Lesson 2a: Indicative Tense

Japanese 101: Lesson 2

Introduction to Verbs

This time is an intro to verbs and the Indicative. I'll be explaining how this tense is used.


Indicative: This tense is used to modify nouns. An important rule to this is any verb, adjective, or noun always precedes the noun which it modifies. The indicative is usually used as "a sentence" or "ends" one, to complete an idea. For example:

Akemashita (あけました）
"Someone opened it"

This can be used as a sentence that stands alone and still be grammatically correct.

On the other hand, this tense can modify an object. For example:

mado o aketa syoko　(まどおあけたしょおこ）
The evidence that "someone" opened the window.

Another important fact about the indicative tense it doesn't matter if it's formal/informal, past/present/future, or affirmative/negative. It's generally this way when using the "one word sentence" rule that I explained a bit before. These "one worders" generally don't require a subject nor object to modify.

Conjugating in the Indicative Tense

The verb "katu" (to win) will be used as an example.

The indicative tense, as well as the others, have affirmative (positive) and negative endings. They also have formal and informal. I'll bold the type of conjugation as well as italize the ending that changed.

So, to conjugate katu in the indicative:

Informal Affirmative -> Katu -> Katu (usually it will be the same as the original verb called the infinitive verb)

Informal Negative -> Katu -> Katanai (notice how the "u" was dropped and "nai" was added)

Formal Affirmative: -> Katu -> Katimasu (The "u" is dropped and "imasu" is added)

Formal Negative: -> Katu -> Katimsen (The u is dropped and "imsen" is added)

However, Katu is a "u" verb, meaning it ends in just "u". There are other endings for verbs, as well.

Conjugating an "RU" verb

To conjugate the verb, "akeru" (to open) it would be an "ru verb":

Informal Affirmative: Akeru -> akeru (stays the same, much like the "u" verb)

Informal Negative : Akeru -> Akenai (the "ru" is dropped and "nai" is added)

Formal affirmative: Akeru -> akemasu (The "ru" is dropped and "masu" is added)

Formal negative: akeru -> akemasen (The "ru" is dropped and "masen" is added)

However, in another lesson, I'll explain the verb "suru", because it is irregular and doesn't follow the "ru" rules for conjugation.

/end lesson

Another great lesson Thanks.

Quoted^(ref) l3lueMage (on 22 October, 2007, 11:00 AM PDT) —

Another great lesson Thanks.

That's what I'm here for.

But does the format of how I bold things, etc, make sense? Make it easier?