notes

  • Japanese has two kinds of words
    • unchangeable: nouns, noun-like entities, conjunctions, etc.
    • changeable words: verbs, adjectives, copula (the three engine words)
      • nothing changes in the base forms of these words except for the last kana
      • these words all change according to the stem helper system
        • 「た」 and 「て」 are regarding as helpers that attach to word stems
  • the 「て」 stem of verbs
last kana change attach to
う、つ、る っ て
ぬ、ぶ、む ん た
く、ぐ い たら
す し たり
  • adjective stems
last kana change attach to
い く て、ない
  かっ た、たら、たり
  かれ ば
  ０ そう、がる、すぎる
  • copula stems (also 「で」 and 「な」)
last kana change attach to
だ っ た、たら、たり
  ろ う

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