Biyouin wa, yoyakushita atoni ikimasu.
This tip primarily focuses on the “short affirmative” and “short past” forms in Japanese.
The short affirmative form, also known as the dictionary form, represents the present or future tense and is used for imperfective aspects of verbs. It describes actions that are currently ongoing or will happen in the future.
On the other hand, the short past form, referred to as the ta-form, represents the past tense and is used for perfective aspects of verbs. It describes actions that have been completed.
In summary, the short affirmative form (dictionary form) indicates actions that are not yet completed, while the short past form (ta-form) indicates actions that have been completed.
| Short affirmative | Short past |
|---|---|
| dictionary form, imperfect, present | ta-form, perfect, past |
In Japanese, it is crucial to understand whether actions are completed or not completed.
Verbs that are not completed (imperfect) are expressed as actions occurring now, in the future, or generally. The dictionary form represents these verbs and is a plain form indicating actions that are still in progress or habitual.
On the other hand, verbs that are completed (perfect) are expressed as actions that have been done in the past, present, or will be done in the future. The た-form (ta-form) does not always indicate past actions but rather actions that have been completed, regardless of the time frame. This means the た-form can also be used for actions that will have been completed in the future.
Understanding the completion of verbs is important when constructing sentences with short forms. The distinction between completed and not completed actions helps convey the correct meaning and temporal relationships within the sentence.
The sentences below describe actions in general or in the future. However, to express the order of actions, ta-forms are used.
Biyouin wa yoyakushita atoni ikimasu. (yoyakusuru completed >>> then go)
Ie ni kaetta atoni, yuushoku o taberu yoteidesu. (kaeru completed >>> then have dinner)
Gakkou ni itta ato, tomodachi to asobimasu. (After going to school, I will play with my friends.)
Eiga o mita ato, resutoran de yuushoku o tabemasu. (After watching a movie, I will have dinner at a restaurant.)
Shukudai o oeta ato, terebi o mimasu. (After finishing my homework, I will watch TV.)
In these examples, the ta-form is used to indicate that the first action must be completed before the second action occurs. This helps to establish a clear sequence and relationship between the actions.