Plain negative (V+ない) and Plain past negative (V+なかった)
Plain negative forms...
Type answers in Japanese (when required)
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- First, an explanation about plain negative...
There are two basic levels of speech in japanese right? Formal (also known as "polite") and Informal (also known as "Plain" or "Casual"). Since there are different ways of refering to these two levels of speech, I will stick to Polite and Plain (at least in this exercise)
Now, です・ます endings are formal/polite - these include です・でした・じゃありません・じゃありませんでした AND ~ます・ました・ません・ませんでした
All of these endings have plain/casual counterparts. (augh!)
The Formal です・ます endings are used when you have to be politer - like with a sensei or boss, OR with someone you don't know well.
The Plain (casual) endings are used with friends, classmates etc. - those people who you don't have to speak politely to.
Now, a recap of what we know about the plain form already. We already know two of the plain form endings...We know the pres/future plain form (e.g. "to buy" = かう) and we know the plain past ending, also known as the た form, (e.g. I bought = かった).
So, with this lesson, we are filling in the gaps in our knowledge of the plain form by learning the plain present/future negative (ない = (i) don't do (action)/I won't do (action))and the plain past negative (なかった = I didn't do (action))
One other note about the plain form. Almost all higher level grammar in Japanese uses the plain form as a base on which to add more complicated structures. So we need to know the plain form not only to be able to speak in casual form with our friends, but to be able to use more complicated grammatical patterns.
Got it so far? Choose "yes" to go to the next section- yes
- How to make the plain pres/future negative.....
In order to create the plain negative and plain past negative form, you have to remember that there are 3 types of verbs in Japanese.
1. う verbs = all these verbs end in う、つ、る、む、ぶ、ぬ、く、ぐ and す (basically the う row of the hiragana chart AND the basis of our te form song!)
2. いる・える verbs = all these verbs (obviously) end in iru or eru (with some exceptions like かえる、はしる(to run), which are actually う verbs)
3. Irregular verbs = There are only two: する and くる
Do you know how to distingish between these types of verbs? If you are unclear, ask sensei, b/c this means you will forever be conjugating your verbs wrong since conjugation rules change based on what type of verb it is.
Got it? Choose "yes" and continue to the next part of the explanation...- Yes
- So, to make the plain pres/future negative (ない = I don't, I won't) we'll start with the う verbs, the rule is to take off the う and add あない。
OR
If you want to think of it in terms of the hiragana chart, all the う verb endings are in the third row down (a, i ,u, e, o - in that order) and you go up to the "a" row.
Now, there is an "irregular" spelling with regard to verbs like かう or つかう that end in う - That is, they go to わない instead of just あない. So かう goes to かわない...get it?
So, let's go through all the う verb endings (which you know from your te form song = う、つ、る、む、ぶ、ぬ、く、ぐ、す) to see what the ない form looks like for all those endings.
Remember, the rule is to take off the う and add あない。
つかう - つかわない (I don't use/I won't use) - Remember this spelling is irreg.
たつ - たたない (i don't stand/I won't stand)
のる - のらない (I don't ride/I won't ride)
よむ ー よまない (I don't read/I won't read)
よぶ - よばない (I don't hail/call out/I won't hail/call out)
しぬ - しなない (I don't die/I won't die)
きく ー きかない (I don't listen/ask - I won't listen/ask)
およぐ - およがない (I don't swim/I won't swim)
はなす - はなさない (I don't talk/ I won't talk)
To get the plain past negative, it is essentiall the same rule - take off the う and add あなかった。
So....
つかう - つかわなかった (I didn't use) - Remember this spelling is irreg.
たつ - たたなかった (i didn't stand)
のる - のらなかった (i didn't ride)
よむ ー よまなかった (i didn't read)
よぶ - よばなかった (i didn't call out/hail)
しぬ - しななかった (i didn't die)
きく ー きかなかった (I don't listen/ask - I won't listen/ask)
およぐ - およがなかった (i didn't swim)
はなす - はなさなかった (i didn't talk)
Got it?
Choose "yes" and go to the next section...- Yes
- Now, on to the いる・える verbs, the rule is to take off the る and add ない or なかった。Simple right?
So.....
たべる = たべない or たべなかった
おきる = おきない or おきなかった
しめる = しめない or しめなかった
Easy right?
Choose "yes" and go to the next section...- Yes
- Now for the last set of verbs, the irregular ones. Remember that there are only TWO irregular verbs in Japanese - する and くる....
BUT
I also like to include です, ある and いる in this category too, since students often make mistakes with them...
For these, you just have to MEMORIZE them...
する = しない or しなかった
くる = こない or こなかった
ある = ない or なかった (yes, ある just becomes ない or なかった)
いる = いない or いなかった
です = じゃない or じゃなかった
Are you ready to test yourself?
A note: I've chosen some verbs from this L.8 vocab. list, so if you don't know them, you'll have to go to Drill pg. 162~163 (better do it now before you move on and forget the page number)
Choose "yes" to go on...- Yes
- Okay, how would you say
I don't/won't use = ? - I don't stand = ?
- I don't sit = ?
- I don't drink = ?
- I don't call out/hail (e.g. a taxi)= ?
- I don't die = ?
- I don't write = ?
- I don't swim = ?
- I don't submit/turn in/send = ?
- I don't sleep = ?
- I don't close = ?
- I don't wake up = ?
- I don't return = ? (Careful on this one!)
- Now, how about negative?
I didn't say = ? - I didn't explain = ? (new verb)
- I wasn't late = ? (new verb!)
- I didn't come (e.g. to the party) = ?
- I didn't have (e.g. a test)
- (Tanaka san) wasn't (there)
- Last one...
I didn't go = ?