INTRODUCTION

Fluency in a language cannot be attained without a solid understanding of that language's verbs and their usages. Especially with Japanese, it is crucial for the student to master verbs in order to be able to communicate effectively.

In Japanese, the importance of the subject-verb relationship is not stressed as it is in Indo-European languages such as English. In English, verb forms change depending on whether the subject is singular or plural, first person or second person, and so on. Thus, for the verb “to go," one says “I go” and “He goes." More complicated are some of the many languages whose verb forms change depending on whether the subject is feminine or masculine.

In Japanese, however, verbs are not affected by their subjects in this manner; it does not make any difference whether the subject is singular or plural, or first person or second person. This, plus the fact that there are relatively few exceptions to the rules, makes Japanese verbs relatively less complicated to learn than those of many other languages. Once the students master certain rules for making such forms as the masu, imperative, te, and conditional forms, they will be able to apply these rules to almost any verb.

Of course, the students should be aware that while any form can in theory be made from any verb, forms of some verbs are seldom used in ordinary situations. Along with the main entries and their example sentences, this introduction will help the student learn both the conjugation and the usage of Japanese verbs.

VERB GROUPINGS

One way to approach Japanese verbs is to classify them into three major groupings according to the way they are conjugated when spelled with Roman letters. (This classification method does not apply when they are written in the Japanese syllabary.) These groups are:

Group 1:The u-dropping conjugation
Group 2: The ru-dropping conjugation
Group 3: Irregular conjugation

Knowing which group a verb belongs to enables one to determine the stem of a verb.

Group 1:(the u-dropping conjugation)

Most of the verbs in Group 1 are easy to recognize. With the exception of suru and kuru, if the ending of the plain (dictionary) form of a verb is anything but -eru or -iru, the verb belongs to this group. As shown below, to determine the stem, simply drop the final-u ending. The masu forms are then made by attaching -imasu/-imasen to the stem.

VERB MEANING STEM MASU FORM MASEN FORM

aru to have ar- arimasu arimasen

dasu¹ to take out dash- dashimasu dashimasen

isogu to hurry isog- isogimasu isogimasen

iu to say i- iimasu iimasen

kaku to write kak- kakimasu kakimasen

kau to buy ka- kaimasu kaimasen

matsu¹ to wait mach- machimasu machimasen

nuru to paint nur- nurimasu nurimasen

omou to think omo- omoimasu omoimasen

shinu to die shin- shinimasu shinimasen

tobu to fly tob- tobimasu tobimasen

toru to take tor- torimasu torimasen

yomu to read yom- yomimasu yomimasen

1 Verbs ending in -su and -tsu have a sh stem and ch stem respectively.

If the ending of a verb is either -eru or -iru, one must consult a reference source to determine if it belongs to Group 1 or Group 2. A small percentage of verbs ending in -eru and -iru do belong to Group 1, and likewise form their stem by dropping the final-u ending. Confusion may arise when words spelled the same have different meanings. For example, the word kiru, accenting the ki syllable, means “to cut” and belongs to Group 1; its stem is kir-. On the other hand, the kiru that accents the ru syllable means “to wear” and belongs to Group 2; its stem is ki-. In the same manner, the word kaeru, accenting the ka syllable, means “to return" and belongs to Group 1; its stem is kaer-. The kaeru that accents the e syllable, however, means “to change" and belongs to Group 2; its stem is kae-. Sometimes, there are no pronunciation differences, as exemplified by iru. Thus, while the word iru meaning “to need" belongs to Group 1, iru meaning “to exist" belongs to Group 2. Both are pronounced the same.

Examples of Group 1 verbs whose endings are -eru or -iru are listed below. The stem is formed by dropping the final u ending; the masu forms, by attaching -imasu/-imasen to the stem.

VERB MEANING STEM MASU FORM MASEN FORM

hairu to enter hair- hairimasu hairimasen

kaeru to return kaer- kaerimasu kaerimasen

shiru to know shir- shirimasu shirimasen

Group 2: (the ru-dropping conjugation)

Most verbs ending in -eru or -iru belong to this group. The stem is formed by dropping the -ru ending, and the masu forms are made by adding -masu/-masen to the stem.

VERB MEANING STEM MASU FORM MASEN FORM

ageru to raise, give age- agemasu agemasen

dekiru to be able deki- dekimasu dekimasen

iru to be i- imasu imasen

kangaeru to think kangae- kangaemasu kangaemasen

miru to see mi- mimasu mimasen

taberu to eat tabe- tabemasu tabemasen

Group 3: (irregular conjugation)

This group has only two verbs, kuru "to come" and suru “to do." Their verb forms are shown in their respective entries in the main text of this book.

Verb stem + adjuncts

Many adjuncts are attached to the verb stem to alter the verb's original meaning. Some of the more common examples are listed below.

a. Kare no Nihon-go wa wakari-yasui.
His Japanese is easy to understand.

b. Kanojo no Nihon-go wa wakari-nikui.
Her Japanese is difficult to understand.

c. Watashi wa benkyoo shi-tai desu. Shigoto wa shi-takunai desu.
I want to study. I don't want to work.

d. Kare wa Nihon e iki-tagatte imasu.
He wants to go to Japan.

e. Terebi o mi-nagara, shokuji shimashita.
I ate while watching television.

f. Ame ga furi-soo desu.
It looks like it will rain.

g. Kanojo wa eiga o mi ni ikimashita.
She went to see a movie.

h. Kono kanji no yomi-kata ga wakarimasen.
I don't know how to read this kanji.

i. Isogi-nasai
Hurry up.

EXPLANATIONS OF VERB FORMS

Following are explanations and examples of each of the verb forms listed in the main entries.

The Plain Form

The plain form, including the plain forms of the present, past, conditional, presumptive, volitional, potential, passive, causative, and causative passive forms, is used in everyday conversation among friends, family, and other close relationships. The present tense of the plain form of verbs sometimes is called the “dictionary form.”

Note that there is a slight change regarding the conjugation of the negative forms of verbs such as kau, iu, and omou—Group 1 verbs that have the final-u preceded by a vowel. Instead of attaching -anai/-anakatta to the stem of these Group 1 verbs, -wanai/-wanakatta is attached to make the negative forms. Thus, kau becomes kawanai, iu becomes iwanai, and omou becomes omowanai.

The plain form generally is used as follows.

1. In informal conversations:

a. Ashita tomodachi ni au?
Will you meet your friend tomorrow?

b. Un, au.
Yes, I will.

c. Uun, awanai.
No, I won't.

d. Kinoo tomodachi ni atta?
Did you meet your friend yesterday?

e. Uun, awanakatta.
No, I didn't.

2. Within a clause of a complex sentence:

a. Kare wa ashita kuru to iimashita.
He said he would come tomorrow.

b. Kare wa ashita iku ka doo ka wakarimasen.
I don't know whether he will go or not tomorrow.

c. Kare wa aruku'n desu ka.
Will he walk?

d. Kare ga oshieru no wa Getsuyoobi desu.
He teaches on Mondays.

e. Kare ni ashita hanasanai yoo ni itte kudasai.
Tell him not to talk tomorrow.

f. Gakkoo e kuru toki tomodachi ni aimashita.
I met a friend of mine on my way to school.

3. Before adjuncts:

a. Raishuu tegami o kaku tsumori desu.
I intend to write a letter next week.

b. Kare wa mata kuru hazu desu.
He is supposed to come again.

c. Kare wa Amerika e kaetta soo desu.
I heard he went back to the United States.

d. Tomodachi ni denwa shit a hoo ga ii desu yo.
You should call your friend.

e. Igirisu ni itta koto ga arimasu ka.
Have you been to England?

f. Paatii de nonda-ri tabeta-ri shimashita.
I ate and drank at the party.

g. Koko de tabako o suwanai de kudasai.
Please don't smoke here.

The Masu Form

The masu form is often referred to as the “polite form." Suitable for a wide range of circumstances, the masu form is considered a polite, conventional way of speaking. Note that the present masu form covers both the English present and future tenses. The present masu form is made by attaching -imasu/-imasen to the stem of Group 1 verbs, or -masu/-masen to the stem of Group 2 verbs. The masu forms for the potential, passive, causative, and causative passive forms are made by dropping the final-ru syllable, and attaching -masu/-masen. For the masu forms for the humble and honorific forms, refer to the entries for naru, nasaru, suru, and itasu.

a. Ashita dekakemasu ka.
Will you go out tomorrow?

b. Iie, dekakemasen.
No, I won't.

c. Kesa shinbun o yomimashita ka.
Did you read the newspaper this morning?

d. Iie, yomimasen deshita.
No, I didn't.

e. Piano o hikimasu ka.
Do you play the piano?

f. Ame ni furaremashita.
I was caught in the rain.

g. Moo ichido yaraseraremashita.
They made me do it one more time.

The Imperative Form

The imperative (command) form is said by a superior to an inferior. This form is made by adding -e to the stem of Group 1 verbs, and by adding -ro to the stem of Group 2 verbs. For negative imperatives, add the adjunct na to the plain present form of the verb. Note that with some verbs, the imperative form conventionally is not used; students should avoid using this form if it has been set inside parentheses in the main entries.

a. Suware.
Sit down.

b. Okane o tamero.
Save your money.

c. Shizuka ni shiro.
Be quiet.

d. Dare ni mo iu na.
Don't say this to anyone.

A less harsh way to make a command is to use nasai. Add -i + nasai to the stem of Group 1 verbs, and -nasai to the stem of Group 2 verbs. Shi-nasai and ki-nasai are for suru and kuru.

a. Suwari-nasai.
Sit down.

b. Kaku no wa yame-nasai.
Stop writing.

The Te Form

The te form can be considered to be the Japanese equivalent of the English gerund. For most verbs, the te forms are made as follows:

Group 1 verbs: 1. Change the -ku ending to -ite.¹

aku (to open)   aite

2. Change the -gu ending to -ide.

sawagu (to be noisy)     sawaide

3. Change the -su ending to -shite.

hanasu (to speak)   hanashite

4. Change the -bu, -mu, and -nu endings to -nde.

tobu (to fly)   tonde

yomu (to read)   yonde

shinu (to die)    shinde

5. Change the -ru and -tsu endings to -tte.

kaeru (to return)     kaette

katsu (to win)     katte

6. Change the -u ending when preceded by a vowel to -tte.

kau (to buy)     katte

iu (to say)   itte

1 One exception is iku (to go); the te form is not iite, but itte.

Group 2 verbs: Change the -ru ending to -te.

miru (to see)     mite

Group 3 verbs: See the individual entries for suru and kuru.

To make the te forms of the potential, passive, causative, and causative passive forms of verbs, change the -ru ending to -te.

1. State of Doing

The te form, when combined with iru/imasu, indicates a state of doing; in other words, a state where the action is continuous,

a. Ima nani o shite imasu ka.
What are you doing now?

b. Nihon-go o benkyoo shite iru.
I'm studying Japanese.

c. Yuube hachi-ji goro watashi wa tegami o kaite imashita.
I was writing a letter at about eight o'clock last night.

2. Present Perfect

The present perfect tense is also indicated by the te form. It is made by combining the te form with iru/imasu. Note that the te iru form is often used in Japanese for conditions that are not always indicated in English by the present perfect tense.

a. Eiga wa moo hajimatte imasu ka.
Has the movie started yet?

b. lie, mada hajimatte imasen.
No, it has not started yet.

c. Ame wa yande iru.
The rain has stopped.

d. Michi wa migi ni magatte iru.
The road curves to the right.

e. Kare wa futotte imasu.
He is fat.

f. Kare wa chichi-oya ni nite imashita.
He looked like his father.

g. Tanaka-san o shitte imasu ka.
Do you know Mr. Tanaka?
lie, shirimasen.
No, I don't.

h. Kanojo no namae o oboete imasu.
I remember her name.

i. Nihon-go no jisho o motte imasu.
I have a Japanese dictionary.

j. Kissaten de matte imasu.
I'll wait for you at the coffee shop.

3. Recording Events

The te form is used when recording events according to a time sequence.

In some cases, where one action stops and another starts is not always clear.

a. Resutoran ni haitte, koohii o nonda.
I went into a restaurant and had some coffee.

b. Roku-ji ni okite, uchi o dete, hachi-ji ni kaisha ni tsuita.
I got up at six, left the house, and reached the company at eight.

c. Tomodachi ni atte, eiga o mite kara, uchi ni kaerimashita.
I met a friend, saw a movie, and then went home.

d. Kaban o motte kimasu.
I'll bring my briefcase.

e. Paatii ni tomodachi o tsurete ikimasu.
I'll take my friend to the party.

4. Something Caused Something

The te form is used to indicate that something happened, something that caused something else (often an emotion).

a. Tegami o yonde, anshin shimashita.
Having read the letter, I was relieved.

b. Nyuusu o kiite, bikkuri shita.
I was surprised to hear the news.

c. Byooki ga naotte, ureshii.
I'm glad you got well.

5. Giving and Receiving

The te form is used with verbs such as ageru and morau to indicate giving and receiving. The level of politeness required for a particular situation dictates which verbs follow the te form; for instance, a person of lower status rarely would use ageru to a superior. In the examples below, notice how the verb following the te form changes according to the degree of politeness. (See also pages 24-26 for an explanation of honorific and humble speech.)

a. Tomodachi wa shashin o misete kuremashita.
My friend showed me some photos.

b. Sensei wa shashin o misete kudasaimashita.
My teacher (kindly) showed me some photos.

c. Tomodachi ni shashin o misete moraimashita.
I got my friend to show me some photos.

d. Sensei ni shashin o misete itadakimashita.
I got my teacher to show me some photos.

e. Tomodachi ni shashin o misete agemashita.
I showed some photos to my friend.

f. Sensei ni shashin o misete sashiagemashita.
I showed some photos to my teacher.

g. Tanaka-san wa haha ni shashin o misete kuremashita.
Mr. Tanaka showed my mother some photos.

h. Shachoo wa chichi ni shashin o misete kudasaimashita.
The president of the company showed my father some photos.

i. Haha wa Tanaka-san ni shashin o misete moraimashita.
My mother got Mr. Tanaka to show her some photos.

j. Chichi wa shachoo ni shashin o misete itadakimashita.
My father got the president of the company to show him some photos.

k. Imooto wa tomodachi ni shashin o misete agemashita.
My younger sister showed some photos to her friend.

l. Imooto wa sensei ni shashin o misete sashiagemashita.
My younger sister showed some photos to her teacher.

6. With Other Verbs and Adjuncts

The te form is also used with other verbs and adjuncts.

a. Haitte mo ii desu ka?
May I come in?

b. Sawatte wa ikemasen.
Don't touch.

c. Doa o nokku shite mimashita.
I tried knocking on the door.

d. Ashita juu-ji ni kite hoshii desu.
I want you to come at ten o'clock tomorrow.

e. Heya o sooji shite okimashita,
I cleaned the room (to have it ready in advance).

f. Gohan o tabete shimaimashita.
I finished the meal.

The Conditional Form

One way to make the conditional form for all verbs is to drop the final-u and add -eba. Thus furu becomes fureba. The negative conditional form is made by dropping the final-i of the plain negative form and adding -kereba; therefore, furanai becomes furanake-reba.

Another way to make the conditional form is to add the adjunct ra to the past plain forms or past masu forms, such as futta ra, fura-nakatta ra, furimashita ra, or furimasen deshita ra. In this book, to help students understand how to make this ra conditional form, it is written as two separate words (futta ra). Students should be aware, however, that it conventionally is written as one word (futtara).

While there are slight changes in nuance between the forms using ra and the forms using -eba, in many cases, they can be used interchangeably with little difference in meaning.

a. Ame ga fureba, uchi ni imasu.
Ame ga futta ra, uchi ni imasu.
Ame ga furimashita ra, uchi ni imasu. (polite)
If it rains, I'll stay home.

b. Jisho o mireba, wakarimasu.
Jisho o mita ra, wakarimasu.
If you check the dictionary, you will understand.

Generally speaking, when a specific request follows the conditional clause, or if the sentence has the meaning ‘‘when something happens, I will do this,” the form using ra is preferred over the form using -eba.

a. Kare ni atta ra, yoroshiku to itte kudasai. (correct)
If you meet him, please say hello for me.
Kare ni aeba’ yoroshiku to itte kudasai. (incorrect)

b. Nyuu Yooku ni tsuita ra, renraku suru tsumori desu. (correct)
When I reach New York, I intend to get in touch with you.
Nyuu Yooku ni tsukeba, renraku suru tsumori desu. (incorrect)

The Presumptive Form

This form, indicating that something probably will happen, is made by adding the adjunct daroo/deshoo to the plain positive or negative forms of a verb.

a. Kare wa kuru daroo.
He'll probably come.

b. Kare wa konai deshoo.
He probably won't come.

c. Kare wa kuru deshoo ka.
I wonder if he will come.

d. Ame ga furu deshoo ga, ikimasu.
It will probably rain, but I'll go.

e. Kare wa mita daroo.
He probably saw it.

f. Kare wa konakatta deshoo.
He probably did not come.

The Volitional Form

This form indicating volition is made by adding -oo/-imashoo to the stem of Group 1 verbs, and by adding -yoo/-mashoo to the stem of Group 2 verbs. One should note that for some verbs, the volitional form conventionally is not used; students should avoid using this form if it has been set inside parentheses in the main entries.

a. Rainen Nihon e ikoo to omoimasu.
I think I'Il go to Japan next year.

b. Saifu o kaeshimashoo.
Let's return the wallet.

c. Nichiyoobi ni eiga o miyoo to omou.
I think I'll see a movie on Sunday.

d. Yamemashoo.
Let's quit.

e. Benkyoo shimashoo.
Let's study.

The Potential Form

This form, expressing possibility or capability, is made by adding -eru/ -emasu to the stem of Group 1 verbs, and by adding -rareru/ -raremasu to the stem of Group 2 verbs. The negative form is made by adding -enai/ -emasen to the stem of Group 1 verbs, and -rarenai/ -raremasen to the stem of Group 2 verbs. For the potential forms of the honorific and humble forms, refer to the entries for naru, nasaru, suru, and itasu. Recently, the potential forms of Group 2 verbs have come to be constructed like Group 1 verbs; since this is considered unacceptable by many, in the main entries, this more colloquial form is listed underneath the standard form.

Also note that for some verbs, the potential form rarely is used; students should avoid using this form if it has been set inside parentheses in the main entries.

a. Ashita juu-ji goro aemasu ka.
Can I meet you about ten o'clock tomorrow?

b. Ashita aenakereba, asatte wa doo desu ka.
If I cannot meet you tomorrow, how about the day after?

c. Nan-ji goro deraremasu ka.
About what time can you go out?

The Passive Form

The passive form conveys the idea that something was done to you and you were adversely affected. It is formed by adding -areru/ -aremasu to the stem of Group 1 verbs (-wareru/-waremasu for verbs ending in two vowels such as omou), and -rareru/-raremasu to the stem of Group 2 verbs. The negative form is made by adding -arenai/-aremasen to the stem of Group 1 verbs (-warenai/waremasen for verbs ending in two vowels), and -rarenai/-raremasen to the stem of Group 2 verbs. Note that the potential and passive forms of Group 2 verbs are identical and that both transitive and some intransitive verbs can be used in a passive sentence. Also note that for some verbs, the passive form is rarely used; students should avoid using this form if it has been set inside parentheses in the main entries.

a. Doroboo ni okane o nusumaremashita.
My money was stolen by the thief.

b. Uchi ni kaeru tochuu de, ame ni furaremashita.
On my way home, I was caught in the rain.

c. Minna ni mitsumerarete, komatta.
I didn't know what to do because everyone was staring at me.

The Causative Form

This form, conveying the idea of making someone do something, is formed by adding -aseru/-asemasu (-asenai/-asemasen for negative forms) to the stem of most Group 1 verbs. For Group 1 verbs that end in two vowels, such as utau, the causative is formed by adding -waseru/-wasemasu (-wasenai/-wasemasen for the negative forms) to the stem. For Group 2 verbs, the causative is formed by adding -saseru/-sasemasu to the stem (-sasenai/-sasemasen for negative forms). Note that with some verbs, the causative form rarely is used; students should avoid using this form if it has been set inside parentheses in the main entries.

a. Kare wa musuko o kaimono ni ikaseta.
He made his son go shopping.

b. Kanojo wa kodomo ni piano o narawasemashita.
She made her child learn to play the piano.

c. Watashi ni harawasete kudasai.
Please let me pay.

d. Sono koto wa moo sukoshi kangaesasete kuremasu ka.
Could you please let me think it over some more?

The Causative Passive Form

This form conveys the idea of “I was made to do something and was adversely affected by it.” It is formed by adding -aserareru/-aseraremasu (-aserarenai/-aseraremasen for negative forms) to the stem of most Group 1 verbs, and -saserareru/-saseraremasu (-saserarenai/-saseraremasen) to the stem of Group 2 verbs. For Group 1 verbs that end in two vowels, such as utau, the causative passive form is made by adding -waserareru/-waseraremasu (-waserarenai/ -waseraremasen for negative forms) to the stem. As with the potential forms, in colloquial speech, causative passive forms of Group 2 may be formed similarly to the Group 1 verbs. In the main entries, this non-standard form is listed below the convential forms. Also, for some verbs, the causative passive form is rarely used—such cases are marked off by parentheses in the main entries.

a. Shigoto de Hon Kon ni ikaseraremashita.
I was made to go to Hong Kong on business.

b. Watashi-tachi wa uta o utawaseraremashita.
We were made to sing a song.

c. Kare wa sensei ni takusan benkyoo saserareta.
He was made to study a lot by his teacher.

POLITE LANGUAGE: HONORIFIC AND HUMBLE SPEECH

The use of polite language, that is, of honorific and humble forms, is an integral part of the Japanese language, and it is recommended that the student be at least familiar with it. In general, honorific speech is used when the subject is, or is related to, someone else, and humble speech is used when the subject concerns yourself or that which is associated with yourself. Basically, there are three situations which require the use of polite language.

1.A speaker uses polite language to an in-group member (such as someone in his school or company) when that person is senior in age or status. Thus, a worker uses both honorific and humble speech (depending on the subject) when speaking to his boss, as does a student to his teacher. Also, a worker would generally use honorific language when speaking to a fellow worker when the subject is their boss.

If, however, a worker is talking about either himself or his boss to a person who does not belong to his in-group, humble language is used. Thus, a worker would use humble language to describe his boss's actions if he were talking to someone in a different company.

2. In general,a speaker uses polite language to a non-in-group person, unless that person is clearly junior in age or status to him. Thus, a worker uses polite language to a president of another company, as well as to a worker at another company when speaking about that worker's president.

If the speaker is of the same social status as the person he is talking to, whether polite language is used or not depends on how well the two people know each other. If they are just casual acquaintances, honorific and humble speech usually are used.

3. When the speaker is not sure of the social status of the person he is talking to, usually he will opt for polite language. Thus, people meeting for the first time tend to use polite language with each other.

How to Make Honorific and Humble Verb Forms

Note that many verbs have special honorific and humble verb counterparts. One example is the verb iku (to go), whose humble form is the verb mairu, and whose honorific form is the verb irassharu. These special counterparts are listed in the main entries.

For those verbs not having such counterparts, the honorific and humble forms can be made as follows:

1. HONORIFIC: o + verb stem + ni naru

The most common way to make an honorific form out of a verb is to add o to the verb stem, and then follow it with ni naru.

a. Sensei wa hon o o-yomi ni narimasu.
The teacher reads the book.

b. Tegami o o-kaki ni narimashita ka.
Have you written the letter?

Though used with less frequency, a politer honorific form can be made by replacing ni naru with nasaru: o + verb stem + nasaru.

a. Ano e o o-kai nasaimashita ka.
Did you buy that painting?

b. Futari no kekkon no koto o o-kiki nasaimashita ka.
Did you hear about their marriage?

2. HONORIFIC: passive form

The passive form of verbs also is used to express politeness,

a. Tanaka-san, kinoo hon' ya ni ikaremashita ka?
Mr. Tanaka, did you go to the bookstore yesterday?

b. Sensei wa denwa de sugu kotaeraremashita.
The teacher answered immediately by telephone.

3. HONORIFIC: doozo + o + verb stem + kudasai

A polite way of making a request is to add doozo and kudasai around the o + verb stem.

a. Doozo o-kake kudasai.
Please have a seat.

b. Doozo o-meshiagari kudasai.
Please start eating.

4. HUMBLE: o + verb stem + suru

With most verbs, the humble form can be made by adding o to the verb stem, and then following it with suru.

a. Ashita, shachoo-shitsu ni o-kaeshi shimasu.
I will return it to the president's office tomorrow.

b. Mina-sama ni kyuuryoo ni tsuite o-hanashi shitai to omoimasu.
I would like to talk with everyone about salaries.

Suru generally can be replaced with itasu: o + verb stem + itasu.

a. Suutsu-keesu o o-mochi itashimasu.
Let me carry your suitcase.

b. Suu-fun-kan no uchi ni o-yobi itashimasu.
I will call for you in a few minutes.

TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE

In Japanese, verbs classified as transitive take a direct object, and thus use the particle o.

a. Watashi wa tegami o kakimashita.
I wrote a letter.

b. Mado o shimete kudasai.
Please close the windows.

A verb classified as intransitive does not take a direct object, and usually does not use an o as a particle.

a. Kyuuryoo ga agarimashita.
Our salaries went up.

b. Kabe ni e ga kakatte iru.
There is a picture hanging on the wall.

In Japanese, some intransitive verbs use the particle o, as shown below. These intransitive verbs tend to have meanings referring to motion, and used with o, give the idea of “going through a defined area."

a. Watashi wa kooen made hashirimashita.
I ran to the park.

b. Watashi wa go-fun de koosu o hashirimashita.
I ran the course in five minutes.

In cases where a verb has both a transitive and intransitive form, the form more commonly used is listed first; for instance, (intrans. and trans.). Note the change in meanings of such verbs.

a. Shigoto ni isogu.
Hurry to work.

b. Shigoto o isogu.
To work faster.

Note:

The romanization system used in this book is a modification of the Hepburn system. Double vowels are used instead of macrons, and n (rather than m) is used before b, m, or p. Also, all characters used here are part of the list of 1,945 characters prescribed for everyday use by the Ministry of Education. Those verbs with characters not in that list are written in hiragana.

KEY TO SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS

( ) The verb forms enclosed in parentheses are rarely used in modern Japanese, and thus it is advisable that the reader avoid using them.

IMPERATIVE (are)
TE FORM atte

  , The comma is used in the example sentences to help the student understand the meaning of the sentence. Its usage in some sentences may differ from conventional grammatical usage.

   ; In the verb definitions, a semi-colon differentiates

a) two different verbs pronounced similarly, or b) the

transitive and intransitive cases of a verb.

a) 話す to speak; 離す to keep away; 放す to set free, let go: (all trans.)

b) 出す to put out, send, pay, submit: (trans.); begin doing: (intrans.)

   : The colon is used to indicate that all preceding verbs are either transitive or intransitive.

開ける to open; 空ける to empty, keep the day open:

(both trans.); 明ける the day breaks: (intrans.)

   * The asterisk is used in the verb definitions to indicate that the student should refer to the note at the bottom of the page.

   trans. transitive

intrans. intransitive

lit., literally

   caus. causative