Japanese Verbs Seven

Japanese Verbs Seven, of the learn Japanese series, deals with how to say something like, "He went to bed without eating." Let's add this construction to your basic Japanese repertoire!

This is done by adding "zu ni" to the verb's stem.

For those verbs that end in "u," use the negative stem. Otherwise, use the regular stem.

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

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

Negative verb stem = yoma. Now add "zu ni," which becomes yomazu ni.


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

The tense depends on the second verb used in the sentence.

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+zu ni" form   Kanji/Kana

Kuru                               kozu ni              来ずに

Suru                               sezu ni               せずに

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                    mi          mizu ni               見ずに

Taberu               tabe        tabezu ni            食べずに

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                kachi        katazu ni            勝たずに

Yomu                 yomi        yomazu ni          読まずに

Modoru             modori      modorazu ni       戻らずに

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.

After the word list are a few examples:

自転車 = ji ten sha = bycycle.       使う = tsukau = to use.

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

クレヂトカード = crejito ca-do = credit card 

夕食をとる yuu shoku o toru = eat dinner  たくさん = takusan = a lot of

 ビール = beer  生徒さん = sei to san = student(s) 

毎日 mai nichi = every day  許可なく = kyo ka naku= without permission 

先生の = sen sei no = teacher's  新聞 = shin bun = newspaper 


Jill bought a bicycle without using her credit card. 

    ジルはクレヂトカードを使わずに自転車を買いました。         

Kana drinks a lot of beer without eating dinner.

   カナは夕食をとらずにたくさんビールを飲みます。  

The students read the teacher's paper every day without permission.

   生徒さんは毎日許可なく先生の新聞を読みます。


Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

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

A little (the mo is used for emphasis) 少し も すこしも 

to fear 恐れる おそれう mountain 山 やま

to climb 登る のぼる wife 奥さん おくさん to accompany 連れる つれる

to come to a party パーテーやってくる she 彼女 かのじょto sleep 寝る ねる

today 今日 きょう lunch box 弁当 ベントう to have 持つ もつ

work, office 会社 かいしゃ beforehand 前もって まえもって

to telephone 電話する でんわする to pay 払う はらう car 車 くるま

to drive ドライブとする to wear glasses 眼鏡をかける めがねをかける

coat コート to wear clothes 着る きる to go out 出かける でかける

helmet ヘルメット to wear something on the head 被る かぶる

motorbike モーターバイク to ride 乗る のる

Try to translate English to Japanese for the below sentences, using the above list of words.

1. Bill climbed the mountain without any fear.

2. He came to the party without his wife.

3. She went to bed without eating dinner.

4. Today, he came to work without his lunchbox.

5. Jill went to Bill's office without telephoning first.

6. She took the car without paying for it.

7. He reads the paper without his glasses.

8. He went out without a coat.

9. He rides his bike without a helmet.

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 in Japanese Verbs Seven 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 9 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.
  3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.

Back to the Japanese words page