I am puzzled by Mayou

dwcarless

先輩

22 Jul 2009

67

1

• 23 Aug 2012

• #1

At first glance MAYOU seems to be a straight forward godan intransitive verb. But the examples I am finding are realling confusing:
I am lost: mayoimashita
I was lost: mayoimashita
I am not lost: mayotteimasen
Can you provide any hints as to when this is used in past tense, non-past, te form, etc? Maybe I am just finding bad examples. I was expecting the standard masu, masen, mashita, masen deshita, but obviously that is not the case here.

Thanks!

 

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Twenty-year veteran

15 Mar 2002

16,758

2,298

• 23 Aug 2012

• #2

To someone going to a place they've never been before: 道に迷わないように気をつけて

 

Last edited: 23 Aug 2012

dwcarless

先輩

22 Jul 2009

67

1

• 23 Aug 2012

• Thread starter
• #3

Sorry, let me ask it a different way.
I was given the the verb Mayou (to be lost, to lose one's way)
Do I conjugate in masu form the following way?
1) I am lost = mayoimasu
2) I am not lost = mayoimasen
3) I was lost = mayoimashita
4) I was not lost = mayoimasen deshita
This is what I would expect, but all of the examples I find don't match this pattern. So I am curious if someone could show how each of the four examples are properly conjugated. Thanks!

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 23 Aug 2012

• #4

See the following post.

Using the 窶堙 form. Am I doing it right? | Japan Forum

"Mayou" is a punctual verb as same as "iku" or "shinu", so "mayotteiru" usually means "to be lost".

1) mayotteimasu
2) mayotteimasen
3) mayotteimashita
4) mayotteimasendeshita

("Mayoimashita" means more likely "I have lost", or maybe "I lost" depending on the context.)

 

dwcarless

先輩

22 Jul 2009

67

1

• 23 Aug 2012

• Thread starter
• #5

Ah, I see it now! Thanks for the explanation, and for the link tying the te form to punctual verbs. It makes perfect sense: [I got lost ealier and] I am (still) lost (now). Te form is very versatile!

 

Glenn

一切皆苦

8 Jan 2004

7,842

200

• 23 Aug 2012

• #6

I've got to say I really enjoyed the play on words in the title.

 

dwcarless

先輩

22 Jul 2009

67

1

• 24 Aug 2012

• Thread starter
• #7

Glenn said:

I've got to say I really enjoyed the play on words in the title.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I was hoping to catch someone's attention with it