{"id":266,"date":"2017-10-16T14:14:45","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T18:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guidetojapanese.org\/learn\/?p=266"},"modified":"2017-10-17T14:07:32","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T18:07:32","slug":"unintended-actions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guidetojapanese.org\/learn\/grammar\/unintended","title":{"rendered":"Unintended Actions"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the first of many useful tools that will become essential in your day-to-day conversations. We will now learn how to express an action that has taken place unintentionally often with unsatisfactory results. This is primarily done by the verb \u300c\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d. Let’s look at an example.<\/p>\n

Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. \u5eb7\u4ecb \u3010\u3053\u3046\u30fb\u3059\u3051\u3011 – Kousuke (first name)<\/li>\n
  2. \u5bbf\u984c \u3010\u3057\u3085\u304f\u30fb\u3060\u3044\u3011 – homework<\/li>\n
  3. \u3084\u308b (u-verb) – to do<\/li>\n
  4. \u3057\u307e\u3046 (u-verb) – to do something by accident; to finish completely<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u5eb7\u4ecb<\/span>\uff1a\u5bbf\u984c<\/span>\u3092\u3084\u3063\u305f<\/span>\uff1f
    \nKousuke: Did you do homework?<\/p>\n

    \u30a2\u30ea\u30b9\uff1a\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305f<\/span><\/em>\uff01
    \nAlice: Oh no! (I screwed up!)<\/p>\n

    Using \u300c\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d with other verbs<\/h2>\n

    Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. \u3057\u307e\u3046 (u-verb) – to do something by accident; to finish completely<\/li>\n
    2. \u305d\u306e – that \uff08abbr. of \u305d\u308c\u306e\uff09<\/li>\n
    3. \u30b1\u30fc\u30ad – cake<\/li>\n
    4. \u5168\u90e8 \u3010\u305c\u3093\u30fb\u3076\u3011 – everything<\/li>\n
    5. \u98df\u3079\u308b \u3010\u305f\u30fb\u3079\u308b\u3011 (ru-verb) – to eat<\/li>\n
    6. \u6bce\u65e5 \u3010\u307e\u3044\u30fb\u306b\u3061\u3011 – everyday<\/li>\n
    7. \u30ad\u30ed – kilo<\/li>\n
    8. \u592a\u308b \u3010\u3075\u3068\u30fb\u308b\u3011 (u-verb) – to become fatter<\/li>\n
    9. \u3061\u3083\u3093\u3068 – properly<\/li>\n
    10. \u75e9\u305b\u308b \u3010\u3084\u30fb\u305b\u308b\u3011 (ru-verb) – to become thin<\/li>\n
    11. \u7d50\u5c40 \u3010\u3051\u3063\u30fb\u304d\u3087\u304f\u3011 – eventually<\/li>\n
    12. \u5acc \u3010\u3044\u3084\u3011 (na-adj) disagreeable; unpleasant<\/li>\n
    13. \u3053\u3068 – event, matter<\/li>\n
    14. \u3059\u308b (exception) – to do<\/li>\n
    15. \u3054\u3081\u3093 – sorry<\/li>\n
    16. \u5f85\u3064 \u3010\u307e\u30fb\u3064\u3011 (u-verb) – to wait<\/li>\n
    17. \u91d1\u9b5a \u3010\u304d\u3093\u30fb\u304e\u3087\u3011 – goldfish<\/li>\n
    18. \u3082\u3046 – already<\/li>\n
    19. \u6b7b\u306c \u3010\u3057\u30fb\u306c\u3011 (u-verb) – to die<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      When \u300c\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d is used in this sense, it is normal to attach it to the te-form of another verb to express an action that is done or happened unintentionally. As is common with this type of grammar, the tense is decided by the tense of \u300c\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \u305d\u306e<\/span>\u30b1\u30fc\u30ad<\/span>\u3092\u5168\u90e8<\/span>\u98df\u3079\u3066<\/span><\/em>\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305f<\/span>\u3002
        \nOops, I ate that whole cake.\n<\/li>\n
      2. \u6bce\u65e5<\/span>\u30b1\u30fc\u30ad<\/span>\u3092\u98df\u3079\u3066<\/span>\u3001\uff12\u30ad\u30ed<\/span>\u592a\u3063\u3066<\/span><\/em>\u3057\u307e\u3044\u307e\u3057\u305f<\/span>\u3002
        \nI ate cake everyday and I (unintentionally) gained two kilograms.\n<\/li>\n
      3. \u3061\u3083\u3093\u3068<\/span>\u98df\u3079\u306a\u3044<\/span>\u3068\u3001\u75e9\u305b\u3066<\/span><\/em>\u3057\u307e\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/span>\u3088\u3002
        \nIf you don’t eat properly, you’ll (unintentionally) lose weight you know.\n<\/li>\n
      4. \u7d50\u5c40<\/span>\u3001\u5acc<\/span>\u306a\u3053\u3068<\/span>\u3092\u3055\u305b\u3066<\/span><\/em>\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305f<\/span>\u3002
        \nIn the end, I (unintentionally) made [someone] do something distasteful.\n<\/li>\n
      5. \u3054\u3081\u3093<\/span>\u3001\u5f85\u305f\u305b\u3066<\/span><\/em>\u3057\u307e\u3063\u3066<\/span>\uff01
        \nSorry about (unintentionally) making you wait!\n<\/li>\n
      6. \u91d1\u9b5a<\/span>\u304c\u3082\u3046<\/span>\u6b7b\u3093\u3067<\/span><\/em>\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305f<\/span>\u3002
        \nThe goldfish died already (oops).\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Using the casual version of \u300c\uff5e\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d<\/h2>\n

        Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
          \n
        1. \u3057\u307e\u3046 (u-verb) – to do something by accident; to finish completely<\/li>\n
        2. \u91d1\u9b5a \u3010\u304d\u3093\u30fb\u304e\u3087\u3011 – goldfish<\/li>\n
        3. \u3082\u3046 – already<\/li>\n
        4. \u6b7b\u306c \u3010\u3057\u30fb\u306c\u3011 (u-verb) – to die<\/li>\n
        5. \u5e30\u308b \u3010\u304b\u3048\u30fb\u308b\u3011 (u-verb) – to go home<\/li>\n
        6. \u3044\u3044 (i-adj) – good<\/li>\n
        7. \u7686 \u3010\u307f\u3093\u306a\u3011 – everybody<\/li>\n
        8. \u3069\u3063\u304b – somewhere \uff08abbr. of \u3069\u3053\u304b\uff09<\/li>\n
        9. \u884c\u304f \u3010\u3044\u30fb\u304f\u3011 (u-verb) – to go<\/li>\n
        10. \u305d\u308d\u305d\u308d – gradually; soon<\/li>\n
        11. \u9045\u3044 \u3010\u304a\u305d\u30fb\u3044\u3011 (i-adj) – late<\/li>\n
        12. \u306a\u308b (u-verb) – to become<\/li>\n
        13. \u307e\u305f – again<\/li>\n
        14. \u9045\u523b \u3010\u3061\u30fb\u3053\u304f\u3011 – tardiness<\/li>\n
        15. \u3059\u308b (exception) – to do<\/li>\n
        16. \u3054\u3081\u3093 – sorry<\/li>\n
        17. \u3064\u3044 – just (now); unintentionally<\/li>\n
        18. \u304a\u524d \u3010\u304a\u30fb\u307e\u3048\u3011 – you (casual)<\/li>\n
        19. \u547c\u3076 \u3010\u3088\u30fb\u3076\u3011 (u-verb) – to call<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          In casual speech, the \u300c\uff5e\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d is often substituted by \u300c\uff5e\u3061\u3083\u3046\u300d while \u300c\uff5e\u3067\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d is substituted by \u300c\u3058\u3083\u3046\u300d. Both \u300c\uff5e\u3061\u3083\u3046\u300d and \u300c\uff5e\u3058\u3083\u3046\u300d conjugate just like regular u-verbs.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \u91d1\u9b5a<\/span>\u304c\u3082\u3046<\/span>\u6b7b\u3093<\/span>\u3058\u3083\u3063\u305f<\/em>\u3002
            \nThe goldfish died already.\n<\/li>\n
          2. \u3082\u3046<\/span>\u5e30\u3063\u3061\u3083\u3063\u3066<\/em><\/span>\u3044\u3044<\/span>\uff1f
            \nIs it ok if I went home already?\n<\/li>\n
          3. \u307f\u3093\u306a<\/span>\u3001\u3069\u3063\u304b<\/span>\u884c\u3063\u3061\u3083\u3063\u305f<\/em><\/span>\u3088\u3002
            \nEverybody went off somewhere.\n<\/li>\n
          4. \u305d\u308d\u305d\u308d<\/span>\u9045\u304f\u306a\u3063\u3061\u3083\u3046<\/em><\/span>\u3088\u3002
            \nIt’ll gradually become late, you know.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            There is yet another very colloquial version of \u300c\uff5e\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d and \u300c\uff5e\u3067\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d where it is replaced by \u300c\uff5e\u3061\u307e\u3046\u300d and \u300c\uff5e\u3058\u307e\u3046\u300d respectively. Unlike the cuter \u300c\uff5e\u3061\u3083\u3046\u300d and \u300c\uff5e\u3058\u3083\u3046\u300d slang, this version conjures an image of rough and coarse middle-aged man.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. \u307e\u305f<\/span>\u9045\u523b<\/span>\u3057\u3061\u307e\u3063\u305f<\/span><\/em>\u3088\u3002
              \nDarn, I’m late again.\n<\/li>\n
            2. \u3054\u3081\u3093<\/span>\u3001\u3064\u3044<\/span>\u304a\u524d<\/span>\u3092\u547c\u3093\u3058\u307e\u3063\u305f<\/em><\/span>\u3002
              \nSorry, I just ended up calling you unconsciously.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Another meaning of \u300c\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d<\/h2>\n

              Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
                \n
              1. \u3057\u307e\u3046 (u-verb) – to do something by accident; to finish completely<\/li>\n
              2. \u5bbf\u984c \u3010\u3057\u3085\u304f\u30fb\u3060\u3044\u3011 – homework<\/li>\n
              3. \u3084\u308b (u-verb) – to do<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                You may have noticed that \u300c\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d has another definition meaning “to finish something completely”. You may want to consider this a totally separate verb from the \u300c\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d we have covered so far. Occasionally but not usually, \u300c\u3057\u307e\u3046<\/span>\u300d will have this meaning rather than the unintended action.<\/p>\n