CHAPTER XI

DETERMINATION OF THE MOOD AND TENSE

263. To the beginner in the study of the written language, it is most important that he be able to determine promptly what the mood and tense of the verb or adjective as shown by its inflection signifies. Many of us have struggled through several years of study of this language without securing a clear idea of these inflections. It is my hope here to show the student or translator a method by which he can quickly understand the particular verb or adjective as he encounters it in his reading.

264. To be able to translate a Japanese sentence, we must understand the construction of the sentence. To understand the construction of the sentence, we must understand the verbs and their relation to each other. To understand a particular verb, we must know its mood, tense, and form.

265. To determine its mood, tense, and form, we must first determine its romaji stem and its romaji inflection. Looking up the inflected part in the alphabetically arranged list of inflections, we have a number referring us to a section where we find the translation of a verb or adjective similar in form to it.

266. The general rule for determining the stem and inflection of the verb is: the romaji stem consists of the character plus the consonant of the following kana; the remainder constitutes the inflection. For example, let us take the verb uritari (verb "to sell"). Here the character is read u, the first syllable of the kana inflection is ri. Applying the rule, we have ur for the stem and itari for the inflection. Looking in the alphabetically arranged list of inflections on page 130, we are referred to the first conjugation, indicative mood, second past, conclusive (§ 118e) and then from the context we must decide whether it is "sold," "have sold," or "had sold."

DETERMINATION OF MOOD AND TENSE §§ 267-271

267. An exception to this rule is found in the fourth conjugation in which the character and the stem are the same, and the kana and the romaji inflection are the same; for example, the verb miru: here the stem is mi and the remainder ru the inflection. It is of interest to note that the stem in this case ends in a vowel. Fortunately there are very few of these verbs (list in § 123).

268. An apparent further exception to this rule is the irregular verb suru which is always written in kana only. However, it follows the rule and its stem is s.

269. But this general rule alone is not going to help the beginner until he has passed beyond the eighth Tokuhon, for in the sixth, seventh, and eighth Tokuhons we find the majority of the verbs written in kana only. To determine the stem in this case, it is necessary to look up the present conclusive form in Inouye's Japanese-English Dictionary or one similarly arranged, and there we find the verb written in characters and kana, from which by applying the rule we find the stem and the inflection.

270. The general rule for the verb cannot be applied to adjectives. They generally appear written, like verbs of the fourth conjugation-their stem in characters and inflection in kana; but there are some exceptions to this rule. Bear in mind that the adjectival inflection usually begins with k (§ 106).

271. As an aid to the memory we have the sign of the conjugation as in the following table:

Third conjugation
Fourth conjugation

272. There are two much used verbs which often are written in kana alone. The student should be able to recognize them at once and should remember their stems. They are:

aru, stem ar, first conjugation
naru, stem nar, first conjugation

273. Form the habit of using the index when desiring to understand some subject, word, or phrase.

are

aretaru

122d