Japanese Verbs and Irregular Forms

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Questions and Answers

What does the term 'kimasho' signify in Nihongo verbs?

Polite volitional form. (correct)

Command form.

Polite negative form.

Condition form.

Which of the following Japanese verb forms is used for a polite negative expression?

Shinai

Koi

Shimasen (correct)

Shimasu

What is the primary function of 'suru' in Japanese verbs?

To indicate future actions.

To serve as a polite request.

To express a command.

To form compound verbs meaning 'to do'. (correct)

What does the command form 'shiro, seyo' translate to in English?

Do!!! Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence 'Kaimasu', what is indicated by the lack of a subject pronoun?

The subject is implied. Signup and view all the answers

In Japanese, which verb form is used for the present progressive/state of being?

Sunde Signup and view all the answers

How are Ru verbs characterized in Japanese grammar?

They end with the syllable 'ru'. Signup and view all the answers

What does the verb form 'Koi' express?

Command form. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about Japanese verbs?

They do not vary with person or number. Signup and view all the answers

When using more than one verb in a Japanese sentence, what form does the last verb take?

Masu form Signup and view all the answers

What is the negative form of 'shimasu'?

Shimasen Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct non past plain affirmative form of a verb?

It ends with 'u'. Signup and view all the answers

What should you drop to form the stem word for a Ru verb?

the suffix 'ru' Signup and view all the answers

Which form of a Japanese verb is used in a conditional sense as in 'if you will come'?

Kureba Signup and view all the answers

Which statement correctly describes the use of 'tabete' in a sentence?

It is used for succession of actions. Signup and view all the answers

Which suffix indicates a polite non past negative form?

(i)masen Signup and view all the answers

How do you change the suffix for a verb ending in ‘bu’, ‘mu’, or ‘nu’ when forming the combining form?

Change to ‘n’ Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct translation of 'anata wa taberu to nonde kudasai'?

Please eat and drink. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about U verbs in Japanese?

Their dictionary forms end in specific syllables. Signup and view all the answers

What does the suffix ‘(i)mashita’ represent?

polite past affirmative form Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the syllable ‘ki’ or ‘gi’ at the end of the combining form?

It becomes ‘i’ Signup and view all the answers

Which form is used for making polite requests?

Verb + kudasai Signup and view all the answers

When forming the te form for verbs ending in ru, tsu, or u, what is a key exception?

Ikite becomes itte Signup and view all the answers

What does the (i)te imasu form indicate?

state of being Signup and view all the answers

What function do sentence-final particles serve in a sentence?

They specify the function of the sentence or show the speaker's mood. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a sentence-final particle?

O Signup and view all the answers

What does 'de' indicate in a sentence?

The method or tool used in an action. Signup and view all the answers

If 'kaigi wa kono heya de hirakaremasu' translates to 'The meeting is held in this room,' what does 'de' signify?

The location where the action occurs. Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence 'Kore wa dame desu yo,' what purpose does 'yo' serve?

To emphasize a statement. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the sentence structure, what does 'o' indicate?

The direct object in a sentence. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences uses 'kara' correctly to indicate the source?

Kare wa keeki o moratta kara. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the term 'morau'?

To receive something. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'punpun' express in Japanese?

Bad mood Signup and view all the answers

Which verb means 'to go' in Japanese?

Iku Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct phrase for 'It’s a little bit hot' in Japanese?

Chotto atsui desu Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following phrases translates to 'How is the weather?' in Japanese?

Donna tenki desu ka Signup and view all the answers

What does 'sowasowa' indicate in a person's demeanor?

Restlessness Signup and view all the answers

What does the phrase 'Haha wa ima ryori shite imasu' mean?

My mother is cooking right now Signup and view all the answers

Which expression means 'It’s thundering' in Japanese?

Kaminari ga natte imasu Signup and view all the answers

What is the translation of 'There’s lightning' in Japanese?

Inazuma ga arimasu Signup and view all the answers

What does the expression 'kaze ga tsuyoi desu' imply?

It’s windy. Signup and view all the answers

Which verb form represents a small object rolling in Japanese sound symbolism?

Korokoro Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of 'Ane wa yoku ginko ni ikimasu'?

My older sister often goes to the bank. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following phrases expresses the idea of starting to rain?

Ame ga futte kimashita ne. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'inazuma ga hikatte imasu' refer to?

There’s lightning. Signup and view all the answers

Which word would characterize a dry object in Japanese sound symbolism?

Pasa-pasa Signup and view all the answers

What does 'Tokyo ka Osaka de hatarakitai desu' express?

I want to work in Tokyo or Osaka. Signup and view all the answers

What action does 'sakusaku (to) kiru' describe?

To cut a thin slice or light object. Signup and view all the answers

Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Nihongo Verbs

Japanese verbs don't change based on number, person, or gender of the subject.
Verbs are often used without a pronoun subject (e.g., Kaimasu).
Pronoun-less sentences depend on context, or pronouns/nouns are used when needed.
Many compound verbs exist in Nihongo, with "suru" being the most common (meaning "to do").
All verbs end in "u" (no exceptions).
In sentences with multiple verbs, only the last verb is conjugated in the "masu" form, while others are in the plain form.
Verb forms change based on polarity (affirmative/negative), tense, and following words (nouns, predicatives, particles).
The dictionary form (jisho word) is the plain affirmative non-past form (used in dictionaries).

Irregular Verbs

Kuru: "to come" (dictionary/infinitive/plain non-past form)
Kimasu: polite form of "to come" (polite affirmative non-past/present tense).
Konai: negative form of "to come" (plain negative non-past).
Other irregular verbs mentioned, like Iru (to need), Hairu (to enter), Hashiru (to run), Kiru (to cut)

Conjugation Classes

U-verbs: End in one of nine syllables (u, ku, gu, su, tsu, mu, nu, bu, ru). Conjugated by dropping the final "u" and adding a suffix/particle.
Ru-verbs: End in the syllable "ru". Conjugated by dropping "ru" and adding a suffix/particle
Exceptions: Some exceptions exist for the rule of U-verbs regarding final "u", for example, -iru verbs, -eru verbs

Particles (Joshi)

Function words that provide context to other words.
They don't change like nouns, verbs, or adjectives.
Suffixes or short words that modify nouns, verbs & adjectives or sentences.
Grammatical range can indicate various meanings.
Example case particles (GA, O, NI, NO, DE, KARA, MADE, E, TO, YA, KA).

Focus Particles

Follow other words/particles to emphasize/focus on the emphasized entity. Provide sentence-external information such as speaker perspective, knowledge.
Example focus particles (WA, MO, DEMO, DAKE, SHIKA, SHI, KOSO)

Sentence-final Particles

End sentences and indicate speaker mood, perspective, or implications.
Example sentence-final Particles (KA, NE, YO, NA)

Conjugation Rules

Masu Form: Polite non-past (present), affirmative conjugation.
Masen Form: Polite non-past, negative conjugation.
Deshita/mashita: Polite past affirmative form.
Masen deshita: Polite past negative form.
Volitional Form: Polite, indicating future intent/will to do.
Te-form: Combining affirmative form, adding 'te'. Special forms are present for particular ending.
Ba-form: Conditional form.
Ta-form: Plain past perfect affirmative form.
Other forms: Other verb forms including negative, conditional, and potential are also detailed.

Weather and Sound Symbolism

Weather is a common topic for small talk in Japanese.
Japanese has sound symbolism—phonemes connected to sounds (onomatopoeia)/ specific actions/ideas)

Returning, Coming, Going, Receiving and Giving

Important grammatical concepts in Japanese related to the usage and conjugation of verbs for this context.

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Description

Explore the key concepts of Japanese verbs, including their unique properties such as not changing for number or gender. Learn about the application of 'suru' in compound verbs and the forms of irregular verbs like 'kuru' and 'kimasu'. This quiz will enhance your understanding of verb conjugation in Nihongo.