Visualizing Japanese Grammar Appendix Shoko Hamano George Washington

Visualizing Japanese Grammar Appendix Shoko Hamano George Washington University 1 © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• The term “verbal stem form” refers to the form of a verb that is used before masu and its variations. Verbal stem forms します しません しました しませんでした I did it. I didn’t do it. 書きます 書きません I will do it. か I won’t do it. I will write it. I won’t write it. 書きました 書きませんでした I wrote it. 2 I didn’t write it. © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• Stem forms are not limited to the context before masu. To the right are other representative uses of stem forms. Productive patterns based on verbal stem forms 手紙を書き、速達で送った。 てがみ そくたつ おく I wrote a letter and sent it by express mail. (sequence) レポートの書き方が分からない。 かた わ I don’t know how to write a report. (how to) 彼は、私について悪いことを書きそうだ。 かれ わたし わる He is likely to write bad things about me. (intuitive judgment) 本を書きたい。 ほん I want to write a book. (desire) このペンは書きやすい。 This pen is easy to write with. (easiness) そういうことは、書きにくい。 That sort of thing is difficult to write about. (difficulty) 3 © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• And here are some more. Productive patterns based on verbal stem forms メールを書きにコンピューターセンターへ 行った。 い I went to the conputer center to write emails. (objective) 先生は、新しい本をお書きになりました。 せんせい あたら The professor wrote a new book. (honorific) 手紙を書きながら、泣いた。 な I cried while writing the letter. (simultaneous actions) 4 © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• And here are some compound verbs. Productive patterns based on verbal stem forms 作文を書きなおして下さい。 さくぶん くだ Please rewrite the composition. (fixing errors) よけいなことを書きすぎた。 I wrote too much superfluous things. (excessiveness) 日記を書きはじめた。 にっき I began to write a diary. (inception) 答えを書きかけた。 こた I barely started to write the answer. (precarious initial stage) 答えを書き終えた。 お I finished writing the answer. (completion) 5 © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• The table to the right summarizes how to derive stem forms of verbs from dictionary forms. How to form stem forms One-Step Verbs borrow dictionary form stem form 借りる 借り か eat • In the case of onestep verbs, delete the last syllable ru. 食べる 食べ た change 変える 変え か Five-Step Verbs buy 買う 買い か • In the case of fivestep verbs, change the last syllable to an i-step syllable. drink 飲む 飲み の make 作る 作り つく 6 © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• You need to memorize the forms for irregular verbs. How to form stem forms Irregular Verbs dictionary form stem form do する し come 来る 来 く き ある あり exist 7 © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• The term “adjectival stem form” refers to the invariable form of an i-adjective that appears before i, ku nai, katta, and ku nakatta. Adjectival stem forms おもしろい おもしろくない おもしろかった おもしろくなかった It was interesting. It was not interesting. 高い 高くない It is interesting. たか It is not interesting. It is expensive. It is not expensive. 高かった 高くなかった It was expensive. 8 It was not expensive. © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• • • Adjectival stem forms also appear in more than the basic conjugation patterns. Here are some examples. The adverbial forms are also known as kuforms. Productive patterns based on adjectival stem forms 高く　あげた。 I raised it high. (adverb) 高く　なった。 It became expensive. (adverb) お高く　なりました。 It became expensive. (hyper-polite adverb) 高そうだ。 It looks expensive. (intuitive judgment) 高すぎた。 It was too expensive. (excessiveness) 高めだ。 It is on the expensive side. (relative feature) 高さ height (noun) 9 © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi

• Some of these patterns also allow adjective-like nominals. Nominals that appear in the same frames 簡単になった。 かんたん It became easy. 簡単そうだ。 It looks easy. 簡単すぎた。 It was too easy. 単純さ たんじゅん simplicity 単純ながら while being simple 10 © S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi