Japanese Verbs Five

In this Japanese Verbs Five, of the learn Japanese series, we will look at the idea of "doing things too much." This is done with the suffix "sugiru."

Basically, take the verb stem and then just add the ending …sugiru.

For example, the verb yomu, which means to read:

Verb stem = yomi. Now add "sugiru," which becomes yomisugiru.

This, in effect, creates a new verb and means "to read too much.


In order to do this with all verbs let's first recap on Japanese verbs

There are three types of verb:

  1. irregular verbs, of which there are only two.
  2. The verbs that end in "u." 
  3. Those that end in "ru."


To make it easier I will arrange the verb in its various forms

I have used the plain form of the verb.

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+sugiru" form   Kanji/Kana

Kuru                   ki             kisugiru           来すぎる

Suru                   shi           shisugiru           しすぎる

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                    mi            misugiru           見すぎる

Taberu               tabe           tabesugiru       食べすぎる

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                kachi           kachisugiru       勝ちすぎる

Yomu                 yomi           yomisugiru        読みすぎる

Modoru             modori          modorisugiru     戻りすぎる

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular. However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

Here are a few examples:

自転車 = ji ten sha = bycycle.       過ぎる = sugiru = すぎる

買 = ka. Dictionary form = kau = to buy.

Jill buys too many bicycles.          ジルは自転車を買い過ぎます。    

Kana eats too much sushi.           カナはすしを食べ過ぎます。

The students read too much.        生徒さんは読み過ぎます。

To say that "you won't or don't do something too much"

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+suginai" form        Kanji/Kana

Kuru                  ki               kisuginai           来すぎない

Suru                 shi              shisuginai          しすぎない

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                   mi              misuginai          見すぎない

Taberu               tabe            tabesuginai      食べすぎない

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                 kachi          kachisuginai      勝ちすぎない

Yomu                 yomi            yomisuginai       読みすぎない

Modoru             modori         modorisuginai      戻りすぎない

Here are a few examples:

金= kane = money.   使う = tsukau = to use.

I am not going to spend too much money.   私は金を使いすぎません。     

Bill won't eat too much sushi.               ビルはすしを食べ過ぎません。           

Don't read too much!                           読み過ぎないでください！

 

To say that " you did something too much"

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+sugita" form      Kanji/Kana

Kuru                  ki               kisugita           来すぎた

Suru                 shi              shisugita          しすぎた

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                   mi              misugita          見すぎた

Taberu               tabe           tabesugita       食べすぎた

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                 kachi          kachisugita      勝ちすぎた

Yomu                 yomi           yomisugita       読みすぎた

Modoru             modori          modorisugita     戻りすぎた

Here are a few examples:

彼 = kare = He  彼女 = kano jo = She   先週 = sen shuu = last week

本 = hon = book.

He bought too many bicycles.      彼は自転車を買い過ぎました。

She ate too much sushi.              彼女はすしを食べ過ぎました。

I read too many books last week.  私は先週本を読み過ぎました。

 

To say that "you didn't do something too much"

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+suginakatta " form      Kanji/Kana

Kuru                  ki               kisuginakatta          来すぎなかった

Suru                 shi              shisuginakatta         しすぎなかった

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                   mi              misuginakatta         見すぎなかった

Taberu               tabe           tabesuginakatta      食べすぎなかった

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                 kachi          kachisuginakatta     勝ちすぎなかった

Yomu                 yomi           yomisuginakatta      読みすぎなかった

Modoru             modori         modorisuginakatta    戻りすぎなかった

Here are a few examples:

I didn't buy too many bicycles.     私は自転車を買い過ぎませんでした。

He didn't eat too much sushi.       彼はすしを食べ過ぎませんでした。

She didn't read too many books.   彼女は本を読み過ぎませんでした。

Now let's do some practice!

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then kanji and finally hiragana:

He = 彼 = かれ　Baseball = 野球 = やきゅう　radio ラジオ　

Listen to = 聞く =　きく Money = お金 = おかね　waste = 無駄= むだ

To use = 使う = つかう　last night = 昨夜 = さくや　beer = ビール　

to sing = 歌う = うたう　They = 彼ら = かれら

last week = 先週 = せんしゅう　Horse-racing = 競馬 = けいば　

This morning = 今朝 = けさ　She = 彼女 = かのじょ

Breakfast = 朝食 = ちょうしょく　To cook = 料理する = りょうりする

letter =　手紙 =　てがみ　To write = 書く =　かく

I =　私 =　わたし　To sleep = 寝る = ねる　TV = テレビ

To talk =　喋る =　しゃべる  To complain = 文句をし言う =　もんくをいう

See if you can do an English to Japanese translation of the below sentences, using the above Japanese words.

Don't forget that in Japanese, the present tense serves also for the future.

Practice with sugiru:

1. He plays too much baseball.

2. He listens to the radio too much.

3. She wastes money too much.

4. They drank too much beer last night.

5. They sang too much yesterday.

6. He watched too much horse racing last week.

7. She didn't cook too much breakfast this morning.

8. He didn't write too many letters yesterday.

9. I didn't sleep too much last night.

10. She doesn't watch too much TV.

11. He doesn't talk too much.

12. They don't complain too much.

Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

The only way to remember all this is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

  1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 12 Japanese phrases.
  2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.

Back to the Japanese words page