An introduction to Japanese - Syntax, Grammar & Language

140 CHAPTER 3. MORE GRAMMAR

Short potential: +

The short potential form is called ”short” because it is simply a lot shorter

than the full + version of the potential. However, in modern

Japanese, this construction only exists for verbs. For verbs, the

only grammatically correct potential form is the potential form. To

create the short potential form, the is paired with the verb

,

meaning ”to acquire”, to form an ”aĴainable” form of verbs.

In this combination, the final –row syllable of the for

verbs has become contracted with the sound from over the course

of history, becoming an –row syllable instead. To illustrate:

verb meaning classical inflection contracting via modern inflection

read

While this construction in modern Japanese is a contraction, there

are a handful of verbs in which this contraction never occurred, and as

such are still in use today in the uncontracted form. Verbs such as

(from ) or
(from , ”to occur”) are examples of this.
Interestingly, this potential form can also be seen in certain modern
verbs that have traditionally been paired with , such as
, ”to (be

able to) see”, from the verb , or^

, ”(be able to) boil”, from

the verb.

Just like with the potential form, verbs placed in this short

potential form become intransitive, which means that technically they can

only be used in relation to subjects, and no longer in relation to direct ob-

jects.