# stem endings before commas



## Polak

How would one translate or view the stems of verbs before commas - most grammar books gloss over this issue.

As far as I have learned -te forms, plain verbs or polite verbforms (-masu / o-desu, o-suru) can do this. There are no grammar books that treat this subject, but there is plaenty of evidence that stem forms do precede commas.

can anyone help please?


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## cheshire

What do you mean by "commas"?


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## Flaminius

Perhaps you mean something like this?

ki-o kezutte, ningyō-o tsukuru
wood-ACC grinding, doll-ACC make
Grinding wood, I make a doll.

Here, the _te_-form is used to establish a prior-posterior relationship with the main verb.  The action denoted by _te_-form happens before that of the main verb.  This relationship can at times be interpreted as a participial construction where the _te_-form is meant to express methods, means and conditions.


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## Polak

Here is an example of what I mean (I should have included an example earlier, so I apologise). The word mawari occurs before the comma - as do so many other verb stems.


しまうまは自由に走り*回り*，野ろばは砂漠平原を住みかとします。

I would just like to know how this form should be translated, please.


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## cheshire

You can translate your sentence just like the ordinary -te form, and see it to mean the same.
A merit of using the ending by a stem form is that it's a sign that the sentence doesn't end there (the same function as the -te form), and that it gives more formal feeling to the sentence (or sometimes it's used just to give some rhythm to it).


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## Polak

Thank you for your reply. You have certainly helped a great deal concerning this aspect of grammar. Does anyone know why this aspect is not discussed in grammar books ? At least, I have never seen it discussed in grammar books.


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## cheshire

I don't think it's a stem form (or a root form, a basic form, a dictionary form), but what we call 連用形. The second form is that.

mawar-*a*nai 回らない
mawar-*i*masu 回ります
mawar-*u　*回る
mawar-*e*ba　回れば
mawar-*o*u　回ろう


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## Polak

Thanks, are there any rules for using the "second form" or could you substitute the -te form for the "second form"?


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## cheshire

並列：猫はころが*り*、犬は寝転ぶ。
順序：朝七時に東京駅を*出*、午後九時に青森に到着する。

いずれも「て」の形でも代用できるけど、連用形を使ったほうが歯切れがよくなる（リズムがよくなる）ことが多いです。次の例もよい。

猫は転が*って*、犬は寝転ぶ。
朝七時に東京を出*て*、午後九時に青森に到着する。

もし日本語の説明でわからないところがあったらそう言ってください。


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## Polak

どうもありがとう助手様​​日本語のせつめいはよくわかりました​ よ。 助手様のアドバイスはとても役に立ちましたね。日本語を読むことは長いあいだですからこの方もは 有利だと思います。​
​ 
へいでん (ポウラク)


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## I_like_my_TV

cheshire said:
			
		

> I don't think it's a stem form (or a root form, a basic form, a dictionary form), but what we call 連用形. The second form is that.


In the West, this stem is often referred to, and taught as, the _masu_-stem (= the stem with which you make the _masu_-form), which is easier for non-Japanese to understand.


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## cheshire

Thanks for that, I_like_my_TV.
Then, what do you call for example "mawar-" "kak-" "iw-" "omow-" in English?
Radical? Root? Don't you call it "stem"?


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## Polak

Dear All

I thank you for your answers, they have helped very much. I do think however, there is far too much argument over semantics on these site. Surely the important point is the clarification of the principle, or maybe I am missing the point too.
Thank you all for your input.


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## I_like_my_TV

cheshire said:
			
		

> Then, what do you call for example "mawar-" "kak-" "iw-" "omow-" in English?
> Radical? Root? Don't you call it "stem"?


I'd call it the _nai_-stem, which is the stem from which the _nai_-form (and others) is made. So, basically I'd use just two terms "stem" & "form" when talking about inflection (to make it less confusing for learners).


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