Des ign : M as ako B an

is not a past tense!

W hen I firs t ca m e to J a pa n tw o y ea rs a go, m y com pa ny
introduced m e to a J a pa nes e hos t fa m ily s o tha t I could liv e
w ith them fo r s ev er a l m o nths a nd lea r n a bo u t J a pa nes e
culture firs tha nd. I w a s thin w hen I liv ed w ith them , but
ga ined a lot of w eight a fter m ov ing to m y ow n a pa rtm ent,
s ince I couldn' t res is t the tem pta tion to ea t a ll the J a pa nes e
food I ha d grow n to lov e. I s ta rted ex ercis ing to los e s om e
w eight a nd thought I ha d becom e s lim a ga in. B ut w hen I
v is ited m y ho s t fa m ily the o ther da y , the m o ther a s ked,
" s u ko s hi fu to r i-m a s hita ka ? (Did y o u u s ed to be fa t? )" I
thought I ga ined w eight only a fter I m ov ed out, but w hy did
s he know tha t I us ed to be fa t?

I feel. . . a t tha t m om ent.

5-minute Japanese Class by Hitomi Hirayama

ts ukare-m as hita

26

Vol.

I think y ou m is unders tood w ha t s he s a id. It is rea lly

difficult to ex pla in y our m is ta ke in genera l gra m m a r term s , s o
plea s e a llow m e to us e m y ow n gra m m a r, w hich I ca ll "H itom i
G ra m m a r, " to ex pla in y our m is unders ta nding. In the pa s t, I
think y ou ha v e s tudied the form , "-m a s hita , " a s the pa s t tens e
form of "-m a s u. " B ut now w ha t I w a nt y ou to rem em ber is tha t
the conjuga ted v erb "-m a s hita " is not jus t a pa s t tens e form
bu t is a ls o u s e d to de s c r ibe s o m e th in g e ls e in da ily
conv ers a tions . It m a y s eem ha rd to believ e tha t this is true,
bu t c e r ta in ly y o u h a v e n o tic e d th a t J a pa n e s e pe o ple
s om etim es us e this form in w a y s different from w ha t y ou ha v e
s tudied.

I' m tired.

T here a re tw o different us a ges of "-m a s hita , " a s des cribed below .

I' ll focus on B ) for this les s on, but plea s e let m e briefly ex pla in
A ) for now . I w ill dis cus s it further in a future les s on.
A ) ' -m a s hita ' or the ta -form is genera lly us ed to des cribe w ha t is
ha ppening, s uch a s " (s om ething) ga ki-m a s hita . (s om ething)
is com ing. " (pa rticle ga (com m unica tion, v ehicles , ev ents ,
liv ing things )

(s om ething) a rriv es
____________
is com ing
e. g. , (I w a ited a t a tra in s ta tion, a nd I s a w the tra in com ing)
Here com es the tra in!
(polite form )

(friendly form )

a ! dens ha ga ki-m a s hita !

a ! dens ha ga kita !

B ) ' -m a s hita ' or ta -form is genera lly us ed

w hen y ou w a nt to des cribe a phy s ica l / m enta l condition.
I feel ________ (a t tha t m om ent)
____ a ppea rs to be . . . (a t tha t m om ent)
e. g. , I' m s o tired. (to be tired . . . ts uka re-m a s u)
(polite form )

(friendly form )

ts uka re-m a s hita

ts uka reta
(pa s t tens e of ' m a s u-form ' )
(ta -form )

(polite form )

(friendly form )

1 . I' m tired.

ts uka re-m a s hita

ts uka reta

2 . I forgot.

w a s ure-m a s hita

Oh

2.

om oida s hita

5 . I' m in trouble.

kom a tta

6 . I got los t.

m a y oi-m a s hita

3 . I have a fever and a cough that w on' t s top. . . It s eem s I' ve got a cold.
. . . . . .
nets u ga aru s hi ... s eki m o deru s hi ...

8 . I los t w eight.

y a s e-m a s hita

G OHON

...

GOH

ON..

have

I have a cold

cough als o com es out

m itai des u
s eem s

4.

(friendly form ) O ops ! I forgot the key s !

I forgot
a
ka gi o

5.

(polite form ) G eez, I' ve been w orking overtim e lately , and I' m s o tired.

I' m tired
fu- zutto za ngy o- ga ts uzuite-im a s u node

/
oboete-imasu / shitte-imasu

have been...ing reas on

(polite form ) I ha v e s om e trouble a t hom e.

I' m troubled
ka te- no koto de

w a ka tte-im a s u

hom e

7.

8.

m a y otta

m a tter

(polite form ) N ow I rem em ber!

y a tto

I rem em ber

(friendly form ) G os h, I' m thirs ty ! "A dra ft beer, plea s e! "

I' m thirs ty
ana m a -b e e r onega is him a s u
dra ft

9.

futotta

7 . I gained w eight.

I thought

friendly form of "I didn' t know tha t. "

(polite form )

M r. A :

plea s e (reques t)

(friendly form ) Did y ou los e w eight ?

Ha v e y ou los t w eight

M r. B : N o, I ga ined s om e w eight beca us e of the s tres s a t w ork.

I ga ined w eight
uun
s tr e s s -butori des u

y a s eta

to ga in w eight beca us e of s tres s

9 . I s m iled / laughed.

w a ra i-m a s hita

"-m as hita" is generally us ed w hen y ou are

des cribing a phy s ical or m ental condition.

a lrea dy 12 o' clock no w onder

G eez for long tim e overtim e

4 . I rem em ber.

to om otta

(friendly form ) O h, I s ee! I' v e got it now !

I unders ta nd
a- s o- da tta no ka

6.

w a ka tta

3 . I unders ta nd.

I ha v e been tired (s ince. . . ).

12

I' m hungry
uw a- m oju- -ni-ji
do- ride

fever

I feel ________ (a t tha t m o m ent)

the co nditio n co ntinu es
____ a ppea r s to be (a t tha t m o m ent)

ts ukarete-im as u

1 . O h, m a n. . . it' s a lrea dy noon! N o w onder I' m s o hungry !

A lthough y ou ha v e lea rned "-m a s hita " a s a pa s t tens e form , tha t is not

the only w a y of us ing it. It is a ls o us ed to des cribe pres ent conditions .

the condition continues .

ts ukareta

A ns w ers
1 . ona ka ga s uita
2 . w a ka tta
3 . ka ze o hi ta
4 . w a s ureta
5 . ts uka rete-im a s u 6 . kom a tte-im a s u
7 . om oida s hi-m a s hita
8 . nodo ga ka w a ita
9 . y a s eta
1 0 . futotta

1 0 . I ha v e a cold.

kaze o hiki-m as hita
ka ze o hi ta

1 1 . I' m hungry .

onaka ga s uki-m as hita

onaka ga s uite-im as u

1 2 . I' m thirs ty .

nodo ga kawaki-mashita

nodo ga kawaite-imasu

A ns w ers

1 . ts uka rete-im a s u
2 .w a s ureta , w a s urete-im a s u
3 . w a ka ri-m a s hita
4 . om oida s hi-m a s hita 5 . kom a ri-m a s hita , kom a tte-im a s u 6 . m a y otte-im a s u
7 . futori-m a s hita , futotte-im a s u 8 . y a s ete-im a s u 9 . w a ra tta , w a ra tte-im a s u
1 0 . ka ze o h ite-im a s u 1 1 . ona ka ga s uita 1 2 . nodo ga ka w a ita
In cooperation w ith Y as uhiro K oga

Copyright 1999 The Yomiuri Shimbun