It’s another Learning to Speak Japanese lesson and today’s lesson is ongoing actions.
Ongoing actions?
In English we can say:
“I am running”
Which simply means “I am in the middle of a run” or “I started running and I am still doing it”.
So how do we say this in Japanese?
Never fear! Your trusty Learning to Speak Japanese lesson is here to help!
Okay, what’s the verb for “run”?
Give up or got it?
It’s hashiru…
Get the -te form of the verb (the request form).
For hashiru it is hashitte.
The next step is easy.
Just add imasu (you know, the verb for “to be” or “to exist” for humans and animals?)
So, look at the following and their translations:
hashiru = dictionary form of “run”
hashitte kudasai = -te form of “run” plus “please”, ie. “please run”
hashitte imasu = -te form of “run” plus “to be”, ie. “running”
Got that?
Fantastic, let’s move on.
Have a look at this example:
“Write a letter”
tegami o kaku
“Please write a letter”
tegami o kaite kudasai
“Writing a letter”
tegami o kaite imasu
How’s that?
One more example:
“Study”
benkyou suru
“Please study”
benkyou shite kudasai
“Studying”
benkyou shite imasu
Okay?
Great!
Now here are a couple of questions:
1. Translate: miruku o nonde imasu
2. Translate: ban gohan o tabete imasu
3. Translate: “working”
Well, that’s another Learning to Speak Japanese lesson over. I hope you enjoyed it.
See you in the next lesson!
P.S. Here are the answers…
Answers:
1. “drinking milk”
2. “eating dinner”
3. hataraite imasu