I've been learning the Ikimasu line and I have a question.

[Razahia]

From Human japanese.

Ikimasu/Itte=Go

Kimasu/Kite=Come

Mimasu/Mite=See

Yomimasu/Yonde=Read

Tabemasu/Tabete=Eat

Nomimasu/Nonde=Drink

Why is there two words for each word? And I recall Itte Kimasu meaning I'm going. So why are we combining the two?

Thanks

 

[Razahia]

Yes and another quick question correlating to this...

Mimasen ka? This means Won't you see, Isn't it better said as Can't you see? But I've seen another sentence entirely for that.

 

[Rinilex]

From Human japanese.
Ikimasu/Itte=Go
Kimasu/Kite=Come
Mimasu/Mite=See
Yomimasu/Yonde=Read
Tabemasu/Tabete=Eat
Nomimasu/Nonde=Drink
Why is there two words for each word? And I recall Itte Kimasu meaning I'm going. So why are we combining the two?
Thanks

One is the -masu form of the verb (or 'polite' form) and one is the -te form of the verb. The -te form is used for many things in Japanese, among them being requests, e.g. "食べてください" ("tabete kudasai" - please eat), being combined with other verbs, such as iru, to create tenses - so for example, "watashi wa taberu" is "I eat" but "watashi wa tabeteiru" (tabete + iru) = "I am eating." It's also used to list actions, like "gakkou ni itte benkyou shita" - "I went to school and studied" or "osake wo nonde tamago wo tabeta" - "I drank sake and ate eggs." There are other uses for it and I recommend you read up on it in a lot more detail, but this is a very rough outline.

Ittekimasu is literally "I am going and coming back."

 

[Razahia]

ah this helped a lot thanks. I understand about the te form but what's the De form about?

 

[Rinilex]

ah this helped a lot thanks. I understand about the te form but what's the De form about?

Do you mean yonde, nonde, etc.? They're still the -te form, that's just how those verbs conjugate. You make the -te form by taking the informal past tense of a verb - e.g. taberu = tabeta, yomu = yonda - and drop the -ta and -da and add on -te and -de, respectively. So tabeta and yonda become tabete and yonde.

 

[Toritoribe]

The following wiki page might be helpful.

Japanese verb conjugation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mimasen ka? This means Won't you see, Isn't it better said as Can't you see? But I've seen another sentence entirely for that.

"Can't you see?" is "Miemasen ka?" See the "Potential" section in the wiki page I linked above.

 

[Razahia]

How do you use the Kite form than? as a request as well? Like "kite kudasai" As in please come here?

 

[Rinilex]

How do you use the Kite form than? as a request as well? Like "kite kudasai" As in please come here?

Yes. Just as you would use any verb in the -te form.

"来てください (kite kudasai)" - "please come"
"来て見る (kite miru)" - "to come and see"

etc.

 

[Razahia]

Yes. Just as you would use any verb in the -te form.

"来てください (kite kudasai)" - "please come"
"来て見る (kite miru)" - "to come and see"

etc.

Alright than. I apologize if my questions sound very basic. I am very early on in my studies..

Don't even mention Kanji.

Thanks again

 

[Rinilex]

Alright than. I apologize if my questions sound very basic. I am very early on in my studies..

Don't even mention Kanji.

Thanks again

Hey, we've all got to start somewhere!

If you're not that far with it yet, I recommend starting kanji or at the very least kana ASAP. It'll save you a lot of trouble later on, even if it's just the words you're learning at the moment.

Ganbare!

 

[Toritoribe]

"来て見る (kite miru)" - "to come and see"

I'm not going to nitpick, but the most common usage of "kite miru" is "to try to come", especially when "miru" is written in hiragana. This "miru" is an auxiliary verb, so it doesn't always express an action "to see". (Of course it can mean "to come and see" depending on the context.)

 

[Razahia]

Hey, we've all got to start somewhere!
If you're not that far with it yet, I recommend starting kanji or at the very least kana ASAP. It'll save you a lot of trouble later on, even if it's just the words you're learning at the moment.
Ganbare!

Well I've pretty much got the kana in my head. I want to purchase this book to help with Kanji. Unsure how great it is though

A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters [Paperback]
Kenneth G. Henshall

 

[Rinilex]

I'm not going to nitpick, but the most common usage of "kite miru" is "to try to come", especially when "miru" is written in hiragana. This "miru" is an auxiliary verb, so it doesn't always express an action "to see". (Of course it can mean "to come and see" depending on the context.)

No, it's fine, I thought that as I was writing it! That's why I added in the kanji. I just wanted to use a verb OP knew, and in English I thought "to come and see" sounded the most normal.

Probably should have added in the 'try' point though...