Verb conjugates

[nice gaijin]

That's just fine, GCL You could also say "私はPSPがあります。" both work just fine; motteimasu is a bit closer to "I am holding a PSP," but either one would be acceptable.

 

[Elizabeth]

That's just fine, GCL You could also say "私はPSPがあります。" both work just fine; motteimasu is a bit closer to "I am holding a PSP," but either one would be acceptable.

"Motte imasu" can either be used for "holding" or "to own something."
It doesn't necessarily indicate it is with or on the person without further context ((on a rainy day) do you have an umbrella ? do you have money for dinner (while we're looking for a restaurant))

Aru works with the case of a possession as well but is more general for "have" (Do you have time ? (Is there time?) The bookstore has the book (Is the bookstore there?) and also of course strictly used to indicate an object is in a certain location.

 

[Elizabeth]

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.

OK, well if no one else is taking the bait....
I have had a PSP. ーー＞ PSPを持っていた。
And just one other note....The future one may come as a gift, but if you're
planning to buy it yourself, I think using that verb directly may be clearer and more natural than 持つ or 'have one' alone.
将来は（しょらい）、（また）PCPを買（か）います(買うでしょう。。。)
In the future, I will again buy a PCP.

 

[Glenn]

That's just fine, GCL You could also say "私はPSPがあります。" both work just fine; motteimasu is a bit closer to "I am holding a PSP," but either one would be acceptable.

I think that should properly be 私には...

 

[GoldCoinLover]

OK, well if no one else is taking the bait....
I have had a PSP. ーー＞ PSPを持っていた。
And just one other note....The future one may come as a gift, but if you're
planning to buy it yourself, I think using that verb directly may be clearer and more natural than 持つ or 'have one' alone.
将来は（しょらい）、（また）PCPを買（か）います(買うでしょう。。。)
In the future, I will again buy a PCP.

Thank you elizabeth-san. I love you guys. How does teita the verb conjugate relate to 'have had' (past and present)

 

[doinkies]

持（も）っていた (have had) is the past tense form of 持っている (have [as in possessing something]). The ~ます form of it is simply 持っています and the past tense of it in the ～ます form is 持っていました.

Two example sentences:

妹（いもうと）はニンテンドーDSを持っています。
My little sister has a Nintendo DS.

ドインキーズはPSPを持っていないけど、PS2を持ってる。
doinkies doesn't have a PSP, but she has a PS2.

 

[J44xm]

ドインキーズはPSPを持っていないけど、PS2を持ってる。

Upon reading this sentence, but before I saw your handle, I thought "Doinkies" was a store's name. Heh. Regardless, I just want to verify that 持ってる is a contraction of 持っている as I strongly suspect. Thanks.

 

[nice gaijin]

I'm not sure if it's often used, but I believe the name Nintendo can be written in kanji as 任天堂. A google search brought up the official site, so I guess I'm not far off.

Just a bit of trivia, pay no mind

 

[MeAndroo]

Regardless, I just want to verify that 持ってる is a contraction of 持っている as I strongly suspect. Thanks.

I believe that is an accurate statement. This contraction seems to come across most often in speech, though it's also helpful in saving room in a text message.

 

[Elizabeth]

ドインキーズはPSPを持っていないけど、PS2を持ってる。
doinkies doesn't have a PSP, but she has a PS2.

This is understandable if "she" is understood but still a little awkward. Unless it was in response to a specific question, "Ga" instead of "kedo" is often used for these types of comparisons.

ドインキーズはPSPを持っていないですが、彼女はPS2を持ってる。のほうが自然ですね。

 

[bentenmusume]

This is understandable if "she" is understood but still a little awkward. Unless it was in response to a specific question, "Ga" instead of "kedo" is often used for these types of comparisons.
ドインキーズはPSPを持っていないですが、彼女はPS2を持ってる。のほうが自然ですね。

Why "ga" instead of "kedo"? Generally, the only difference between "ga" and "kedo" is that the former is formal/written-style while the latter is casual/spoken-style. doinkies' original utterance was casual, so I can't see any good reason why you'd need/want to find a way to put "ga" in there.

Also, I think 「彼女は」 is unnecessary. It's pretty clear that the entire sentence refers to doinkies, and that doinkies is referring to herself in the third person -- something which I think is easier to get away with in Japanese than in English, anyway. I personally wouldn't be caught dead doing it, but if you're the kind of person (usually a teenage girl) who would speak like this:

「今日ね、あゆはね、デザイナーのうえけんさんって人と メールをしたのぉー そしたらかわいいイラストもらったよ☆」

...then it works pretty well, I think.

If I were going to change anything in the original sentence, I'd probably change those 「を」's to something else. PSPは持ってないけど、PS2は持ってる (or even 「PS2なら持ってる」 for that second half... I may be overreaching myself here, but hey -- living on the edge, man! It's what I'm all about!)

 

[doinkies]

I'm not sure if it's often used, but I believe the name Nintendo can be written in kanji as 任天堂. A google search brought up the official site, so I guess I'm not far off.

Just a bit of trivia, pay no mind

Yes, "Nintendo" is written in kanji as 任天堂, however on video game pages and other pages that mention the Nintendo DS, the name of the Nintendo DS is always written ニンテンドーDS rather than 任天堂DS.

 

[GoldCoinLover]

This is understandable if "she" is understood but still a little awkward. Unless it was in response to a specific question, "Ga" instead of "kedo" is often used for these types of comparisons.
ドインキーズはPSPを持っていないですが、彼女はPS2を持ってる。のほうが自然ですね。

Elizabeth, this brings up a curious question.

By undestood, do you mean state the subject with 'ga'? This makes it understood, so when you talk about it after, the subject is understood. Moreover, if you do this, sometimes (if it is understood) you can even make a whole sentence with a verb, right? Loosely speaking.

 

[GoldCoinLover]

持（も）っていた (have had) is the past tense form of 持っている (have [as in possessing something]). The ~ます form of it is simply 持っています and the past tense of it in the ～ます form is 持っていました.
Two example sentences:
妹（いもうと）はニンテンドーDSを持っています。
My little sister has a Nintendo DS.
ドインキーズはPSPを持っていないけど、PS2を持ってる。
doinkies doesn't have a PSP, but she has a PS2.

ああ、そうでね？

Thank you!

The small tsu makes more sense to me. It seems to be a double constant. I'm not good at english but i think it doubles non vowels, for exmaple t equals double t

妹（いもうと）はニンテンドーDSを(Object marker. The DS is the object right?) 持っています。(motteimasu)
My little sister has a Nintendo DS.


So if I want to make it 'used to have' (past tense, doesn't have it anymore) I'd just change the verb to 持っていました at the end and it'd become past tense?

 

[KrazyKat]

Elizabeth, this brings up a curious question.
By undestood, do you mean state the subject with 'ga'? This makes it understood, so when you talk about it after, the subject is understood. Moreover, if you do this, sometimes (if it is understood) you can even make a whole sentence with a verb, right? Loosely speaking.

Hi everyone.
I know this was adressed to Elizabeth but I thought i'd just help you out GCL.

This use of 'ga' is different from that of the subject marker. Try to think of them as two different 'words'. This 'ga' ususally has a meaning close to 'but', similar to the use of 'kedo' if you know that word. ie. 'desu ga' doesn't make desu the subject, instead meaning 'but'.

As to your question, replacing 'wa' with 'ga' doesn't make a subject 'understood'. A subject is understood from context ie if its obvios who/what the subject is. 'ga' does not make this more so.

A sentance, especially in speech, will tend to omit everything already understood, so yes sentances can be made with just a verb.
eg.
watashi wa ikimasu could be said as ikimasu (i'm coming (lit going))
hon wa nai would just be nai (the book is gone) (not that nai is really a verb)

btw. saying hon ga nai instead of hon wa nai puts emphasis on what is 'nai' rather than what the 'hon' is.

Hope I helped,
Katherine

 

[Elizabeth]

Also, I think 「彼女は」 is unnecessary. It's pretty clear that the entire sentence refers to doinkies, and that doinkies is referring to herself in the third person -- something which I think is easier to get away with in Japanese than in English, anyway. I personally wouldn't be caught dead doing it, but if you're the kind of person (usually a teenage girl) who would speak like this: ...then it works pretty well, I think.
If I were going to change anything in the original sentence, I'd probably change those 「を」's to something else. PSPは持ってないけど、PS2は持ってる (or even 「PS2なら持ってる」 for that second half... I may be overreaching myself here, but hey -- living on the edge, man! It's what I'm all about!)

I just read it quickly once but was assuming since the first sentence was about his sister, that was the same "she" he was referring to in the second English translation as well. This third person insanity has got to end NOW !!!

 

[Mike Cash]

This third person insanity has got to end NOW !!!

Mrs. Cash's son Michael agrees completely.

 

[Elizabeth]

If I were going to change anything in the original sentence, I'd probably change those 「を」's to something else. PSPは持ってないけど、PS2は持ってる (or even 「PS2なら持ってる」 for that second half... I may be overreaching myself here, but hey -- living on the edge, man! It's what I'm all about!)

私はPSPは持ってないけど、PS2なら持ってる is definitely something out there (I mean a structure that I've seen a lot ). My only misreading, if you can call it that, was making a connection between Doinkies two examples in style (politeness) and subject.

 

[doinkies]

Hehe...

Now that I think about it, 私はPSPは持ってないけど、PS2なら持ってる does sound more correct. Sorry if I confused you with the "doinkies" thing...it's kind of a habit to refer to myself as doinkies online. But I'll try not to speak in the third person as much here.

 

[GoldCoinLover]

Hehe...

Now that I think about it, 私はPSPは持ってないけど、PS2なら持ってる does sound more correct. Sorry if I confused you with the "doinkies" thing...it's kind of a habit to refer to myself as doinkies online. But I'll try not to speak in the third person as much here.

Why is there 2 different wa(ha)'s in there?

 

[nhk9]

The second (ha) is an emphasis particle for "wo". It is very versatile since it can also replace many other particles. Also in japanese, when one wants to make a statement of contrast, "ha... ha..." pattern is almost always used. eg. sushi ha suki dakedo, ramen ha kirai. One would almost never say sushi ga suki dakedo, ramen ga kirai (grammatically possible, but seldomly used).

 

[J44xm]

1. 「私はPSPは持ってないけど、PS2なら持ってる。」 Is this なら a different one from the conditional なら? I don't understand the final half of the sentence and wish to.

2. I like to hear more about は as an emphasis particle for を, as well, if I may. Don't think I've heard of this usage.

ありがとう。

 

[KrazyKat]

Sorry if I confused you with the "doinkies" thing...it's kind of a habit to refer to myself as doinkies online. But I'll try not to speak in the third person as much here.

Aww, I thought it was a cute quirk.

 

[KrazyKat]

1. 「私はPSPは持ってないけど、PS2なら持ってる。」 Is this なら a different one from the conditional なら? I don't understand the final half of the sentence and wish to.
2. I like to hear more about は as an emphasis particle for を, as well, if I may. Don't think I've heard of this usage.
ありがとう。

1) I think that its the same as the conditional nara. I guess you could think of the sentence as "I don't have a PSP, but if we're taking about a PS2 then I've got one."
2) I know than ha can be used in place of wo. Although I can't really elaborate on what's already been said. Sorry! Instead to ask a further question, a few times I've seen ga used in place of wo and I've never found a good explanation. Sorry I don't have any examples at hand though Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
Katherine

 

[Glenn]

Most likely it's for the desiderative form (～たい) or adjectives that you've seen that with. Since adjectives aren't verbs they don't take direct objects, and since the ～たい form makes verbs into adjectives in effect, that form generally doesn't take direct objects, although there are exceptions.
So, for example, すしが食べたい！ いい車が欲しい, and お前のことが好きだ. If that's not what you're talking about then I don't know.

As for は being an emphasis particle for を, when it's used as the contrastive marker and it replaces を it serves to emphasize contrast. Its use in this way isn't just limited to を, of course. You could have something like 留学生はロシアからは来たんですが、カナダからは来ませんでした, etc.

[EDIT] I just remembered about the 分かる, 要る group. Here's the rule according to 日本語基本文法辞典: "when predicates are transitive adjectives or stative transitive verbs, the elements which correspond to the direct object in English are marked by ga." I don't know how much that'll help, though, unless you can pick out a stative transitive verb by sight.