Part 5 · Judgement and nuance · Lesson 50

Verb endings that add meaning: すぎる, やすい, がち, 始める and friends

A group of endings added to the stem of a verb or adjective: too much (すぎる), easy and hard (やすい, にくい), tendency (がち), begin and finish (始める, 終わる), continue (続ける), and 'ish' (っぽい).

About 5 minutes to read

Many useful meanings come from attaching a word to the polite stem of a verb (the part before ます). They all conjugate like the word they add.

すぎる: too much

Stem + すぎる = "do too much". For adjectives: stem (without い) + すぎる.

食たべeatすぎたtoo much

I ate too much.

この部屋へやroomは暑あつhotすぎるtoo

This room is too hot.

彼かれheは静しずかquietすぎるtoo

He is too quiet.

やすい / にくい: easy and hard

Stem + やすい = "easy to...". Stem + にくい = "hard to...".

このペンは書かきwriteやすいeasy to

This pen is easy to write with.

この靴くつshoesは歩あるきwalkにくいhard to

These shoes are hard to walk in.

分わかりunderstandやすいeasy to説明せつめいexplanation

an easy-to-understand explanation

Both are い-adjectives, so you can say 書きやすかった, 書きにくくない.

がち: tendency

Stem + がち = "tends to (usually bad)":

彼かれheは遅おくれbe lateがちtends toだ

He tends to be late.

病気びょうきillnessがちproneな人ひとperson

a person who is often ill

始める, 終わる, 続ける: stages

Ending	Meaning	Example
〜始める	begin to	食べ始める
〜出す	burst into	泣き出す
〜続ける	continue to	歩き続ける
〜終わる	finish	読み終わる
〜終える	finish (deliberate)	読み終える
〜かける	halfway through	食べかける
〜直す	redo	書き直す
〜過ぎる	exceed	食べ過ぎる
〜合う	each other	話し合う
〜忘れる	forget to	言い忘れる
〜込む	into	乗り込む

雨あめrainが降ふりfall始はじめたbegan

It began to rain.

彼かれheは急きゅうにsuddenly泣なきcry出だしたburst out

He suddenly burst out crying.

本ほんbookを読よみread終おわったfinished

I finished reading the book.

毎日まいにちevery day走はしりrun続つづけてcontinueいる

I keep running every day.

方: the way to

Stem + 方 (かた) = "the way of doing":

読よみread方かたwayを教おしえてteachください

Please teach me how to read it.

作つくりmake方かたway

how to make it

っぽい: -ish

Noun / stem + っぽい = "-ish, having the feel of":

子供こどもchildっぽい-ish

childish

忘わすれforgetっぽいprone to

forgetful

白しろwhiteっぽいwhitish服ふくclothes

whitish clothes

そう: seems about to

Stem + そう = "looks as if it will". (See the lesson on guessing.)

今いまにもat any moment泣なきcryそうlooks likeだ

He looks like he's about to cry.

たて: freshly

Stem + たて = "freshly done":

焼やきbakeたてfreshlyのパン

freshly baked bread

Longer sentences

Stem endings turn a whole story of an action into a single compound verb.

彼かれはhe朝あさからsince morning本ほんをbook読よみ始はじめbegan reading昼ひるをlunch食たべるのもeating忘わすれてforgetting夕方ゆうがたまでuntil evening読よみ続つづけてkept readingとうとうfinally読よみ終おえたfinished readingときにはby the time目めがeyes疲つかれすぎてtoo tired開あけにくくなっていたhad become hard to keep open

He started the book in the morning, forgot to eat lunch, kept reading until evening, and by the time he finally finished it his eyes were so tired they were hard to keep open.

Describing an experience

昨日きのうyesterday初はじめてfor the first time着物きものをkimono着きてみたがtried wearing, but帯おびがobi締しめにくくてhard to tie and歩あるきにくいhard to walk inうえにon top of that食たべ過すぎるとif you eat too much苦くるしくなりやすいeasy to become uncomfortableのでso一日中いちにちじゅうall day動うごきたくなくなったstopped wanting to move

Yesterday I tried wearing a kimono for the first time, and the obi was hard to tie, it was hard to walk in, and it was easy to feel uncomfortable if I ate too much, so I didn't want to move all day.

Key points

すぎる too much; やすい / にくい easy / hard; がち tendency.
始める / 続ける / 終わる / 出す mark the stages of an action.
方 = the way of doing.
っぽい = -ish; たて = freshly.
All attach to the polite stem, and conjugate like the word they add.

Drill these patterns

Short example sentences for the points in this lesson: