is there any rule to infer if a verb is ...
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1answer
110 views
What's the Grammar Form at Work Here and How to Use it? 「あまり難しく考えるなよ」
Looking at the Japanese lines of a game, and I came across this line...:
あまり難しく考えるなよ。
...which I believe translates to "Don't think about it too much" or the like. However, I don't ...
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1answer
63 views
Is「していこう」another way to write「移行する」
人間はみな平等だよね、そういう社会にしていこうね
I think this quote means something along the lines of transitioning into a society in which everyone is equal, but if that is an accurate translation, then why is していこう not ...
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1answer
88 views
Using the Perfect Tense to Talk about Something Timeless
I was trying to read a Japanese kanji dictionary for grade school (小学校) and I came across a construction that left me a bit puzzled.
In explaining the Kanji for "right", the dictionary says: ...
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1answer
196 views
What's the difference between 下向く and 見下ろす?
Can you please tell me the difference between these verbs:
下{した}向{む}く and 見{み}下{お}ろす
I was writing a little "poem" but I came across this doubt xD.
This is the poem:
If you're always ...
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1answer
305 views
When do you use forms of 歩く as a verb to talk about walking?
I've come across different usages of 歩く as a verb and was unsure in which scenarios they would be most appropriate to use.
Is 歩く used with 来る?
東京タワーまで歩いて来ます。
Or is it used with 行く?
東京タワーまで歩いて行きます。
...
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1answer
103 views
What are the differences between し, するの and すること?
When should I use し, するの and すること as nouns? Not just the verb "する", but any verb e.g. ”見”, "見るの" and "見ること"/ "書き", "書くの" and "書くこと".
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197 views
How to use the verb "数える" properly?
While studying yesterday, I came across the following sentence: "バスの中で お客さんの数を 数えました" (the spaces are included in the exercise). The meaning is simple enough, but when I asked my teacher ...
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1answer
274 views
Is 売られる the potential form of 売る?
I came across this sentence:
米はキロ単位で売られる。
The translation given was "Rice is sold by the kilogram." I assume that 売られる's meaning is more like "is sold" or "to be sold" ...
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1answer
93 views
Change into intransitive form
How will the following sentence be written using intransitive verb. Will the verb 建てる use が or を
うちの前に高いビルを建てました。
Will it be:
うちの前に高いビルが建てられて日当たりが悪くなりました。
Or
うちの前に高いビルを建てられて日当たりが悪くなりました。
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1answer
89 views
「 〜のです。」is confusing when I have to use it with the casual form of the verb
I'm having trouble understanding the difference between 何かあるのですか。and 何かあったのですか。Are they both the same? Initially I thought that the former was present tense and the latter was past tense but I really ...
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63 views
Is this sentence from Bunpro misaligned with the provided translation, regarding verb tense and state of being? [duplicate]
I am using Bunpro SRS, and I came across the following sentence:
ポケモンは、日本中だけでなく、世界中で流行ったゲームだ。
The translation provided is:
Pokémon is popular not only all over Japan, but throughout the world.
The ...
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2answers
244 views
に versus を with 会いました verb
I casually used を in the sentence クマを会いました。I was corrected with クマに会いました。Checking references and sample sentences I found no を examples. I think there is something fundamental about を and に that I do ...
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Is Okotowarishimasu for a politer Kotowarimasu a type of form that can be used for other verbs?
Or just a special case for Kotowaru?
For the changing verbs to -ri + shimasu. Is this a standard form?
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114 views
ます form for る(u) verbs?
I'm a bit confused about the ます form for る(u), I assumed it's just the [stem form]+ます。
For the verb 召し上がる, the ます form was 召し上がります. But for いらっしゃる, the ます form was いらっしゃいます?
What's the rule deciding ...
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1answer
106 views
Is This Verb Conjugation Method Reliable?
I recently found out about Japanese verb conjugations, and came across a helpful video. Can anyone tell me if this is legit, and can be used for any verb, or if I may have trouble if I use it as my ...
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1answer
110 views
Why is the volitional form of する - しよう, considering the classical post-む pre-spelling reform form was せう which should net *しょう?
Why is the volitional form of する - しよう, considering the pre-spelling reform but post-む form was せう, which according to sound changes and modern kana orthography should become しょう? Especially ...
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1answer
645 views
Conjugation patterns for u-dropping verbs [closed]
I was given a table by my book:
The pattern I spotted is, except for u-dropping verbs ending in つ, we have that every verb preserves its consonant (s, k, g, m, n, b, w or r) when conjugated. Thus, ...
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115 views
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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111 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
152 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
141 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
151 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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1answer
107 views
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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101 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
182 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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1answer
92 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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79 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。...
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1answer
142 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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121 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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136 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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77 views
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?
