Movement verbs in Japanese

Level A1

Movement verbs in Japanese

Japanese puts the verb at the end of a sentence, often leaves out an understood subject, and uses the same verb form for I, you, and they; the nonpast forms here describe habits or future actions, while いる can describe a state that holds now, and an action happening now usually needs a different form. Plain forms such as 来る are common with close friends and family, while polite forms such as 来ます are common with unfamiliar people or in polite conversation; the ending shows the level of politeness, so 子どもたちが庭でジャンプする is plain and ここで左に曲がります is polite. Small words after nouns show their role: に marks a destination or someone's location, で marks where an action happens or a means of transport, を marks an object, と marks a companion, and まで means “as far as” or “until.” The examples combine 歩いて or 走って with 行く or 来る to express going or coming on foot or at a run, though 歩く and 走る can also express movement to a destination without those verbs; 持ってくる brings things and 連れてくる brings people, 戻る means go back and 返す means give back, 落ちる describes falling downward and 転ぶ describes falling over, and いる describes a person or animal being or staying somewhere.

Everyday movement verbs in their dictionary forms

  • 来(く)るcome
  • 歩(ある)くwalk
  • 走(はし)るrun
  • 持(も)ってくるbring
  • 戻(もど)るreturn
  • 返(かえ)すgive back
  • 旅行(りょこう)するtravel
  • 落(お)ちる／転(ころ)ぶfall
  • ジャンプするjump
  • いるstay
  • 曲(ま)がるturn

Come, walk, run, go back and travel

（人は）時間・場所・行き先・手段・同行者を表す部分 来(く)る／ほかの移動を表す述語。

持ってくる for things, 連れてくる for people

（人は）物・人を行き先に持(も)ってくる／連れてくる。

返す: give something back

人や物を表す話題は時間を表す部分（返す物を）返(かえ)す。

Fall down, fall over and jump

人・動物・物は／が場所・行き先・条件を表す部分 落ちる／転ぶ／ジャンプする。

いる: stay somewhere, with まで for “until”

（人は）時間を表す部分 場所にいる。

曲がる: where to turn and which direction to take

（人は）場所で方向に曲(ま)がる。

来る and 持ってくる: dictionary and polite forms

来る — come持ってくる — bring
来(く)る持(も)ってくる
来ます持ってきます

A casual conversation about a regular visit

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