Japanese has several auxiliary verbs to append special meanings to ordinary verbs. They have only dependent usage and always follow independent words or independent phrases.

I list up the aulixiary verbs as the following table

the list of the auxiliary verbs

auxiliary verb	conjugation type	English	comment
-masu	the polite verb	to do	It appends polite nuances to verbs.
-tagaru	strong verbs	to want to	It expresses desire to do something for the third person.
-ta-i	adjectival verbs	to want to	It expresses desire to do something.
-sou	adjectival nouns	to look to	It expresses that something appears to do.
da	the copula	to be	a copula.
desu	the polite copula	to be	a copula that expresses polite nuanses
rashi-i	adjectival verbs	to seem to	It expresses that something seems to do.
you	adjectival nouns	to appear to	It expresses that something looks to do.
sou	adjectival nouns	It is said that	It expresses that it is said something.

Conjunctions of the Auxiliary Verbs [Kana Table] auxiliary verb verbs (ex. "suru") adjectival verb (ex. "ao-i") adjectival nouns (ex. "suki") present participle stem -masu shi-masu -tagaru shi-tagaru -ta-i shi-ta-i -sou shi-sou ao-sou suki-sou

A Dictionary Japanese Kana English áò-i あおい blue shírò-i しろい white súkì すき favorite ài あい love

Conjunctions of the Auxiliary Verbs [Kana Table]

auxiliary verb	verbs (ex. "suru")		adjectival verb (ex. "ao-i")		adjectival nouns (ex. "suki")	nouns (ex. "ai")	the copula
	present	past	present	past			past
da					suki da	ai da
desu			ao-i desu	ao-katta desu	suki desu	ai desu
darou(*1)	suru darou	shita darou	ao-i darou	ao-katta darou	suki darou	ai darou	datta darou
deshou(*2)	suru deshou	shita deshou	ao-i deshou	ao-katta deshou	suki deshou	ai deshou	datta deshou
rashi-i	suru rashi-i	shita rashi-i	ao-i rashi-i	ao-katta rashi-i	suki rashi-i	ai rashi-i	datta rashi-i
you	suru you	shita you	ao-i you	ao-katta you	suki na you(*3)	ai no you(*4)	datta you
sou	suru sou	shita sou	ao-i sou	ao-katta sou	suki da sou(*5)	ai da sou(*5)	datta sou

• (*1) the subjunctive form of the copula "da"
• (*2) the subjunctive form of the polite copula "desu"
• (*3) The particle " na" is necessary to connect the preceding word.
• (*4) The particle " no" is necessary to connect the preceding word.
• (*5) The present form of copula " da" is necessary to connect the preceding word.

The auxiliaries "-masu", " da", "desu", "darou" and "deshou" have been already mentioned in the previous chapters frequently. So I explain the other auxiliary verbs.

These auxiliary verbs append the meaning "to want" to main verbs. The ending forms of the auxiliary "-ta-i" are used for the first person. When you use "-ta-i" in sentences whose subject is the second or the third person, you should use it with probable forms or the presumptive verbs or interrogative, since you can not decide other people's feeling or thought. You can only guess them. On the other hand, the auxiliary "-tagaru" is used for the third person. However, you use this word to inferior people or animals mainly. So you should avoid using "-tagaru". Instead, you should use "-ta-i" with probable forms or presumptive verbs, as in "-ta-i deshou".

how to use "-ta-i"

Case 1a

• (K): わたしが ワインを のみたいです。
• (J): Watashi ga wain 'o nomi-ta-i desu.
• (E): I want to drink wine.

Case 1b

• (K): わたしが ワインを のみたかったです。
• (J): Watashi ga wain 'o nomi-ta-katta desu.
• (E): I wanted to drink wine.

Case 2a

• (K): アマンダが ワインを のみたいでしょう。
• (J): Amanda ga wain 'o nomi-ta-i deshou.
• (E): Amanda probably wants to drink wine.

Case 2b

• (K): アマンダが ワインを のみたかったでしょう。
• (J): Amanda ga wain 'o nomi-ta-katta deshou.
• (E): Amanda probably wanted to drink wine.

Case 2c

• (K): アマンダが ワインを のみたいでしょうか。はい、そうでしょう。いいえ、そうで ないでしょう。
• (J): Amanda ga wain 'o nomi-ta-i deshou ka? Hai, sou deshou. Iie, sou de nai deshou.
• (E): Does Amanda probably want to drink wine? Yes, she does probably. No. she does not probably.

Japanese has four auxiliary verbs to express presumptive sentences. In order to make translation easy. I apply meanings to the each auxiliaries as follows for your convenience, although the real nuances of these auxiliaris are not same as English verbs.

• -sou: to appear to, it appears that, it appears as if
• you: to look to, it looks as if
• rashi-i: to seem to, it seems that, it seems as if
• sou: they say that, it is said that

The following table shows you the relation between these auxiliaries.

The Relation between Presumptive Auxiliaries [Kana Table]

	no guarantee	←	→	guarantee
my opinion	shi-sou	shi-sou	shi-sou	suru you
↑	shi-sou	suru you	suru you	suru you
↓	suru sou	suru rashi-i	suru rashi-i	suru rashi-i
their opinion	suru sou	suru sou	suru sou	suru rashi-i

how to use "-sou"

Case 1a

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプしそうです。
• (J): Raion ga janpu shi-sou desu.
• (E): It appears that a lion jumps.

Case 1b

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプしそうでした。
• (J): Raion ga janpu shi-sou deshita.
• (E): It appeared that a lion jumps.

Case 2a

• (K): その ライオンは しろそうです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-sou desu.
• (E): It appears that the lion looks is white.

Case 2b

• (K): その ライオンは しろそうでした。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-sou desita.
• (E): It appeared that the lion was white.

Case 3a

• (K): その ライオンは スマートそうです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to-sou desu.
• (E): It appears that the lion is smart.

Case 3b

• (K): その ライオンは スマートそうでした。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to-sou deshita.
• (E): It appeared that the lion was smart.

how to use "you"

Case 1a

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプするようです。
• (J): Raion ga janpu suru you desu.
• (E): It looks that a lion jumps.

Case 1b

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプするようでした。
• (J): Raion ga janpu suru you deshita.
• (E): It looked that a lion jumped.

Case 1c

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプしたようです。
• (J): Raion ga janpu shita you desu.
• (E): It looks that a lion jumped.

Case 1d

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプしたようでした。
• (J): Raion ga janpu shita you deshita.
• (E): It looked that a lion had jumped.

Case 2a

• (K): その ライオンは しろいようです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-i you desu.
• (E): It looks that the lion is white.

Case 2b

• (K): その ライオンは しろいようでした。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-i you deshita.
• (E): It looked that the lion was white.

Case 2c

• (K): その ライオンは しろかったようです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-katta you desu.
• (E): It looks that the lion was white.

Case 2d

• (K): その ライオンは しろかったようでした。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-katta you deshita.
• (E): It looked that the lion had been white.

Case 3a

• (K): そのライオンは スマートなようです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to na you desu.
• (E): It looks that the lion is smart.

Case 3b

• (K): そのライオンは スマートなようでした。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to na you deshita.
• (E): It looked that the lioneThe lion appeared to be smart.

Case 3c

• (K): そのライオンは スマートだったようです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to datta you desu.
• (E): It looks that the lion was smart.

Case 3d

• (K): そのライオンは スマートだったようでした。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to datta you deshita.
• (E): It looked that the lion had been smart.

Case 4a

• (K): そのライオンは モンスターのようです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa monsutah' no you desu.
• (E): It looks that the lion is a monster.

Case 4b

• (K): そのライオンは モンスターのようでした。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa monsutah' no you deshita.
• (E): It looked that the lion was a monster.

Case 4c

• (K): そのライオンは モンスターだったようです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa monsutah' datta you desu.
• (E): It looks that the lion was a monster.

Case 4d

• (K): そのライオンは モンスターだったようでした。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa monsutah' datta you deshita.
• (E): It looked that the lion had been a monster.

how to use "rashi-i"

Case 1a

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプするらしいです。
• (J): Raion ga janpu suru rashi-i desu.
• (E): It seems that a lion jumps.

Case 1b

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプしたらしいです。
• (J): Raion ga janpu shita rashi-i desu.
• (E): It seems that the lion jumped.

Case 2a

• (K): その ライオンは しろいらしいです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-i rashi-i desu.
• (E): It seems that the lion is white.

Case 2b

• (K): その ライオンは しろかったらしいです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-katta rashi-i desu.
• (E): It seems that the lion was white.

Case 3a

• (K): そのライオンは スマートらしいです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to rashi-i desu.
• (E): It seems that the lion is smart.

Case 3c

• (K): そのライオンは スマートだったらしいです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to datta rashi-i desu.
• (E): It seems that the lion was smart.

Case 4a

• (K): そのライオンは モンスターらしいです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa monsutah' rashi-i desu.
• (E): It seems that the lion is a monster.

Case 4c

• (K): そのライオンは モンスターだったらしいです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa monsutah' datta rashi-i desu.
• (E): It seems that the lion was a monster.

how to use "sou"

Case 1a

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプするそうです。
• (J): Raion ga janpu suru sou desu.
• (E): It is said that a lion jumps.

Case 1b

• (K): ライオンが ジャンプしたそうです。
• (J): Raion ga janpu shita sou desu.
• (E): It is said that a lion jumped.

Case 2a

• (K): その ライオンは しろいそうです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-i sou desu.
• (E): It is said that the lion is white.

Case 2b

• (K): その ライオンは しろかったそうです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa shiro-katta sou desu.
• (E): It is said that the lion was white.

Case 3a

• (K): そのライオンは スマートだそうです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to da sou desu.
• (E): It is said that the lion is smart.

Case 3b

• (K): そのライオンは スマートだったそうです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa sumah'to datta sou desu.
• (E): It is said that the lion was smart.

Case 4a

• (K): そのライオンは モンスターだそうです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa monsutah' da sou desu.
• (E): It is said that the lion is a monster.

Case 4b

• (K): そのライオンは モンスターだったそうです。
• (J): Sono raion 'wa monsutah' datta sou desu.
• (E): It is said that the lion was a monster.