An introduction to Japanese - Syntax, Grammar & Language

3.1. REVISITS AND SIMPLE INFLECTIONS 95

semi-formal seĴings preferred to the simpler negative continuative, which
for our example sentence would be:

”I didn’t eat (my) breakfast and came (over).”

We will look at continuative forms in detail later on in this chapter.

3.1.6 In summary

With the knowledge of what does, we can now (finally) look at the com-
plete inflection schemes in terms of plain and polite, present and past, and
affirmative and negative forms. First off, ; since is inherently po-
lite, it only has four forms we need to know:

affirmative negative

present +

past + + +

Second,. This too is inherently polite, so again we see four
forms, two of which are contractions with corresponding full form:

affirmative negative

present

past

Then,. As this is the plain counterpart to , it has no inherent
politeness forms, although two forms are contractions with corresponding
full form. However, because the negative forms relies on , and is
a verbal adjective, and verbal adjectives can be made polite by following
up with , this copula too can be made polite (at least for its negative
forms) by adding. It will make the inflection politer than plain form,
but not as polite as the corresponding negative form for itself.