Class Session 11a
Chapter 7
•
Some Useful Verbs Created with suru
•
The Subject Particle ga
•
The Direct Object Particle o
•
Indicating the Location of Activity with the Particle de
•
Indicating Tools, Means, and Methods with the Particle de
•
The Conjunction sore kara
•
The Verb to Give
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Some Useful Verbs Created with suru
• Another category of verbs in Japanese are the so-called “Chinese verbs”
• This method of verb formation is similar to the na-adjectives formed from Chinese
words
• Verbs are formed by adding the Japanese verb suru (to do) to a Chinese word
(which is nearly always at least two characters)
• Examples:
勉強する
benkyō suru
to study
運転する
unten suru
to drive
練習する
renshū suru
to practice
留学する
ryūgaku suru
to study abroad
• Today, many verbs are also created from non-Chinese sources using the same technique,
but the first part of the new verb is written in katakana
コピー
kopii suru
to copy
キャンセル
kyanseru suru
to cancel
• When conjugating one of these verbs only the suru part is modified
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The Subject Particle ga (p119-120)
• In both Japanese and English any verb can take a subject noun in a sentence
• In English, the subject is not marked, but is identified by its position in the sentence
• In English a subject is a noun or a noun-phrase that occurs before the verb
• The subject is marked by the particle ga in Japanese; in the following sentence
yamada-san is the subject:
yamada-san ga kimasu.
Mr. Yamada will come.
• “If the subject is also the topic of the sentence at the same time, it is marked by the
topic particle wa and the particle ga is deleted.”1
yamada-san wa kimasu.
As for Ms. Yamada, (she) will come.
-----------------------------------1 Dr. Sato is trying to simplify one of the most perplexing points of Japanese grammar here.
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The Direct Object Particle o
• The direct object in English occurs right after the verb
• Only some verbs can take a direct object (i.e., transitive verbs)
s
v
o
someone makes something
• Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object :
s
He
v
will go
prepositional phrase
to Tokyo
• Removing the “to” from the prepositional phrase “to Tokyo”does not make “Tokyo” a
direct object because “go” is an intransitive verb and cannot have a direct object
• In Japanese, the direct object is marked with the particle o
sushi o tabemasu.
(I) will eat sushi.
shinbun o yomimasu.
(I) will read (a, the) newspaper.
tanaka-san o shōtai shimasu.
(I) will invite Mr. Tanaka.
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The Direct Object Particle o
• In English, if we rearrange this sentence:
Jack threw the ball
s
v
o
to read
The ball threw Jack
s
v
o
• We completely change the meaning because word relationships in an English
sentence are based on the positions they take
• In Japanese, word order is flexible because noun function is marked by particles
(i.e., particles are attached to the words they are associated with)
• As long as the verb is at the end of the sentence, other words can be in any order:
ane ga tenpura o tsukurimasu .
tenpura o ane ga tsukurimasu.
My older sister will make tenpura.
My older sister will make tenpura.
• For many Japanese verbs there are both transitive and intransitive types
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Indicating the Location of Activity with the Particle de
• The particle de is used to mark the location of activity:
shūmatsu wa toshokan de benkyō suru.
I will study at the library on weekends.
ashita wa tanaka-san no uchi de bangohan o tabemasu.
Tommorow I will have dinner at Mr. Tanaka’s house.
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Indicating Tools, Means, and Methods with the Particle de
• The particle de is also used to mark the tools, means, and methods for a given action:
hashi de tabemasu.
(I) eat with chopsticks.
fude de tegami o kakimasu.
(I) write letters with a writing brush.
terebi de eiga o mimasu.
(I) watch movies on television.
onrain de hon o kaimasu.
(I) will buy a book on-line.
nihon-go de hanashimashō.
Let’s talk in Japanese.
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The Conjunction sore kara
• sore kara (a conjunction) relates two sentences
• If the sentences are chronologically ordered sore kara is translated as “and then”
kyō wa kurasu ni ikimasu. sore kara toshokan ni ikimasu.
Today I will go to class. And then I will go to the library.
• If the sentences are not chronologically ordered sore kara is translated as “in addition”
shūmatsu wa taitei sōji o shimasu. Sore kara sentaku o shimasu.
On weekends I usually clean.
In addition, I do laundry.
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Verbs of Giving and Receiving
• Japanese verbs of giving and receiving have different forms depending on who is
giving the item to whom (i.e., depending on the relationship between the giver and the
receiver) as well as the level of formality
• This discussion uses the past tense suffix mashita which is really not introduced until
Chapter 8
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The Verb to Give
• The Japanese use two words for to give:
ageru
kureru
to give (polite)
to give; let one have; to do for one; to be given (humble)
• Dr. Sato’s explanation on pages 123-124 in the textbook are not really clear:
•“Kureru is used in the following three contexts:
(1) the item is given to the speaker
(2) the item is given to the speaker’s in-group member by the
speaker’s out-group member
(3) the item is given to the speaker’s in-group member by the
less close in-group member
• In all other cases ageru is used”
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The Verb to Give
• Dr. Sato continues:
kureru is replaced by kudasaru if the giver is the speaker’s superior
ageru is replaced by sashiageru if the receiver is the speaker’s superior….
ageru may be replaced by yaru if the recipient is the speaker’s intimate
subordinate (e.g., their children, younger siblings, or pets)
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A Simpler View of the Verbs for Giving
Giver
Receiver
Verb to Use
1. 3d person
3d person
agemasu
2. 3d person
speaker/family member
kuremasu
3. Speaker/family member
3d person
agemasu
4. Family member
speaker
kuremasu
5. Speaker
family member
agemasu
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6. Speaker
superior
sashiagemasu
7. Superior
speaker
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kudasaimashita
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Indicating a Recipient with the Particle ni (p124)
• The recipient of the giving verb is marked with the particle ni:
• Examples:
haha ga watashi ni kirei na nekkuresu o kuremashita.
My mother gave me a pretty necklace.
watashi wa haha ni sukāfu o agemashita.
I gave my mother a scarf.
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