Japanese Verbs Three

In this Japanese Verbs Three, of the learn Japanese series, we will look at how to communicate that you are doing two things at the same time, as in the English construction "While ..."

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

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

Verb stem = yomi. Now add "nagara" which becomes yominagara and means "While reading."

You then need to add on the thing you are doing, while ...


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

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

Kuru                   ki             kinagara           来ながら

Suru                   shi           shinagara           しながら

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                    mi            minagara           見ながら

Taberu               tabe           tabenagara        食べながら

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                kachi           kachinagara       勝ちながら

Yomu                 yomi           yominagara       読みながら

Modoru             modori         modorinagara     戻りながら


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 and the Japanese symbols and kanji used in them:

自転車 = ji ten sha = bycycle.

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

音楽 = on gaku = music.  聴く = to listen to.

食べる = taberu = to eat. 新聞 = shin bun = newspaper.

読む = yomu = to read. タバコ = tabaco. 吸う = suu =to smoke.

While buying a bicycle, I listen to music. 

         自転車を買いながら音楽を聴きます。

While eating sushi, I read a newspaper. 

         すしを食べながら新聞を読みます。

While reading a book, I smoke a cigarette. 

         本を読みながらタバコを吸います。


To say that "While doing something, I don't ..."

For this just put the second verb into its negative form.

Here are a few examples:

While buying a bicycle, I don't listen to music.       

             自転車を買いながら音楽を聴きません。

While eating sushi, I don't read the newspaper. 

             すしを食べながら新聞を読みません。

While reading a book, I don't smoke a cigarette. 

             本を読みながらタバコを吸いません。


 

To say that " While doing something, I did ..."

For this just put the second verb into its past form.

Here are a few examples:

While buying a bicycle, I listened to music.

           自転車を買いながら音楽を聴きました。

While eating sushi, I read the newspaper.

           すしを食べながら新聞を読みました。

While reading a book, I smoked a cigarette.

           本を読みながらタバコを吸いました。


 

To say that "While doing something, I didn't do ..."

For this just put the second verb into its negative past form.

Here are a few examples:

While buying a bicycle, I didn't listen to music.

         自転車を買いながら音楽を聴きませんでした。

While eating sushi, I didn't read the newspaper.

         すしを食べながら新聞を読みませんでした。

While reading a book, I didn't smoke a cigarette.

           本を読みながらタバコを吸いませんでした。


Now let's do some practice!

Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

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

to play baseball 野球する　やきゅうする　radio ラジオ

to listen to 聞く　きく  school　学校　がっこう　

Jill ジル I 私　わたし

Music 音楽 おんがく　　washing 洗濯 せんたくをする　

friend 友達 ともだち　office 会社 かいしゃ　

commute 通勤する   つうきんする　

to take a shower シャワーを浴びる あびる　　

to sing 歌う うたう last week 先週 せんしゅう 　

to ride 乗る のる　　accident 事故 じこ　

horse 馬 うま　　to get up 起きる おきる　injury 怪我  けが　

practice 練習する  れんしゅうする to learn 習う ならう　

TV テレビ to sit 座る すわる to fall asleep　 眠る ねむる

word 単語 たんご room 部屋 へや

greetings 挨拶 あいさつ to meet 会う　あう

yesterday 昨日　きのう

to sing　歌う　うたう　last week 先週　せんしゅう

this morning 今朝　けさ to speak 話す　はなす

to say 言う　いう　

room 部屋　へや　to clean 掃除する　そうじする


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 and that nouns can be singular or plural.

Practice using nagara:

  1. While playing baseball, I listen to music.
  2. While listening to the radio, I do my washing.
  3. While going to school, I talk to my friends.
  4. While going to work, I met Jill.
  5. While taking a shower, I sang.
  6. While riding a horse last week, I had an accident.
  7. While getting up this morning, I hurt my foot.
  8. While speaking to Kimiko yesterday, I practiced my Japanese.
  9. While learning Japanese, I don't watch the TV.
  10. While sitting in the pool, I didn't fall asleep.
  11. While saying that Japanese word, I looked at the page.
  12. While cleaning my room this morning, I learned some Japanese greetings.

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 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