View Full Version : u-verb, ru-verb, and uru-verb
nekocat
Jul 8, 2007, 18:49
u-verb: 四段活用
ru-verb: 上一段活用、下一段活用
uru-verb: カ行変格活用(カ変)、サ行変格活用(サ変)
I believe *most* Japanese learners outside of Japan are taught the left version, and most of them don't know the names of 四段活用、上一段活用, etc.
Is it true? Do you know what they (the right version) mean?
Mikawa Ossan
Jul 8, 2007, 18:51
I originally learned Japanese by the so-called Jordan Method. They had what I believe they called "consonant verbals" and "vowel verbals". I forgot pretty much as soon as I learned, though. I hated the Jordan Method.
JimmySeal
Jul 8, 2007, 18:53
Don't you mean 五段活用?
And I've never heard the term uru-verb.
Supervin
Jul 8, 2007, 19:05
u-verb: 四段活用
ru-verb: 上一段活用、下一段活用
uru-verb: カ行変格活用(カ変)、サ行変格活用(サ変)
I believe *most* Japanese learners outside of Japan are taught the left version, and most of them don't know the names of 四段活用、上一段活用, etc.
Is it true? Do you know what they (the right version) mean?
I believe so - it is probably standard in textbooks to be taught verbs in the manner of 'the left version'.
Labeling can starkly vary though. For myself, I came across this set of labeling:
regular group i
regular group ii
irregular group
(Although that being said, -u, -ru and -uru labeling does seem more logical though in respect to the nature of the verbs.)
Can you please elaborate on 'the right version'?
At my school, we have Group I (走る), Group II (なめる), and Group III verbs. Before I came, I used the 五段, 一段, and whatever the する/来る verbs were called.
サ行変格活用 and カ行変格活用, respectively (also abbreviated to サ変 and カ変, respectively).
RockLee
Jul 9, 2007, 02:12
And I've never heard the term uru-verb.Neither have I. :souka:
Elizabeth
Jul 9, 2007, 04:10
Neither have I. :souka:
I haven't either. It isn't particularly logical, though, since there are a few others that end in uru besides くる、する。When there's already the ambiguity (more like problem) of "ru" verbs in Group 1.
JimmySeal
Jul 9, 2007, 10:29
The first time I saw the term "u-verb," I was confused. I thought, "Don't they all end in -u?" I don't like that term. The book I used had the term "vowel verb" for ˆê’i and "consonant verb" for ŒÜ’i (I guess because their respective stems end in vowels and consonants). But no English term I've seen for them is very good in my opinion and I like to stick to the Japanese terms.
yukio_michael
Jul 9, 2007, 11:48
I originally learned Japanese by the so-called Jordan Method. They had what I believe they called "consonant verbals" and "vowel verbals". I forgot pretty much as soon as I learned, though. I hated the Jordan Method.You mean you learned from the Princeton writings of Elenor Harz Jordan? If so, that must have been painful!
nekocat
Jul 9, 2007, 14:21
The first time I saw the term "u-verb," I was confused. I thought, "Don't they all end in -u?" I don't like that term. The book I used had the term "vowel verb" for �ê�i and "consonant verb" for �Ü�i (I guess because their respective stems end in vowels and consonants). But no English term I've seen for them is very good in my opinion and I like to stick to the Japanese terms.
I like "-u/-ru/-uru verbs", the right version is based on the false assumption that
五段活用 verbs have a root ending with a vowel.
82riceballs
Jul 12, 2007, 00:06
i've never really heard of hte "-u/-ru/-uru verbs" either. i've never (or not yet) heard about different groups of verbs in my textbook, Japanese for Young People.
online japanese is a different case. for some reason, i learned abt the godan, ichidan, and suru/kuru online, but not in textbooks. it's as if textbooks try to avoic using specific terms that'll confuse students.
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