Re: Does "desu" have a "dictionary form"?

From: Bart Mathias (bartmathias_at_verizon.net)
Date: 10/01/04 

Date: Fri, 01 Oct 2004 01:50:24 GMT

guy-jin wrote:
> "Joshua A. Reyer" <reyer@benchsumo.zzn.com> wrote in message news:<u6qdnej7q4LMnMHcRVn-gA@comcast.com>...
>
>
>>Desu is can of worms. In Japanese grammar it is considered a jodoushi,
>>an auxilliary verb. Some English textbooks refer to it as a copula. It
>>operates quite differently than verbs,
>
>
> How so?

One of the most important things is that verbs' arguments are marked by
particles attached to their ends: -ga, -wo, -ni, -kara, etc. Some of
them may be dropped, but it is always possible to pause between an
argument word and the verb.

-desu on the other hand attaches directly to a word or phrase and turns
it into a predicating word. No pause allowed.

Bart

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Does "desu" have a "dictionary form"?
    ... Some English textbooks refer to it as a copula. ... argument word and the verb. ... No pause allowed. ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Conjucation of "to be"
    ... > です is a copula and doesn't technically count as a verb. ... I'm not sure if what i was aiming ... their souls be chased by demons in Gehenna from one room to ...
    (sci.lang.japan)
  • Re: Conjucation of "to be"
    ... Konrad Den Ende wrote: ... > table for that verb but to my big surprise i found that i ... Which verb "to be" are you after: ... です is a copula and doesn't technically count as a verb. ...
    (sci.lang.japan)
  • Re: Conjucation of "to be"
    ... > Konrad Den Ende wrote: ... >>table for that verb but to my big surprise i found that i ... > です is a copula and doesn't technically count as a verb. ...
    (sci.lang.japan)