Combination actions

Those rules combine a verb and an adjective to make a new meaning.

V-ます

+ Adj

Difficulty

~やすい: easy

Means:

• easy to do
• likely to happen
• has a tendency of

Example

見やすい。 Easy to see.

泣なきやすい。 Prone to crying.

~にくい・~づらい: difficult

Means that something is difficult to do. While にくい is the broader form, づらい is used in a more subjective manner, for actions that are intentional.

Example

見にくい。 Difficult to see.

～がたい: very difficult

~がたい means that something is very difficult to do. It is more extreme than ~にくい.

Example

それは信しんじがたいな。 That’s hard to believe…

~始める

～始はじめる means that something starts or has started. Expresses intentionality.

Example

飲のみ始める。 To start to drink.

~出す

～出だす means that something suddenly started. Has the nuance of being unintentional, or cannot be avoided.

Example

雨が降り出した。 It suddenly started raining.

~続く

～続つづく means that something continues.

Example

飲のみ続ける。 To continue to drink.

~終わる

～終おわる means that something ends.

Example

飲のみ終わります。 To stop to drink.

～上げる

This can be used both as:

• 上あげる means “finish doing” (transitive)
• 上あがる means “was finished” (intransitive)

Example

全部ぜんぶの夏なつ休やみの宿題しゅくだいを出来上げった。 I have finished all my summer homework.

～合う

～合あう means that the action is done with someone else.

Example

妹いもうとと家いえへ帰かえり会った。 I went home with my sister.

～切る・～切れる・～切れない

~切きる means “to do completely” and ~切れる means “able to do completely”. The negative form ~切れない means “unable to do”, “too much to complete”. It focuses on the end of the action rather than the process.

Example

父はすべての部屋へやを掃除そうじし切った。 My father finished cleaning all the rooms.

彼は納豆なっとうを食べ切れなかった。 He could not finish all his natto.

～通す

~通とおす means “to do something until the end”, “continually” or “through”. It focuses on the process of the action, rather than its ending.

Example

マラソンの全部ぜんぶを走はしり通した。 He ran through the whole marathon.

～直す

~直なおす means to do something again.

Example

今年ことしをやり直すてほしい。 I want this year to start over.

～っぱなし

~っぱなし means leaving something as it is.

Example

この１３時間飛行ひこうで座すわりっぱなしでした。 I sat the entire time on this 13 hours flight.

~かねる

~かねる means “unable to do”, due to an external circumstance. It is polite.

Example

ごめんなさい、それをできかねます。 I’m sorry, I cannot do that.

~っこない

~っこない means that something is not possible.

Example

全然ぜんぜん勉強べんきょうしなかった。。。合格ごうかくしっこないよ。 I did not study at all… There’s no way I’ll pass.

~抜く

~抜ぬく means to do something to the end, or completely. The nuance is that someone tried hard and has made an effort to achieve this result.

Example

それは毎日まいにちやり抜く無理むりですよ。 You cannot do this every day.

~給え

~給たまえ is used for a light order. It is used by someone of higher rank to someone of lower rank.

Example

ここに座すわり給え。 Seat here.

~つつ(も)

~つつ means that something happens at the same time as another action. Adding も adds the meaning of “even”: “even while doing”.

Example

食べつつ、飲みましょう。 While eating, let’s drink.

~つつある

~つつある means that something is in an ongoing process or action, in a similar manner as てくる.

Example

雪ゆきが降ふりつつある。 It is snowing.

～込む

~込こむ has multiple meanings depending on the verb. Sometimes it is idiomatic and so it cannot exactly be guessed. However, there are some broad categories.

⚠ Depending on the context, verbs can fall into multiple categories!

Going into

• If the verb describes a movement, adding 込む add the meaning of “into” (jumping ⇒ jumping into).
• If the verb already has a notion of “into”, it put emphasis into it. It could have a meaning like “completely into”.

Example

海うみに飛とびび込んだ。 He jumped into the ocean.

Emphasis

When the verb does not include physical movement, 込む can be used to put emphasis on certain verbs (deeply, a lot, etc).

Example

猫ねこが眠ねむり込んでいます。 The cat is fast asleep.

Repetition

The last common meaning is for an action that is repeated until a point is reached. It can also be an action that is done for a long time.

Example

毎朝まいあさ5キロ走かしり込む。 Every morning I go for a 5km run (emphasis on the fact that it is a long run).