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a useful trick in learning Japanese verbs

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Tokyo, 2010.08.30

Today my Japanese tutor showed me a surprisingly effective matrix trick for learning Japanese.

Japanese verbs have man forms. You can see a list of them here. The basics, however, are only really five or six. What I learned today was a way of ordering them that helps you keep them straight and to in fact remember them.

This system places the "group 1" verbs in a matrix with the alternate endings listed in alphabetical (syllabary?) order as such:

volitional
verb

root

pre-suffixendingusage
ないinformal negative
ます/ませんpolite positive/negative
n/adictionary/informal
ませ/ませんpassive

By aligning these verbs through what I call the "pre-suffix" above, you can easily remember the forms..

rand()m quote

Some people talk about living every day like it might be their last. Maybe that's good advice. Carpe diem and all that. But perhaps it's better to try to live every day like it might be everyone's last. If there are people in your life who are important to you, let them know...

—Mark Bedford (quote taken from posting to fray.com)