Expressing Concepts

Expressing the perfect aspect and past tense

The two most common suffices to indicate past tense in CJ are ki, tari, and keri. All are
attached to the renykei (continuative form) of the verb or adjective.
The CJ construction mishi hito ("the person/people I saw) would be the MJ mita hito. It is
formed by adding the rentaikei of ki (because the verb is in apposition to the noun) to the renykei
of miru, ("to see).
Although keri is past tense, it was often used to emphasise a certain poetic or emotional content
that is often hard to translate into English. Several passages in the Ise monogatari begin in this
fashion: Mukashi, otoko arikeri (= "Long ago, there was a man.). In reading in the original, this
emotive content must be kept in mind in translating, it is usually nigh unto impossible to render,
and thus that emotive content is ignored.
The suffix tari is both a simple past perfect (e.g., Hitachinosuke to tsuketari = we named her
Hitachinosuke) but also has the occasional sense of a continuative past (e.g., tsutsu no naka
hikaritari = the inside of the stalk was shining).
The suffix nu implies definite completion or a finished state for intransitive verbs, but can also
imply the same finality of meaning as the English ate up versus just ate."
The suffix tsu functions as does nu, but generally implies definiteness of the past (e.g., yume
ni nan mietamatsuru = you definitely appeared in a dream).

Expressing concession
Adding the non-inflecting suffices do or domo to the renykei of a verb creates the sense of
although much the same as in MJ. (e.g., Soko ni ari to kikedo = although he heard she
was there).
In texts, sometimes the combination to iedomo appears, and this means, literally, even given that
or even saying that . It is functionally the same as although and is really very little
different than domo.
The particle combination mono wo, which follows the rentaikei, is also concessive, and functions
like but or although."
The particles tomo or to following shshikei or rentaikei (depending on the time in which the
text was written) give a concession like the English even if or although may .

Expressing conjecture
The inflecting suffix mu attaches to the mizenkei and has several uses. When in the first person,
it implies volition or desire (I will ), but when referring to second or third person, rather than
being volitional it has the meaning of conjecture about the action, like the MJ dar (he/you
probably will ). It can also indicate something that is expected or natural ("[he] ought to ).
Context will be the best guide in reading, although lack of a written subject may make this difficult.

The inflecting suffix kemu attaches to the renykei and has the function of past conjecture. For
example, it may be something that has been heard about and may or may not be true, like the English
might have . It also carries the context for an expected past action that is uncertain to have taken
place.
The particle rashi can attach to the renykei and means must/seems to be. It is similar, but
slightly stronger, than the MJ rashii.
The inflecting suffix meri attaches to the renykei, and is a contraction of mi ari implying
something that has been observed to be the situation. In usage, however it is more tentative,
indicating surmise, and is on the opposite side of certainty than is rashi above. In usage, it is on the
level of it seems as if perhaps .
The particle ramu is attached to the renykei and refers to something in the present or the past. It
is more subjective than rashi, and is like probably or it may be that . Sometimes there is an
implied question in its use, like the MJ dshite dar (= I wonder why ).

Expressing negation
The inflecting suffices zu and zari (actually a contraction of zu ari) attach to the mizenkei.
Theyre both unqualified negatives.
The conjuctive partle de can be attached to the mizenkei and forms the same meaning of the MJ
[verb]nakute or [verb]naide (= without [verb]ing).
The uninflected suffix ji can be added to the mizenkei as well, and it functions as a negative
form of the suffix mu. It is thus the negation of probability (e.g., hana sakaji = the flowers will
probably not bloom).

Expressing volition
When in the first person, the inflecting suffix mu attached to the mizenkei implies volition or
desire (I will ).
The suffices muzu and nzu (both contractions from mu to su, therefore showing connection to
the above-mentioned suffix) attached to the renykei also express volition, but they are stronger and
more emphatic. (Perhaps, one may consider the difference between them as I will go tomorrow
and I will go tomorrow!)
Expressing negative volition (e.g., I dont intend to go), like the MJ [verb]nai tsumori da is
expressed with the suffix maji attached to the shshikei (e.g., Ky yomumaji = I shall not read
the sutra).

Expressing hypotheticals
The inflecting suffix mashi attaches to the mizenkei. It functions similarly to the MJ moshi
dattara (if such and such happens/exists). When combined with a negative, it means had not
have ."
The addition of the particle ba to the mizenkei also produces the meaning of if . NB: Do not
confuse it with the addition of ba to the izenkei, which produces the meaning since/when .

Expressing desire
The non-inflecting suffix baya, when attached to the mizenkei, expresses ones wishes for a
condition (the verb) to occur. It is similar to the English would that or if only . In the case
of first-person, it may also indicate intention to act to bring the desired effect.
The adjectival suffix tashi can be added to a verbs renykei to produce a meaning similar to
the MJ tai.

Expressing obligation/probability
The suffix beshi, attaching to the shshikei, is extremely useful, but also confusing, as it has
many functions. The most common function is the expression of obligation (e.g., I must or I
have to ). This function works for first-, second-, and third-person usage.
It also has the function of strong conjecture along the lines of the English, undoubtedly, or
surely, and thus implies a high probability and expectation that the proposed concept is indeed
the case.
Beshi can also indicate the belief of the speaker or writer that the situation is only natural or
proper, like the English ought to or should ", and the MJ hazu da."
It can also indicate volition, but this use seems limited to the shshikei, and probably only when
first-person usage is implied. Then again, this may be considered little differet from the it is only
natural that usage implied in the paragraph above. Kono ikusa nite, ware shinubeshi can be taken,
then, to mean By rights I should die in this battle and I must die in this battle. Other than
nuance, how much different are the translations? Either one is a valid reading of the same CJ
sentence, and absent any additional context to determine specific meaning or intent, either could
stand.
The suffix maji works the same way, but functions as the negative (the opposite) of beshi; that
is, while ikubeshi is you should/must go, ikumaji is you should/must not go. Alternatively
and perhaps more commonly the negative suffix zu is attached to the mizenkei of beshi (e.g.,
ikubekarazu = ikumaji = you should not go).

Expressing likeness
The inflecting adjectival suffix gotoshi attaches to the rentaikei, and means like. Often, the
particle no or ga is interposed between the rentaikei verb and gotoshi (e.g., yuki wo miru ga
gotoshi = its like seeing snow). This suffix, functioning as an adjective, can be attached to a
noun (with the interposing no or ga) to mean like (e.g., yume ga gotoshi = like a
dream).