#37 Japanese verb. ~ The usage of past form ~

2019. 1. 31

Hi everyone.

How are you?

It's kÜshi.

I explained how to make past and complete form

in the last time.

So today I explain how to use the form.

It's not really "past" form.

You'd understand that in the end.

So let's go!

🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵

The past and complete form is usually translated as

"I've already done" or as just a past form.

It depends on the situation.

But the range of the usage is wider than English.

For example,

・この 映画 見た？
/kono ei-ga mi-ta?/
...Have you watched this movie yet?
...Did you watched this movie?

→この means "this"

→映画 means "movie"

→見た is a complete and past form of 見る, which means to watch/see

・これ を 作った
/kore o tsuku-tta/
... I've already made this
...I made this

→これ means "this''

→作った is a complete and past form of 作る,
which means to make.

・本 を 読んだ
/hon o yo-mda/
... I've already read the book
...I read the book (past form)

→本 means "a book"

→読んだ is a complete and past form of 読む, which means to read

・彼は日本に行った
/kare wa ni-hon ni i-tta/
...He has already gone to Japan
...He went to Japan

→彼 means "he"

→日本に means "to Japan"

→行った is a complete and past form of 行く, which means to go.

As you can see, there's no difference between

complete form and past form.

So it's simple but it's sometimes confusing because

of its simpleness.

You would wonder which from should be translated to.

To make difference between the complete form and

past form, you can use the word もう.

If you say もう in the sentence, you can make the

complete form.

For example:
Compare with the sentences above.

・もうこの映画見た？
/mou kono ei-ga mita?/
...Have you watched this movie?

・もうこれ作った
/mou kore tsuku-tta/
... I've already made this

・もう本読んだ
/mou hon yo-mda/
... I've already read the book

・もう彼は日本に行った
/mou kare wa ni-hon ni i-tta/
...He has already gone to Japan.

That's simple!

もう can be put anywhere like this:

もう彼は日本に行った
彼はもう日本に行った
彼は日本にもう行った

but this is strange for some reason:

彼は日本に行ったもう

So this is the basically usage of past and complete form.

All you have to do is get used to it, so don't hurry to

remember perfectly.

Exercises for practice.

Translate the following sentences:

1. 夜ご飯食べた
/yoru-go-han ta-beta/

Tips:
夜ご飯... dinner
食べた… made from 食べる, which means to eat

2. もう宿題した？
/mou shuku-dai shita?/

Tips:
宿題…homework
した...made from する, which means to do

3. そのテレビ見た？
/sono terebi mi-ta?/

Tips:
テレビ...TV
見た...made from 見る, which means to see/watch

テレビを見る means to watch something on TV, not

to watch the TV.

4. 充分した
/juu-bun shita/

Tips:
充分… enough

5. 公園に行った？
/kou-en ni i-tta?/

Tips:
公園…a park
行った...made from 行く, which means to go

~ Answer ~

1.
I had dinner.
I've already had dinner

2.
Have you done your homework yet?

3.
Did you watch that on TV?
Have you watched that on TV yet?

4.
I did enough
I've already done enough

5.
Did you go to the park?
Have you gone to the park yet? (On the phone, for instance)

The second English sounds a little strange, right?

Actually we don't usually say 公園に行った？ to

mean "have you gone to the park yet?", but say

"もう公園にいる？", which means "are you in the

park yet?"

Os that's all today.

Thank you so much for reading!

Ask me if you have any questions.

I hope this helps you.

See you next time!