When you start learning Japanese verbs, one interesting thing to notice is how to tell the difference between actions that are finished and actions that are still happening. After going through some intermediate Japanese lessons, I’ve picked up a few easy tips to help with this.
Japanese verbs can be grouped into two main types based on what they show: completed actions and ongoing actions.
Completed actions are shown mostly in the past tense. For example, the verb "to eat" is 食べる (taberu) when it’s not done yet. But when it's completed, it changes to 食べた (tabeta). So if I say, りんごを食べた (ringo o tabeta), it means "I ate an apple." This clearly shows that the action is finished.
Ongoing actions use the non-past form or the "-te iru" form. For instance, 食べている (tabete iru) means "I am eating." This tells us that the action is still happening.
Another helpful tip is to watch for time words in conversations. Some words can show if an action is completed or still going:
Completed actions often use words like もう (mou, "already") or 一度 (ichido, "once"). For example, 彼はもう昼ごはんを食べた (kare wa mou hiru gohan o tabeta) means "He has already eaten lunch." This shows it’s a finished action.
Ongoing actions might use words like 今 (ima, "now") or いつも (itsumo, "always"). For example, 彼は今昼ごはんを食べている (kare wa ima hiru gohan o tabete iru) means "He is eating lunch now." This makes it clear that the action is happening at this moment.
Japanese often depends on the situation around the words. Sometimes, you can’t tell if an action is finished or ongoing without knowing the context. For instance, asking 何をしているの？ (nani o shite iru no?, "What are you doing?") usually means it expects an ongoing action. But if I ask 何をしたの？ (nani o shita no?, “What did you do?”), it means I’m talking about something that’s already finished.
The "-te iru" form can be confusing because it can mean both an ongoing action and something that happens as a result of a past action. For example:
To figure out the best meaning, context is important. Using time words with it can help clarify things.
The best way to really understand these differences is to practice. Watch Japanese shows, listen to podcasts, or read books. Pay attention to how different verb forms are used in different situations. You’ll start to notice small clues that show whether an action is ongoing or completed.
In the end, telling apart completed and ongoing actions in Japanese takes a mix of knowing verb forms, recognizing time words, and understanding the context. The more you expose yourself to Japanese in different ways, the easier it gets. With regular practice, identifying these forms will feel much easier and more natural. Keep practicing, and you’ll be on your way to mastering how Japanese verbs work!
When you start learning Japanese verbs, one interesting thing to notice is how to tell the difference between actions that are finished and actions that are still happening. After going through some intermediate Japanese lessons, I’ve picked up a few easy tips to help with this.
Japanese verbs can be grouped into two main types based on what they show: completed actions and ongoing actions.
Completed actions are shown mostly in the past tense. For example, the verb "to eat" is 食べる (taberu) when it’s not done yet. But when it's completed, it changes to 食べた (tabeta). So if I say, りんごを食べた (ringo o tabeta), it means "I ate an apple." This clearly shows that the action is finished.
Ongoing actions use the non-past form or the "-te iru" form. For instance, 食べている (tabete iru) means "I am eating." This tells us that the action is still happening.
Another helpful tip is to watch for time words in conversations. Some words can show if an action is completed or still going:
Completed actions often use words like もう (mou, "already") or 一度 (ichido, "once"). For example, 彼はもう昼ごはんを食べた (kare wa mou hiru gohan o tabeta) means "He has already eaten lunch." This shows it’s a finished action.
Ongoing actions might use words like 今 (ima, "now") or いつも (itsumo, "always"). For example, 彼は今昼ごはんを食べている (kare wa ima hiru gohan o tabete iru) means "He is eating lunch now." This makes it clear that the action is happening at this moment.
Japanese often depends on the situation around the words. Sometimes, you can’t tell if an action is finished or ongoing without knowing the context. For instance, asking 何をしているの？ (nani o shite iru no?, "What are you doing?") usually means it expects an ongoing action. But if I ask 何をしたの？ (nani o shita no?, “What did you do?”), it means I’m talking about something that’s already finished.
The "-te iru" form can be confusing because it can mean both an ongoing action and something that happens as a result of a past action. For example:
To figure out the best meaning, context is important. Using time words with it can help clarify things.
The best way to really understand these differences is to practice. Watch Japanese shows, listen to podcasts, or read books. Pay attention to how different verb forms are used in different situations. You’ll start to notice small clues that show whether an action is ongoing or completed.
In the end, telling apart completed and ongoing actions in Japanese takes a mix of knowing verb forms, recognizing time words, and understanding the context. The more you expose yourself to Japanese in different ways, the easier it gets. With regular practice, identifying these forms will feel much easier and more natural. Keep practicing, and you’ll be on your way to mastering how Japanese verbs work!