Japanese Compound Verbs

Last time, you learned how omissions of particles works in conversation, e.g. “バスを降おりる (We will get off the bus),” and “電車でんしゃに乗のる (We will take the train).” Omissions have a very important role in Japanese. Then, if you’d like to express two actions at the same time like “get off of one vehicle and take another” how do you say it? In this lesson, you will learn compound verbs.

Explanation for How Compound Verbs Work

Table of Contents Conjugation Rule Main Four Groups Summary

You are actually able to express two actions at the same time by using what you have learned in the compound sentence section. For example, you can utilize the te-form which indicates sequential actions like “バスを降おりて、電車でんしゃに乗のる (We will get off the bus and take the train).” However, by utilizing compound verbs, you can express it in a more sophisticated way like “バスから電車でんしゃに乗のり換かえる (We will transfer from the bus to the train).”

Conjugation Rule

All Verbs: To Attach Verbs to the Polite Form Instead of です

乗のる: to take (transportation) + 換かえる: to interchange => 乗のり換かえる: to transfer

食たべる: to eat + 歩あるく: to walk => 食たべ歩あるく: to try out foods at various restaurants

見みる: to look at + 上あげる: to raise => 見み上あげる: to look up

分わかる: to understand + 合あう: to fit, match => 分わかり合あう: to understand each other

Some of the compound verbs can work as a noun by further conjugation. If you apply the polite form for the second verb without です, it will become a noun. In the above examples, 乗のり換かえる and 食たべ歩あるく are applicable. They can be a noun like 乗のり換かえ and 食たべ歩あるき.

Main Four Groups

1. Verb + Verb	The combination of two verbs expresses sequential actions or states, or simultaneous actions.
2. Verb + Helping Verb	The second verb works as a helping verb and adds some meaning onto the main first verb.
3. Prefix + Verb	The first verb works as a prefix and modifies the main second verb.
4. Verb (One Word)	Two verbs are recognized as one word and indicate a new meaning.

Compound verbs are categorized into the above four groups. Unfortunately, there is no certain pattern to categorize verbs. Thus, you need to memorize which function each compound verb has. Here is a wonderful database named “Compound Verb Lexicon.” Please refer to it when you encounter words that you are unfamiliar with. For the sake of better understanding, we would like to show some examples below.

Group 1. Verb + Verb

子こ供どもは遊あそび疲つかれて、寝ねて（しまった / しまいました）。
The children got tired by playing and went to bed.

横よこ井いさんは戦争せんそうから生いき（残のこった / 残のこりました）。
Yokoi-san survived from the war.

二人ふたりは激はげしく言いい争あらそって（いた / いました）。
The two people were intensely disputing.

田た中なかさんは恋愛れんあいのことで思おもい悩なやんで（いる / います）。
Tanaka-san is troubled with things about romances.

The first and the second examples indicate sequential events. You can reword them by using the te-form, i.e. 遊んで疲れる (to play and then get tired) and 生きて残る (to live and then remain). By contrast, the third and the fourth examples indicate simultaneous actions. You can reword them by using the sentence pattern: ながら, i.e. 言いながら争う (to compete while saying) and 思いながら悩む (to be troubled while thinking). One important point here is that the seconds verbs determine the proper particles. For example, with the fourth example, the particle で indicates reasons which corresponds to 悩む.

Group 2. Verb + Helping Verb

子こ供どもが家いえの中なかを走はしり回まわって（いる / います）。
The children are running around inside of the house.

困こまったらこの家いえを売うり（払はらおう / 払はらいましょう）。
If [we] are in trouble, let’s sell out this house.

田た中なかさんは走はしり始はじめ（た / ました）。
Tanaka-san started running.

急きゅうに雨あめが降ふりだし（た / ました）。
It has suddenly started raining.

You can actually subdivide Group 2 based on whether it has grammatical functions or not. With the first and the second examples, the helping verbs: “回る: to turn” and “払う: to clear away” indicate the additional meaning with the main verbs. The third and the fourth examples indicate the aspect of the main verb, that is to say, they have grammatical functions. Depending on the sub-group, the usages will change, e.g. Suru-verb can only connect with helping verbs that have grammatical functions. We recommend you memorize each combination as a set phrase. However, if you would like to know the grammatical pattern, please visit here: Syntactic and Lexical Compound Verbs. In the page, they use the word “syntactic.” You can (very) roughly consider the meaning as “grammatical.”

Group 3. Prefix + Verb

調ちょう査さを途と中ちゅうで打うち（切きった / 切きりました）。
[We] stopped the investigation halfway.

頭あたまを切きり替かえ（よう / ましょう）。
Let’s change our thinking.

発言はつげんは簡単かんたんに取とり消けせ（ない / ません）よ。
As for statements, [You] cannot easily take [it] back.

ジャイアンはドローンをぶち壊こわし（た / ました）。
Gian completely broke the drone.

Here, the second verbs hold the main meaning. The second verbs may work alone, e.g. with the third example, if you say, 発言は簡単に消せない (As for statement, yon cannot easily delete it), it still somehow makes sense. However, by using the first verbs as a prefix, you can express more detailed or stronger meanings. Particles are determined by the second verbs.

Group 4. Verb (One Word)

漢かん字じをこの空白くうはくに当あてはめてください。
Please fill this blank with kanji.

会あってすぐに打うち解とけ（た / ました）。
Soon after [we] met, [we] got friendly.

少すこし落おち着ついて（ください）。
Please calm down a little.

先生せんせいに必ひっ死しに食くい（下さがった / 下さがりました）。
[I] ask the teacher [questions] desperately and persistently.

In general, you should consider verbs which are categorized into this group as one word. Most of them are not related to the original meaning, but create new ones.

Summary

For the conjugation, you attach verbs to the polite form instead of です.
Some can become a noun by applying the polite form without です for the second verbs.
There are four structures which are “Verb + Verb,” “Verb + Helping Verb,” “Prefix + Verb,” and “Verb (One Word).”

Compound verbs may be closer to vocabulary than grammar. Thus, you need to memorize words one by one, not by the grammatical rule. Again, this database: “Compound Verb Lexicon” is the best tool to learn compound verbs. Please make the most use of it.