Translation guide
In Japanese, 'inflection' refers to the way verbs, adjectives, and other words change form to express tense, politeness, negation, and other grammatical functions. Unlike English, Japanese inflection is highly regular and agglutinative, with suffixes attaching to a stable stem.
The learner wants to refer to the grammatical concept of inflection in Japanese.
The standard linguistic term for inflection, covering conjugation of verbs, adjectives, and auxiliaries.
日本語の動詞の活用は難しい。
Japanese verb inflection is difficult.
A more technical term meaning 'word form change', used in academic contexts.
英語にも語形変化が残っている。
English also retains some inflection.
The learner wants to talk about how verbs change form.
The most common way to say 'verb conjugation' or 'verb inflection'.
この動詞の活用を教えてください。
Please teach me the conjugation of this verb.
Refers to a specific conjugated form, like the te-form or past tense.
「食べた」は「食べる」の活用形です。
"Tabeta" is an inflected form of "taberu."
The learner wants to discuss how adjectives change.
Specifically for i-adjectives, which inflect similarly to verbs.
形容詞の活用は動詞より簡単です。
Adjective inflection is simpler than verb inflection.
For na-adjectives, which have a different inflection pattern.
形容動詞の活用は名詞に似ています。
Na-adjective inflection resembles noun inflection.
The learner wants to express the concept of changing word forms to show politeness.
Refers to the inflection of verbs and adjectives in honorific, humble, and polite speech.
敬語の活用を覚えるのは大変だ。
Memorizing keigo inflections is tough.
The polite form, typically ending in ます/です, which is a type of inflection.
丁寧形は「ます」を使います。
The polite form uses 'masu.'
The learner wants to refer to how words change to show time or completion.
A technical phrase used in linguistics; not common in everyday speech.
日本語のテンス・アスペクトの活用は複雑だ。
Japanese tense-aspect inflection is complex.
The past tense form, a common inflection.
過去形は「た」で終わります。
The past tense form ends with 'ta.'
The learner wants to talk about negative forms.
The negative form, a key inflection in Japanese.
否定形は「ない」を使います。
The negative form uses 'nai.'
The learner wants to express the idea of case inflection, like in Latin or German.
Japanese nouns do not inflect for case; instead, particles are used. This phrase explains that concept.
日本語には格変化はないが、助詞で示す。
Japanese doesn't have case inflection, but indicates it with particles.
Case particles, which perform a similar function to case inflection in other languages.
格助詞が名詞の役割を示す。
Case particles indicate the role of nouns.
The English word 'inflection' can also mean a change in pitch or tone of voice. In Japanese, that is 抑揚 (よくよう) or イントネーション, not 活用.
Unlike English, Japanese inflection involves adding suffixes to a stem that remains largely unchanged. For example, 食べる (taberu) → 食べた (tabeta), 食べない (tabenai), 食べます (tabemasu). The stem 食べ stays constant.