The basic verbs, to go, to come and to give are important in Japanese
as well as English. However, their usages are slight different
between Japanese and English. This chapter explains the difference
between them.
In English, the moving verbs respect the position of both the speaker and the listener,
on the other hand, they respect the position of the speaker only in Japanese.
The verb "iku" is conjugated as a strong verb and the verb "kuru" is conjugated as an irregular verb K.
the diagram of the moving verbs
| English | other people | "come" → | the speaker | "come" → | the listener | "go" → | other people |
|---|
| Japanese | "kuru" → | "iku" (*1) → | "iku" → |
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| English | ← "go" | ← "come" | ← "come" |
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| Japanese | ← "iku" | ← "kuru" | ← "iku" (*2) |
|---|
| English | other places | "come" → | the speaker and the listener
the speaker or the listener | "come" → | interesting places |
|---|
| Japanese | "kuru" → | "iku" (*3) → |
|---|
| English | ← "go" | ← "come" |
|---|
| Japanese | ← "iku" | ← "kuru" |
|---|
In most cases, Japanese "iku" corresponds to English "go" and
Japanese "kuru" corresponds to English "come".
However, there usages are opposite in the following cases.
- (*1) When the speaker comes to the listener, you use "iku" in Japanese.
- (*2) When other people come to the listener, you use "iku" in Japanese, however, you may use "kuru" as well.
- (*3) When the speaker or the listener comes to interesting places, you use "iku" in Japanese.
- how to use "iku" and "kuru"
- Case 1a
- (K): わたしが あなたの ペンションに いきます。
- (J): Watashi ga anata no penshon ni iki-masu.
- (E): I come to your pension. (= I move to your pension.)
- Case 1b
- (K): わたしが あなたの ペンションに きます。
- (J): Watashi ga anata no penshon ni iki-masu.
- (E): I come to your pension. (= I return to your pension.)
- Case 1c
- (K): わたしが あなたの ペンションに いきました。
- (J): Watashi ga anata no penshon ni iki-mashita.
- (E): I came to your pension. (= I moved to your pension.)
- Case 1d
- (K): わたしが あなたの ペンションに きました。
- (J): Watashi ga anata no penshon ni ki-mashita.
- (E): I came to your pension. (= I arrived at your pension.)
- Case 2a
- (K): わたしが ステファニーの ペンションに いきます。
- (J): Watashi ga Sutefanih' no penshon ni iki-masu.
- (E): I go to Stephanie's pension. (= I move to Stephanie's pension.)
- Case 2b
- (K): わたしが ステファニーの ペンションに きます。
- (J): Watashi ga Sutefanih' no penshon ni ki-masu.
- (E): I come to Stephanie's pension. (= I return to Stephanie's pension.)
- Case 2c
- (K): わたしが ステファニーの ペンションに いきました。
- (J): Watashi ga Sutefanih' no penshon ni ki-mashita.
- (E): I went to Stephanie's pension. (= I moved to Stephanie's pension.)
- Case 2d
- (K): わたしが ステファニーの ペンションに きました。
- (J): Watashi ga Sutefanih' no penshon ni ki-mashita.
- (E): I came to Stephanie's pension. (= I arrived at Stephanie's pension.)
- Case 3a
- (K): あなたが わたしの ペンションに きます。
- (J): Anata ga watashi no penshon ni ki-masu.
- (E): You come to my pension. (= You move to my pension.)
- Case 3b
- (K): あなたが わたしの ペンションに きました。
- (J): Anata ga watashi no penshon ni ki-mashita.
- (E): You came to my pension. (= You arrived at my pension.)
- Case 4a
- (K): あなたが ステファニーの ペンションに いきます。
- (J): Anata ga Sutefanih' no penshon ni iki-masu.
- (E): You go to Stephanie's pension. (= You move to Stephanie's pension.)
- Case 4b
- (K): あなたが ステファニーの ペンションに いきました。
- (J): Anata ga Sutefanih' no penshon ni iki-mashita.
- (E): You went to Stephanie's pension. (= You moved to Stephanie's pension.)
- Case 5a
- (K): ステファニーが わたしの ペンションに きます。
- (J): Sutefanih' ga watashi no pension ni ki-masu.
- (E): Stephanie comes to my pension. (= Stephanie moves to my pension.)
- Case 5b
- (K): ステファニーが わたしの ペンションに きました。
- (J): Sutefanih' ga watashi no penshon ni ki-mashita.
- (E): Stephanie came to my pension. (= Stephanie arrived at my pension.)
- Case 6a
- (K): ステファニーが あなたの ペンションに いきます。
- (J): Sutefanih' ga anata no penshon ni iki-masu.
- (E): Stephanie comes to your pension. (= Stephanie moves to your pension.)
- Case 6b
- (K): ステファニーが あなたの ペンションに きます。
- (J): Sutefanih' ga anata no penshon ni ki-masu.
- (E): Stephanie comes to your pension. (= Stephanie moves to your pension.)
- Case 6c
- (K): ステファニーが あなたの ペンションに いきました。
- (J): Sutefanih' ga anata no penshon ni iki-mashita.
- (E): Stephanie came to your pension. (= Stephanie moved to your pension.)
Japanese has several verbs in order to express giving.
It uses different verbs for each directions,
from the speaker to the listener, from the listener to the speaker.
the diagram of the giving verbs
| English | other people | "give" → | the speaker's side (*1) | "give" → | the listener | "give" → | other people
|
| Japanese | "kureru" → | "ageru" → | "ageru" →
|
|---|
| English | ← "give" | ← "give" | ← "give"
|
|---|
| Japanese | ← "ageru" | ← "kureru" | ← "kureru" (*2)
|
|---|
"Ageru" is conjugated as a weak verb, "kureru" is conjugated as weak verb, too. The meaning of both is "to give".
Another giving verb, "yaru", who is a strong verb, has the same usage with "ageru".
However, the honorific level is different. you should use "ageru" for general usages.
You should not use the verb "yaru" at least when respectable people are the subject of this verb.
- (*1) the speaker's side means the people who are near to the speaker.
Generally, they are the member of the speaker's family and the intimate friends.
- (*2) When other people give something to the listener, he/she is dealt with the speaker's side.
"Ageru" is still valid in this case.
- how to use "ageru" and "kureru"
- Case 1a
- (K): わたしが あなたに バッグを あげます。
- (J): Watashi ga anata ni baggu 'o age-masu.
- (E): I give you a bag.
- Case 1b
- (K): わたしが フィアンセに バッグを あげました。
- (J): Watashi ga fianse ni baggu 'o age-mashita.
- (E): I gave my fiance a bag.
- Case 1c
- (K): わたしが アシュリーに バッグを あげません。
- (J): Watashi ga Ashurih' ni baggu 'o age-masen.
- (E): I do not give Ashley a bag.
- Case 2a
- (K): フィアンセが わたしに バッグを くれます。
- (J): Fianse ga watashi ni baggu 'o kure-masu.
- (E): My fiance gives me a bag.
- Case 2b
- (K): わたしの フィアンセが あなたに バッグを あげました。
- (J): Watashi no fianse ga anata ni baggu 'o age-mashita.
- (E): My fiance gave you a bag.
- Case 2c
- (K): わたしの フィアンセが アシュリーに バッグを あげません。
- (J): Watashi no fianse ga Ashurih' ni baggu 'o age-masen.
- (E): My fiance does not give Ashley a bag.
- Case 3a
- (K): あなたが わたしに バッグを くれます。
- (J): Anata ga watashi baggu 'o kure-masu.
- (E): You give me a bag.
- Case 3b
- (K): あなたが わたしの フィアンセに バッグを くれました。
- (J): Anata ga watashi no fianse ni baggu 'o kure-mashita.
- (E): You gave my fiance a bag.
- Case 3c
- (K): あなたが アシュリーに バッグを あげません。
- (J): Anata ga Ashurih' ni baggu 'o age-masen.
- (E): You do not give Ashley a bag.
- Case 4a
- (K): アシュリーが わたしに バッグを くれます。
- (J): Ashley ga watashi baggu 'o kure-masu.
- (E): Ashley gives me a bag.
- Case 4b
- (K): アシュリーが わたしの フィアンセに バッグを くれました。
- (J): Ashurih' ga watashi no fianse ni baggu 'o kure-mashita.
- (E): Ashley gave my fiance a bag.
- Case 4c
- (K): アシュリーが あなたに バッグを あげません。
- (J): Ashurih' ga anata ni baggu 'o age-masen.
- (E): Ashley does not give you a bag.
- Case 4d
- (K): アシュリーが あなたに バッグを くれません。
- (J): Ashurih' ga anata ni baggu 'o kure-masen.
- (E): Ashley does not give you a bag.