About Japanese Auxiliary Verb
An auxiliary verb is a word that is added to verbs or nouns to give them additional meaning. It is a word used to create a larger predicate group, and its characteristic is that it is an attached word that conjugates (changes its form). For example, in "走ります" (hashirimasu), "ます" (masu) is an auxiliary verb.
Examples of auxiliary verbs include "れる" (reru), "られる" (rareru), "せる" (seru), "させる" (saseru), "ない" (nai), "そうだ" (souda), "らしい" (rashii), and "です" (desu). All of these are attached words that follow verbs or nouns to fulfill their role.
Conjugation of Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs are words that conjugate, meaning their ending forms change. For example, when you change the ending of the auxiliary verb "させる" (saseru), it becomes as follows:
- Negative form: させない (sasenai)
- Continuous form: させた (saseta)
- Terminal form: させる (saseru)
- Attributive form: させるとき (saseru toki)
- Hypothetical form: させれば (sasereba)
- Imperative form: させろ・させよ (sasero, saseyo)
These conjugation forms include negative, continuous, terminal, attributive, hypothetical, and imperative forms. Each of these forms varies depending on the words that follow.
Examples of Auxiliary Verbs
Below are examples of the use of auxiliary verbs:
よく見えない (yoku mienai) 誰でも受けられる (dare demo ukerareru) 田中くんに読ませる (Tanaka-kun ni yomaseru)
In these example sentences, the auxiliary verbs "ない" (nai), "られる" (rareru), and "せる" (seru) are attached to the preceding words to add meaning.
Types of Auxiliary Verbs
Japanese auxiliary verbs can be classified based on their meanings as follows:
Passive, Potential, Spontaneous, Honorific: れる・られる (reru, rareru) Causative: せる・させる (seru, saseru) Negative: ない・ぬ (nai, nu) Presumptive, Volitional: う・よう (u, you) Negative Presumptive, Negative Volitional: まい (mai) Desire: たい・たがる (tai, tagaru) Polite: ます (masu) Past, Perfect, Continuative, Confirmative: た・だ (ta, da) Heard, Seems: そうだ・そうです (souda, soudesu) Appears, Guess, For example: ようだ・ようです (youda, youdesu) Seems: らしい (rashii) Categorical: だ (da) Polite Categorical: です (desu)
Usage of Auxiliary Verbs "れる" and "られる":
The auxiliary verbs "れる" (reru) and "られる" (rareru) can have four different meanings depending on the context: passive, honorific, spontaneous, and potential.
Passive examples: 人に信頼される (hito ni shinrai sareru) 育てられる (sodaterareru)
Honorific examples: 先生が話される (sensei ga hanasareru) お客様が来られる (okyakusama ga korareru)
Spontaneous examples: 思い出される (omoidasareru) 遠くにいても君の優しさが感じられる (tooku ni itemo kimi no yasashisa ga kanjirareru)
Potential examples: 簡単に遠くまで投げられる (kantan ni tooku made nagerareru) 苦手なものも食べられる (nigate na mono mo taberareru)
In these examples, "れる" (reru) and "られる" (rareru) have different meanings depending on the context.
れる/られる (reru/rareru) Conjugation:
The auxiliary verbs れる (reru) and られる (rareru) conjugate as follows:
- Form れる られる
- Non-Past れ られ
- Continuative れ られ
- Terminal れる られる
- Attributive れる られる
- Hypothetical れれ られれ
- Imperative れろ/れよ られろ/られよ
う/よう (u/you) Usage and Conjugation:
The auxiliary verbs う (u) and よう (you) can express speculation, volition, or invitation depending on the context.
Speculation
Speculation refers to the speaker's guess or imagination about something. It is often used when the subject is a third person or an object. 例: さぞ辛かろう。(It must be hard.)
Volition:
Volition refers to a strong intention or plan of the speaker. It is often used when the subject is the first person.
例: 明日は休もう。(I will take a day off tomorrow.)
Invitation:
Invitation refers to inviting someone to do something together.
It is often used when the subject is the second person.
例: 一緒に歌おう。(Let's sing together.)
Conjugation of う (u) and よう (you)
- Form う よう
- Non-Past - -
- Continuative - -
- Terminal う よう
- Attributive (う) (よう)
- Hypothetical - -
- Imperative - -
まい (mai) Usage and Conjugation
The auxiliary verb まい (mai) can express negative speculation or negative volition depending on the context.
Negative Speculation
Negative speculation refers to the speaker's guess that something will not happen. It is often used when the subject is a third person or an object. 例: 週末は雨が降るまい。(It probably won't rain this weekend.)
Negative Volition:
Negative volition refers to the speaker's strong intention not to do something. It is often used when the subject is the first person.
例: 明日は休むまい。(I will not take a day off tomorrow.)
Conjugation of まい (mai)
- Form まい
- Non-Past -
- Continuative -
- Terminal まい
- Attributive (まい)
- Hypothetical -
- Imperative -
ます (masu) Usage and Conjugation
The auxiliary verb ます (masu) is used to express politeness.
例: これから出かけます。(I will leave now.)
Conjugation of ます (masu)
- Form ます
- Non-Past ませ(ましょ)
- Continuative まし
- Terminal ます
- Attributive ます
- Hypothetical ますれ
- Imperative ませ(まし)
そうだ (souda) Usage and Conjugation
The auxiliary verb そうだ (souda) can express estimation, appearance, or hearsay depending on the context.
Estimation/Appearance
Estimation or appearance refers to the speaker's guess based on what they see or observe. 例: 雨が降りそうだ。(It looks like it will rain.)
Hearsay
Hearsay refers to something the speaker heard from someone else.
例: 雨が降るそうだ。(I heard it will rain.)
Conjugation of そうだ (souda)
- Form そうだ
- Non-Past そうだろ
- Continuative そうだっ、そうで、そうに
- Terminal そうだ
- Attributive そうな
- Hypothetical そうな
- Imperative そうなら
せる/させる
These auxiliary verbs have the meaning of causation, indicating that someone is made to do something. Examples:
- 夏休みは思う存分遊ばせましょう。 (遊ぶ + せる)
- すぐに来させれば間に合います。 (来る + させる)
ない/ぬ(ん)
These auxiliary verbs have a negation meaning, indicating that the preceding verb or auxiliary verb is negated.
Examples:
- アメリカには行かないつもりだ。 (行く + ない)
- 彼女は賛同していない様子だ。 (賛同する + ない)
たい/たがる
These auxiliary verbs have a meaning of desire, indicating a wish to do something. Examples:
- ぜひ行きたい。 (行く + たい)
- 明日には食べたい。 (食べる + たい)
た
This auxiliary verb has meanings of past, completion, continuation, and confirmation (recollection). Examples:
- 私もそこに行った。 [Past]
- 仕事が今終わったところだ。 (終わる + た) [Completion]
- 高くそびえた塀が、気持ちを暗くしている。 (そびえる + た) [Continuation]
- そうだ今日は、同僚の誕生日だった。 (誕生日だ + た) [Confirmation (recollection)]