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Verb conjugates

Thanks for the elaboration, Bucko.

it seems that "ichidan" is synonymous with what I (and the genki books) call る verbs, and "yodan" are う verbs.
 
Gold Coin Lover, here's a quick lesson on conjugating YODAN verbs using "~masu", "~masen", "~mashita", and "~masendeshita"

First, we'll use "~masu". Adding "~masu" to the end of a Japanese verb changes it to the future tense. It's basically what the word "will" does to English verbs - will eat, will sleep, will drink etc.

To combine yodan verbs with "masu" you need to change the last "u" of the verb to "i" and then add "masu". So...
- "nomu" (drink) changes to "nomi" + "masu" = nomimasu (will drink). So now you can say "I will drink" (watashi wa nomimasu).
- "iku" (go) changes to "iki" + "masu" = ikimasu (will go). So now you can say "I will go" (watashi wa ikimasu).

Easy hey!

Now let's use "mashita" instead of "masu". "Mashita" changes a verb to the past tense. E.g. in English, "drink" changes to "drank", "eat" changes to "ate", "jump" changes to "jumped" etc.

You conjugate these ones the same way as you do with the "masu" words.
- "aruku" (walk) changes to "aruki" + "mashita" = arukimashita (walked). So now you can say "I walked" (watashi wa arukimashita).

Got it? That's conjugating, and it's really easy in Japanese.
 
nice gaijin said:
Thanks for the elaboration, Bucko.

it seems that "ichidan" is synonymous with what I (and the genki books) call る verbs, and "yodan" are う verbs.
Click to expand...

Yeah nice gaijin, that's just what it is. I just think of them as る verbs and う verbs too but since GCL was using that "yodan/ichidan" terminology I thought I'd better use them to explain
 
GoldCoinLover said:
I really have always wanted to understand and translate japanese video games
Click to expand...

I think you might be putting a bit too much pressure on yourself GCL! Bare in mind that it's probably not going to be for another two or three years until you can properly translate video games. I've been studying Japanese for a year and I'm just beginning to scratch the surface
 

I'm obese, and I have walked/bicycled over twice that far to go to work. Because if I hadn't it meant a family of four was going to be out of food and shelter. You can do a lot of things you thought you couldn't do when you have to and when excuses aren't going to cut it. Trouble is....you don't have to do anything.

A paraphrased story, originally from the great and much lamented philosopher Jerry Clower:

"When I have prayed 'Lord, send me a chicken', I've never gotten one. But when I pray 'Lord, send me out after a chicken', I get one every time."

Obesity, lack of a job, and lack of transportation are all curable....just not from a chair in front of a computer screen. Instead of sitting around waiting for a chicken, get up and go look for one.
 
Although these verbs technically don't have a future-only tense and depending on the context may also indicate a periodic or regular on-going activity. To substitute "arukimasu" (to walk) for "ikimasu" since that makes more sense in the below example, gives us the two meanings I will walk (in the future) OR I do walk (on a regular basis).

"私は毎日、仕事まで４マイル歩きます。(Watashi wa mainichi, shigoto made 4 miles
arukimasu). Translation : I walk 4 miles to work everyday.
 
Now let's not make it too confusing Elizabeth! I'm sure GCL will come to understand that sooner or later.
 
Bucko said:
Now let's not make it too confusing Elizabeth! I'm sure GCL will come to understand that sooner or later.
Click to expand...
I'm sure he can handle it. .
 
Thanks Bucko

I kept forgetting what yodan and the other verb type is though.

But I think I undestand better how to use them.
 

Yes, yes, you're right mikecash, good job. But I will be 18 in feburary 13, and I will probably have to. (Plus I'm out of school). You were obese and had to walk 4 miles? Wow, that sucks. I feel bad for you.

If I ride my bike for a mile I'm completely exhausted. I think there's something wrong with my bike, as it's kinda old.
 
Oil the bike, check the air pressure, adjust the brakes.....then work on riding it and building up your stamina. Ride to the end of the block and back. Gradually build up what you can do. Rome wasn't built in a day.
 
I thought "ichidan" and "godan" were the words the Japanese used to distinguish between the two main classes of verbs. (I've heard of "yodan," but heard that "godan" was more modern.) I've also heard of u-dropping and ru-dropping verbs, type I and type II, and consonant-conjugation and vowel-conjugation. Which do the Japanese use, anyway?
 
Is that really what terms they use? Every site that uses yodan/godan/ichidan, type I/II, ru-dropping, etc. says that these are terms used by non-japanese and that the japanese have a different system. I'm not too concerned as long as I know how to conjugate them but what would a japanese person understand if you were to ask them what kind of verb something was? Would they use those terms? Would they just not know what you mean?
 
Oh! I meant they use all those forms of verbs....not all those terms.

I haven't the slightest idea what terms they use. I would bet the average Japanese kid your age would have trouble answering that question as well.
 
The Japanese use for spoken Japanese 五段、上一段、下一段、カ変、and サ変.

For written Japanese, they use 四段、ラ変、ナ変、下一段、上一段、上二段、下二段、カ変, and サ変.

I hope I haven't forgotten any.

Also keep in mind that as the Japanese categorize their own language, a word like 食べさせる is technically made up of the verb 食べ and the helping verb させる. Same goes for 食べます. 食べました is considered to be the verb + helping verb (ます ーー＞ まし) + helping verb (た)

So conjugating a verb in the context of the Japanese framework is quite different from conjugating a verb in say Spanish. It's a little more similar to English, where you can have,

I CAN eat.
I WOULD eat.
I WILL NOT eat.

Not identical, but not entirely dissimilar, either.
 
For all you purists out there...

I CAN eat.
I WOULD eat.
I WILL NOT eat.

... are not verb conjugations. There are called verb modals. A conjugation is like I sing, he sings, we sing, they sing.
 
Thank you! That is actually something about the Japanese that I wanted to say, also, but thought it would be too complicated.
 
An interesting thing about verb conjugation is that depending on what you want to say the verb behaves differently in different languages. In Japanese, the verb itself changes to suit the tense and the situation. Spanish has conjugations depending on the tense as well as who is performing the action. In English the verb changes very little, and rather it's the context that determines the interpretation of the sentence.
 
I see.

Thank you. How exactly would I use and change a verb conjugate for this?

I have had a PSP.
In the future, I will have a PSP.
 
Gold,

Translating present perfect into Japanese can be a little tricky. Can you give us a little more context for your example?
 
Gold,

Your translation is correct, for both the present and future examples.
 
Buntaro said:
Gold,
Your translation is correct, for both the present and future examples.
Click to expand...
Did he do a future example ? Future is 持ちます or 持つ(でしょう、つもり。。。)。 持っています I would take to be present only (or perhaps present perfect in some cases, but that is a little complicated).
 
Gold,

Your translation is correct (as an example of present only). I made a boo-boo! I tried to correct my post, but, Elizabeth, lickety-split, caught me!!!
 
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