| Grammar I - 08.01 | Grammar L3 - 005 | Menu - Grammar |
| Short Forms |
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"Short form", also called "plain form" or "informal form". Short forms are used to quote someone else, in casual conversations (as signs of intimacy), and in making negative requests. Verbs and い-adjectives in the affirmative - same as their dictionary forms な-adjectives and noun + です in the affirmative - replace (formal) です - desu with (informal) だ - da い-adjectives and な-adjectives and noun + ですin the negative - replace (formal) ありません - arimasen with (informal) ない - nai |
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Short form, informal form |
Long form, standard polite form | |
| よむ | よみます |
to read |
| かわいい | かわいい です | sweet, pretty |
| しずかな | しずか です | calm, peaceful |
| がくせい だ | がくせい です | student |
| よまない | よみません | do not read |
| かわいくない | かわいく ありません | not sweet, not pretty |
| しずか じゃ ない | しずか じゃ ありません | not calm |
| がくせい じゃ ない | がくせい じゃ ありません | not a student |
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Plain (informal) form, negative plain form |
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| Adjective ii (good, well) in irregular | |
| いい | good, well |
| よくない |
not good |
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ru-verbs: Take the final る - ru off and add ない - nai |
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| 食べる | to eat |
|
taberu |
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| 食べない | do not eat |
| tabenai | |
| u-verbs: Take the final -u off and add -anai | |
| 書く | to write |
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kaku |
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| 書かない | do not write |
| kakanai | |
| 話す | to speak |
|
hanasu |
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| 話さない | do not speak |
| hanasanai | |
| 待つ | to wait |
|
matsu |
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| 待たない | do not wait |
| matanai | |
| 死ぬ | to die |
|
shinu |
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| 死なない | do not die |
| shinanai | |
| よむ |
to read |
| yomu | |
| よまない | do not read |
| yomanai | |
| 作る | to make |
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tsukuru |
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| 作らない | do not make |
| tsukuranai | |
| 泳ぐ | to swim |
|
oyogu |
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| 泳がない | do not swim |
| oyoganai | |
| 呼ぶ | to call, to invite |
|
yobu |
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| 呼ばない | do not call / invite |
| yobanai | |
| 買う | to buy, to purchase |
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kai |
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| 買わない | do not buy |
| kawanai | |
| Irregular verbs: | |
| する -> しない |
to do - do not do |
| くる -> こない | to come/arrive - do not come/arrive |
| Exception: | |
| ある -> ない | to be at - not to be at |
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There are some points worth noting with negative short forms: 1. The negative short forms of verbs that end with the hiragana う are ...わない instead of ...あない 2. The vowel changes with the irregular verb くる 3. The verb ある in the negative is ない |