AND NOW I HAVE THE SUDDEN URGE TO BREAK DOWN A VERB. SO I WILL.
The complete word is Todokimasu ka? Which means "will it reach you?". Here's how we break it down. Todoki is the complete verb. It's in base two, which will be explained later in this post <3. I'm not quite sure what the word is in base 3 (the infinitive form or "to form" [i.e. "To be" is the infinitive of the verb "I am"] ) So we'll just leave it at Todosu. It
is a Godan verb, which will be explained later in the post as well. The special verb ending, which edits the meaning of the verb is -masu, making it a polite form of the future tense. Then the particle is -ka. I've already explained particles, so just add this to the list. The particle makes it a question (You've seen it in Tifa's first post, with desu which I believe means to be.) Therefore, you can break down the two words to make it into a question meaning "will it reach you" YEAH! We've just broken down a verb. Let's learn some. I will start with Godan verbs, which are a majority of the verbs...
(once again, lesson credits
www.freejapaneselessons.com )
Now, before you can start making up sentences of your own, you need to learn how to conjugate verbs. Verbs are the most important part of the Japanese sentence. Often times Japanese people will leave out everything but the verb.
They are very big on leaving out the obvious and sometimes not so obvious which can get confusing at times. There are only 3 types of verbs in the Japanese language and they each follow a pattern that is very simple and very rarely has any exceptions. Most Japanese verbs fall into the first group, the Godan (五段 ) verbs. These verbs always conjugate the same with only one exception that I can think of. These verbs have five changes that follow the order of the Japanese vowels, hence the name Godan (meaning 5 levels or steps), and then the "te" and "ta" forms that are common to all verbs. Here's an example:
The verb is "hanasu" which means "to speak" (i.e. watashi wa hanashi "I am speaking")
Kanji Hiragana Romaji Base name
話さ はなさ hanasa Base 1
話し はなし hanashi Base 2
話す はなす hanasu Base 3
話せ はなせ hanase Base 4
話そう はなそう hanasou Base 5
話して はなして hanashite Base "te"
話した はなした hanashita Base "ta"
Base 1: Base 1 can not be used by itself but becomes the plain form negative simply by adding -nai. (ex. hanasanai - I won't say anything.) If the verb ends in う (u) then the end for Base 1 becomes わ (wa). (ex. au (Base 1) -> awa)
(Plain form is what people use when talking to a friend. It would not be proper to use in a business environment. We will go over the polite form in lesson 5.)
Base 2: Base 2 is, in most cases, a noun when used by itself but is primarily used with the formal form of the verb.
Base 3: Base 3 is the inifinitive form (the one that would be found in the dictionary) and is also the plain form present/future tense.
Base 4: Base 4 is most often used as "if verb" by adding -ba. (ex. hanaseba - If he'd just say something.) It can also be used by itself as a command form but it is extremely rude and I recommend not using it at all.
Base 5: Base 5 is used by itself as the "let's" form. (ex. hanasou - Let's talk.) We will get into other ways it's used in later lessons.
Base "te": Base "te" can be used by itself as a plain form command. It is not rude but should only be used with close friends and children. By adding kudasai it becomes the polite form command. Base "te" can also be used in other ways that we will get into in later lessons.
Base "ta": Base "ta" is merely Base "te" with an "a" sound on the end instead of an "e" sound. It is mainly used by itself as the plain form past tense. (ex. hanashita - I talked.) We will get into other ways it's used in later lessons.
Notice: There is one thing that you'll need to learn in order to conjugate the "te" and "ta" forms correctly, however. Basically, for all Godan verbs ending in う (u), つ (tsu), or る (ru); the う (u), つ (tsu), or る (ru) becomes っ て (tte) in the "te" form andっ た (tta) in the "ta" form. (ex. katsu (to win) -> katte (Win!), katta (We won!))
For all Godan verbs ending in ぶ (bu), む (mu), or ぬ (nu); the ぶ (bu), む (mu), or ぬ (nu) becomes ん で (nde) in the "te" form and ん だ (nda) in the "ta" form. (ex. yomu (to read -> yonde (Read it.), yonda (I read it.))
For all Godan verbs ending in く (ku), the く (ku) becomes い て (ite) in the "te" form and い た (ita) in the "ta" form. (ex. aruku (to walk) -> aruite (Walk!), aruita (I walked here.)) (The only exception I know of is for iku (to go) which becomes いって, い っ た (itte/itta). I have no idea why.)
For all Godan verbs ending in ぐ (gu), the ぐ (gu) becomes い で (ide) in the "te" form and い だ (ida) in the "ta" form. (ex. oyogu (to swim) -> oyoide (Swim!), oyoida (I swam.))
For all Godan verbs ending in す (su), the す (su) becomes し て (shite) in the "te" form and し た (shita) in the "ta" form. (ex. hanasu (to talk) -> hanashite (Say something!), hanashita (I talked (to him).))
Here are some Godan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just learned.
YEY VERB EXAMPLES. THESE ARE COMMONLY USED <3
Kanji Hiragana Romaji Meaning
会 う あ う au to meet
勝 つ か つ katsu to win
売 る う る uru to sell
遊 ぶ あ そ ぶ asobu to play
飲 む の む nomu to drink
死 ぬ し ぬ shinu to die
歩 く あ る く aruku to walk
泳 ぐ お よ ぐ oyogu to swim
消 す け す kesu to erase, turn off
行 く い く iku to go
(Remember the exception for Bases "te"and "ta")
AND NOW FOR ICHIDAN.
The second group of verbs are called Ichidan (一 段 ) verbs. It is usually an Ichidan verb if it ends with the sound "iru" or "eru". Some well used verbs which appear to be Ichidan but are really Godan are listed
here. Ichidan verbs also follow a simple conjugation pattern that is somewhat similar to that of the Godan verbs. Here's an example:
The verb is "to eat"
Kanji Hiragana Romaji Base
食 べ た べ tabe Base 1
食 べ た べ tabe Base 2
食 べ る た べ る taberu Base 3
食 べ れ た べ れ tabere Base 4
食 べ よ う た べ よ う tabeyou Base 5
食 べ て た べ て tabete Base "te"
食 べ た た べ た tabeta Base "ta"
Base 1 and Base 2: As you can see, Base 1 and 2 are the same. Just like with the Godan verbs, a negative can be made by adding -nai (ex. tabenai - I will not eat.) and this base, or root form, is also used for the form form of the verb.
Base 3: Base 3 is also the same as with Godan verbs.
Base 4: Base 4, however, can not be used by itself like with Godan verbs. It is only used for "if verb" by adding -ba. (ex. tabereba - If I eat it . . .) It is not the low command form for Ichidan verbs. The low command form for Ichidan verbs is Base 1 + ろ (ro).
Base 5: Base 5 is also the same as with Godan verbs.
Base "te" and Base "ta": The Base "te" and "ta" forms for Ichidan verbs is a lot easier than with Godan verbs. Simply take of the "ru" and add a "te" for Base "te" and a "ta" for Base "ta". These also have the same function as with Godan verbs.
Here are some Ichidan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just learned.
Kanji Hiragana Romaji Meaning
い る い る iru to exist (animate), to be somewhere
見 る み る miru to see
寝 る ね る neru to sleep
着 る き る kiru to wear, put on
出 来 る で き る dekiru can do
覚 え る お ぼ え る oboeru to remember
And there are also ONLY TWO IRREGULARS! That makes life so much easier, neh?
The first is "suru" which means "to do"
Kanji Hiragana Romaji Base
し し shi Base 1
し し shi Base 2
す る す る suru Base 3
す れ す れ sure Base 4
し よ う し よ う shiyou Base 5
し て し て shite Base "te"
し た し た shita Base "ta"
This is Kuru or "to come"
Kanji Hiragana romaji base
来 こ ko Base 1
来 き ki Base 2
来 る く る kuru Base 3
来 れ く れ kure Base 4
来 よ う こ よ う koyou Base 5
来 て き て kite Base "te"
来 た き た kita Base "ta"
Both of these also have a rude command form, suru's being "Shiro" and Kuru's being "koi" (which may look like the fish or the other word for love xD) And both should only be used with animals