Rules on Verb Groups

8/7/2019 Rules on Verb Groups

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/rules-on-verb-groups 1/29

1 | P a g e

Verb Groups

Japanese verbs are divided into three groups based on thelast syllable of the basic (dictionary) form. You need to know

which group a verb belongs to in order to produce theconjugated forms.

Grouping rules:

Group 1:

Verbs in group 1 end with the syllable ru (), with the

preceding syllable containing the vowels e or i . Someexceptions are kaeru ( "return home"), hashi ru (

"run"), ki ru ( "cut"), i ru (, "need"), and hai ru (

"enter").

Group 2:

Verbs in group 2 end with

syllables k u (), g u (), su (), mu (), nu (), bu (), u(), t su (), or ru (). Verbs ending in ru () contain the

vowels u, o or a in the preceding syllable. Some exceptions

are kaeru ( "return home"), hashi ru (

"run"), ki ru ( "cut"), i ru (, "need"), and hai ru (

"enter").

Group 3:

Verbs in group 3 are suru ( "do") or k uru ( "come").



2 | P a g e

Potential form

This verb form expresses a certain ability of the Topic or the possof an event.

How to derive the Potential form:

y Group 1: Change the final to

y Group 2: Change the final vowel u to e and add

y Group 3:

is really not the potential form of the verb. is a

individual verb. Since already exists, it can be used as the

potential form of the verb.

How to use the form:

The following sentence is an example in which an ability of the To

expressed. The Direct Object should be marked by instead of

this construction.

'That student can write Kanji.'

The following example indicates that the form may be used to expthe possibility of an event.

'You can go to Tokyo by that bus.'

Some verbs that refer to a condition or event that a person has no



3 | P a g e

control over lack the potential forms ("possess"),

"understand", "rain",

"need".

Passive Form

This verb form has three functions:

1.T

he regular passive (theT

opic of the passive sentenceis normally in the Object place in an active sentence)2. The affective passive (the speaker wants to express an

event that he or she finds undesirable)3. The speaker shows respect to the Topic of the

sentence.

How to derive the Passive form: y Group 1 and Group 2: Change the final

vowel u to a and add y Group 3:

There is no passive form for stative and honorific verbs: e.g.

("exist"), ("need"), (honorific "give me").

Consider the single vowel u at the end of certainverbs such as kau as having the hidden

consonant w before the vowel u. In other words, the original

form of kau is ka( w)u. For instance, the passive

form of the verb is rather than.



4 | P a g e

How to use the form: The following sentence illustrates the affective passive:

'I was disturbed that my mother read a letter from my friend.'

The following is an example of a regular passive:

'This book is read by many people.'

This verb form also expresses the speaker¶s respecttowards the Topic of the sentence.

'Your mother is here.'



5 | P a g e

Causative Form

This verb form expresses that one person causes another person do something.

How to derive the Causative form:


y Group 2: Change the final vowel u to a and add

y Group 3:

Consider the single vowel u at the end of certain

verbs such as kau as having the hiddenconsonant w before the vowel u. In other words, the original

form of kau is ka( w)u. For example, the causative

form of the verb is rather than.


The causative form is used in a sentence to express that theTopic makes, forces, or lets the other do something.

The following sentence expresses that the Topic makes theObject do something:

'The teacher makes his students use Japanese.'

In the following sentence, the Topic forces the other person

do something (the use of the particle rather than after

the noun indicating the other person, in this case, gives the



6 | P a g e

sense of "forcing").

'My father forces me to go to Japan.'

In Japanese, when someone does someone else a favor,one of the giving verbs must follow the causative verb:

'My mother allowed me to study in Japan.'

There is no causative form for honorific verbs: e.g.

("be/go/come"), ("say")

("give me"). There is also no causative form for stative

verbs: e.g. ("need"), ( "exist"). Also, some verbs

have morphologically related verbs that already have the

causative meaning (e.g. "wake up") has

"wake someone up").

Causative-Passive Forms

The causative-passive form is used for the

passive form of causative sentences.How to derive the Causative-passiveform:



7 | P a g e

If you are familiar with the formation of thecausative verbs, then you need to know only

one thing, which is to change the final of the causative form to. If you need to review the causative form andthen add the passive form to it, then thefollowing are the rules for deriving the

causative-passive form:


y Group 2: Change the final

vowel u to a and add

y Group 3:

There is no Causative-Passive when theverb has no causative forms.

Consider the single vowel u at theend of certain verbs such as kau

as having the hidden consonant w before thevowel u. In other words, the original form



8 | P a g e

of kau is ka( w)u. The causative-

passive form of therefore is

rather than.

How to use the form: When the Topic is made to do something bysomeone else, you can use the causative-passive, as in the following way:

'The students are made to write manycompositions by the teacher.'



9 | P a g e

Negative Imperfective Form

As the name of the form suggests, this form ifor the negation of the habitual or future aspethe verb.

How to derive the Negative Imperfective f


y Group 2: Change the final vowel u to a an

y Group 3:

Exception: The negative imperfective form of

is.

Consider the single vowel u at the en

certain verbs such as kau as havin

hidden consonant w before the vowel u. In ot

words, the original form of kau is k

This information is important when the lastvowel u changes to a in the negative form be

adding nai . The negative of kau

therefore is kaw anai rather





11 | P a g e

Positive Perfective Form

The positive perfective form expresses an action

state that has been perfected, so the form canexpress a past event when used at the end of asentence.

How to derive the positive perfective form:


y Group 2:When the final syllable is

, change it to

, change it to

, change it to

,, or , change it to ,, or , change it to

Exception: (to go)

y Group 3:


This form is a plain form rather than a polite formwhen this form is used at the end of a sentence, indicates that the speaker and the addressee are



12 | P a g e

close relation (such as friends or family membersthis form is used at the end of a sentence in a pieof writing, it indicates that the style of the writing impersonal (such as in essays and articles, asopposed to personal letters).

'I went to Japan last year. '

Negative Perfective Form

This form expresses an event that did nottake place.

How to derive the Negative Perfectiveform: If you are familiar with the formation of the

negative imperfective form, then you need toknow only one rule, which is to change the

final of the negative imperfective form to

.



13 | P a g e

If you need to review the negativeimperfective form before adding theperfective aspect, then the following are therules for deriving the negative perfectiveform:


y Group 2: Change the final

vowelu

to a and add

y Group 3:

Exception: the negative perfective form of

is.

Consider the single vowel u at the

end of certain verbs such as kau

as having the hidden consonant w before thevowel u. In other words, the original form

of kau is ka( w)u. This information

is important when the last vowel u changesto a in the negative perfective form before

adding nakatt a . The negative

perfective of kau therefore



14 | P a g e

is kaw anakatt a rather

thankaanakatt a .

How to use the form: When this verb form is used in speech at theend of a sentence, it indicates casualspeech.When used in writing, this formindicates that the writing is impersonal (such

as newspaper articles, essays, journals,etc.).

'I did not study yesterday.'

Volitional Form

This verb form is used in sentences in which

speaker suggests, urges, or initiates an act.is a plain form of the equivalent polite form e

.



15 | P a g e

How to derive the Volitional form:


y Group 2: Change the final vowel u to oo y Group 3:


When this form is used in speech at the end of a

sentence, it indicates casual speech.W

hen usedwriting, this form indicates that the writing isimpersonal (such as newspaper articles, essays,ournals, etc.).

'Let¶s go to the dining room.'

When the volitional form is used as the final verbsentence, the stative and honorific verbs have no

volitional forms: e.g. ("exist"), (hon

"give me").



16 | P a g e

Imperative Form

This verb form expresses a strong command

How to derive the Imperative form:


y Group 2: Change the final vowel u to e

y Group 3:

There is no imperative form for stative and honorverbs: e.g. ("exist") (honorif

"be/go/come").


This verb is used as a strong command by a perin a dominant position.

'Go home!'

This form can also be used in an embedded clauexpressing what someone asks the other to do.



17 | P a g e

'I was told by my father to come home earlier.'

Stem + (Polite Form)

The Stem of a verb is seldom used in isolatio

it is used alone, it is used as a noun. Most of the Stem is followed by another element.Wepolite form by changing the dictionary form o

to the Stem and by adding to the Stem.

you need to know is the conjugation of the St

How to derive the Stem:

y Group 1 verb: drop of the dictionary fo

y Group 2 verb: change the final vowel u to

y Group 3 verb:

Exceptions: the ending of the Stem of the fiv

honorific verbs should be rather than

"be/go/come", "s

"give me", "do", "be"



18 | P a g e

is added.


The Polite Form is created by adding to the

Stem in all cases. For instance, the Stem of the v

, which means 'to go,' is, so th

polite form is. This newly-created polite

of the verb has the following five aspectual formsNotice that the changes occur only on the ending

.

'I will go to Japan.'OR'I (normally) go to Japan.'

'I went to Japan.'



19 | P a g e

'I will not go to Japan.'

OR'I (normally) do not go to Japan.'

'I did not go to Japan.'

'Let's go to Japan.'

Stem + (Expression of the speaker's wish)

The Stem of a verb is seldom used inisolation.When it is used alone, it is used asa noun. Most of the time, the Stem isfollowed by another element. In thisexercise, we will create a form thatexpresses the speaker's wish by adding



20 | P a g e

to the Stem of a verb. So, what you

need to learn is how to form the Stem.

How to derive the Stem: y Group 1 verb: dropof the dictionary

form y Group 2 verb: change the final

vowel u to i

y Group 3 verb:

How to use the form: For instance, the Stem of the verb

, which means "to go", is

, so when you add, ityields the form,

meaning "I want to go." This newly-formedword is an adjective and has the followingfour aspects. Notice that the changes occur

only on the ending,.

'I want to go to Japan.'



21 | P a g e

'I wanted to go to Japan.'

'I do not want to go to Japan.'

'I did not want to go to Japan.' Although you cannot use the Stem with

to express the third-person's wishes, it maybe used to ask questions directly to theaddressee.

'Do you want to go to Japan?'



22 | P a g e

~ Conjunctive form with

The Conjunctive form of a verb is used with aelement to form a meaningful unit. In this exewill learn the combination of the Conjunctive

verb and the verb, which expresses con

action or state.

How to derive the Conjunctive form:


y Group 2:When the final syllable is

, change it to

, change it to , change it to

,, or , change it to


Exception: (to go)

y Group 3:




23 | P a g e

The Conjunctive form of the verb, which me

"to read", is, so when you add to this

form, the newly-formed verb phrase isThis phrase can have the following two meaning

'I am reading an interesting book now.' OR 'I havbeen reading an interesting book now.'

When the verb in the Conjunctive form cannot

express repeated action, then describes

continuing state rather than an ongoing action.

'That person has been awake [=that person is alup].'

'The car stopped (and it is there now).'



24 | P a g e

When the verb is already stative, the Conjunctive

form is not used with. For instance, you ma

say to mean "I havmoney." This is because the verb ("have"

stative. The same is true with other stative verbs

as ("need") and ("exist").

~ Conditional Form

This verb form expresses a condition for themain clause.

How to derive the Conditional form: y Group 1: Change the final to y Group 2:When the final syllable is

, change it to

, change it to , change it to





25 | P a g e

Exception: (to go)

y Group 3:

How to use the form: This form indicates a condition of the mainclause. The main clause expresses anunexpected event when the verb in the main

clause is in the perfective aspect.

'When I went home, to my surprise, mymother was there.'

When the verb in the main clause is in theimperfective aspect, the conditional clauseexpresses a condition upon which thespeaker will decide to engage in the actiondescribed in the main clause.



26 | P a g e

'If I have time, I will go to a movie.'

~ Situational Conditional form

This verb form expresses a situational

condition upon which the speaker would takesome action.

How to derive the Provisional form:

All verbs: Change the final u to e and add How to use the form: This form expresses a situational conditionupon which the speaker would take someaction, or realize some possibility, which is

expressed in the main clause with animperfective verb form.



27 | P a g e

'If you studied harder, you would be better.'

'If I have money, I will go.'

OR'If I had money, I would go.'

~ Representative Form

This verb form is used to express an actionthat is representative among many other possible actions.

How to derive the Representative form:

y Group 1: Change the final to y Group 2:When the final syllable is

, change it to



28 | P a g e

, change it to

, change it to

,, or , change it to ,, or , change it to

Exception: (to go)

y Group 3:

How to use the form: This form is never used at the end of asentence. The most common way to use this

form is to link two or three-forms and

end the sentence with the verb

for polite. This construction expressesactions that stand out among many other possible ones. The sentence implies moreactions than those explicitly mentioned.



29 | P a g e

'I will do things like make a cake and go

shopping (among other things) tomorrow.'

Date post:	08-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	esohr
View:	223 times
Download:	0 times

Rules on Verb Groups

Documents