For autodidact students of Japanese, 思う (omou) is "to think" in the sense of holding a view or feeling an impression: the verb behind the commonest way of giving an opinion. いいと思います (Ii to omoimasu: I think it's good). It reaches further than English "think." It also means to feel, to suppose, to wish and to long for someone: 故郷を思う (Furusato wo omou: to think longingly of one's hometown), 母を思う (Haha wo omou: to think of one's mother).
It is a verb (動詞, dōshi) of the godan type, and its usual partner is a quoted clause closed with と: [what is thought] + と思う. The Digital Daijisen (デジタル大辞泉) lists its senses from "to judge, to believe" through "to imagine, to suppose, to recall" and "to wish," to "to care about, to worry about," "to yearn for, to love" and "to feel an emotion." A learner meets six jobs of the word, and the first is by far the most frequent: - Opinion: 〜と思う. 日本語は面白いと思います (I think Japanese is interesting). - Intention and wish: 〜(よ)うと思う, 〜たいと思う. 早く寝ようと思います (I think I'll go to bed early). - Feeling: adjective + 思う. うれしく思う (to be glad), 不思議に思う (to find it strange). - Longing and care: noun + を思う. 故郷を思う (to long for one's hometown). - Expectation: 思ったより (more than I thought), 思ったとおり (just as I thought), 思うように (as one would wish). - Guess and surprise: 〜かと思う, 〜とは思わなかった. あの店がまだ開いているとは思わなかった (I did not think that shop would still be open).
English "think" has other jobs that 思う does not do. To think in the sense of reasoning something through, working out a plan, or coming up with an idea is 考える (kangaeru). 明日までに考えます (Ashita made ni kangaemasu: I'll think it over by tomorrow). The National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (国立国語研究所, NINJAL) puts the difference this way: 思う is emotional, momentary thinking, and 考える is logical, sustained thinking. To "think about" a subject is について考える, never について思う. To "recall" is 思い出す (omoidasu), a compound verb with its own entry.
Words that sit beside 思う: - 考える (kangaeru): to think through, to consider, to devise. - 感じる (kanjiru): to feel, to sense. - 信じる (shinjiru): to believe, to trust. - 〜気がする (ki ga suru): "I have a feeling that..." - 〜だろう / 〜でしょう (darō / deshō): "probably," a guess stated without 思う. - 〜かもしれない (kamo shirenai): "might." - 存じる (zonjiru): the humble verb used in formal speech for 思う and 知る.
This lesson teaches 思う and shows where these neighbours take over.
Key Takeaways: - 思う (omou): to think, to feel, to suppose; to long for. A godan verb, negative 思わない, polite 思います, past 思った, te-form 思って - Opinion: plain-form clause + と思う / 思います (いいと思います). A noun or na-adjective needs だ before と (先生だと思います) - Another person's thought is 〜と思っている, not 〜と思う - I don't think he will come: 彼は来ないと思います. The negative usually goes inside the quotation - Intention: 〜(よ)うと思う. Wish: 〜たいと思う. With ている, 〜と思っている: "I have been thinking of..." - 思ったより (than I thought), 思っていたほど (as much as I thought), 思うように (as one would wish) - Feeling: うれしく思う, 不思議に思う. Longing: を思う - Not "think it over" or "think about": that is 考える (それについて考える) - 思い出す (to recall), 思いつく (to hit upon), 思いやり (consideration): related words, each its own verb or noun
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思う is written with one kanji and one hiragana. 思 (grade 2 in the school list, nine strokes) has 心 ("heart") as its lower part, which is a useful picture for a word that so often means what one feels. The hiragana う that follows is okurigana: it shows the verb ending and is always written. Its kun reading is おも (omo-). Its on reading is シ (shi), seen in compounds: 思考 (shikō, thought, thinking), 思想 (shisō, thought, ideology).
The spelling 思う is the standard one. In song lyrics and some literary prose you will also meet 想う and 想い (omou, omoi), which give the word a deeper, more sentimental feeling. Treat these as variants and write 思う yourself. The word is also written おもう in kana for children or for a soft look, but the kanji is the normal text form.
Before the kana reforms of 1946 the verb was spelled 思ふ (omofu). The Daijisen gives that older spelling at the head of the entry, and it is the form you will see in classical poetry, as in Section F. Today it is always 思う.
The romanization is omou (three morae: o-mo-u), not omō. The final う is the verb ending and is not a long vowel of a separate syllable. It is the same with 言う (iu): all verbs ending in う keep the u in Hepburn.
Godan verbs ending in う make their negative stem with わ (wa), not あ: 思わない (omowanai), 思わなかった (omowanakatta). Their te-form and past have the small っ: 思って (omotte), 思った (omotta). Their polite stem is 思い (omoi): 思います (omoimasu), 思いません (omoimasen). The same stem is the noun 思い (omoi, thought, feeling), and it appears in a whole family of words: 思い出 (omoide, memory), 思いやり (omoiyari, consideration), 片思い (kataomoi, one-sided love).
Kanji that turn up beside it in this lesson: 考 (kangae-ru, to think through) in 考える, 気 (ki, spirit, feeling) in 元気 (genki, well) and 〜気がする, and 故郷 (hometown). 故郷 can be read furusato, the warm everyday word, or kokyō, the Sino-Japanese reading; this lesson uses furusato.
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53.1a そう so 思います think-POLITE
53.1b sō (soh) so omoimasu (oh-moh-ee-mahss) think-POLITE
53.2a 私 I は TOP そう so 思いません think-NEG.POLITE
53.2b watashi (wah-tah-shee) I wa (wah) TOP sō (soh) so omoimasen (oh-moh-ee-mah-sen) think-NEG.POLITE
53.3a いい good と QUOT 思います think-POLITE
53.3b ii (ee-ee) good to (toh) QUOT omoimasu (oh-moh-ee-mahss) think-POLITE
53.4a 明日 tomorrow は TOP 雨 rain だ COP と QUOT 思います think-POLITE
53.4b ashita (ah-shee-tah) tomorrow wa (wah) TOP ame (ah-meh) rain da (dah) COP to (toh) QUOT omoimasu (oh-moh-ee-mahss) think-POLITE
53.5a 日本語 Japanese は TOP 面白い interesting と QUOT 思います think-POLITE
53.5b nihongo (nee-hohn-goh) Japanese wa (wah) TOP omoshiroi (oh-moh-shee-roh-ee) interesting to (toh) QUOT omoimasu (oh-moh-ee-mahss) think-POLITE
53.6a 彼 he は TOP 来ない come-NEG と QUOT 思います think-POLITE
53.6b kare (kah-reh) he wa (wah) TOP konai (koh-nah-ee) come-NEG to (toh) QUOT omoimasu (oh-moh-ee-mahss) think-POLITE
53.7a 私 I は TOP 来年 next-year 日本 Japan に DIR 行き go-STEM たい WANT と QUOT 思って think-TE います be-POLITE
53.7b watashi (wah-tah-shee) I wa (wah) TOP rainen (rah-ee-nehn) next-year nihon (nee-hohn) Japan ni (nee) DIR iki (ee-kee) go-STEM tai (tah-ee) WANT to (toh) QUOT omotte (oh-moht-teh) think-TE imasu (ee-mahss) be-POLITE
53.8a 母 mother は TOP 私 I の GEN こと matter を OBJ いつも always 思って think-TE います be-POLITE
53.8b haha (hah-hah) mother wa (wah) TOP watashi (wah-tah-shee) I no (noh) GEN koto (koh-toh) matter wo (oh) OBJ itsumo (ee-tsoo-moh) always omotte (oh-moht-teh) think-TE imasu (ee-mahss) be-POLITE
53.9a 今朝 this-morning は TOP 思った think-PAST より than 寒かった cold-PAST です COP.POLITE
53.9b kesa (keh-sah) this-morning wa (wah) TOP omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST yori (yoh-ree) than samukatta (sah-moo-kaht-tah) cold-PAST desu (dehss) COP.POLITE
53.10a 今日 today は TOP 疲れて tire-TE いる be-NONPAST ので because 早く early 寝よう sleep-VOLITIONAL と QUOT 思います think-POLITE
53.10b kyō (kyoh) today wa (wah) TOP tsukarete (tsoo-kah-reh-teh) tire-TE iru (ee-roo) be-NONPAST node (noh-deh) because hayaku (hah-yah-koo) early neyō (neh-yoh) sleep-VOLITIONAL to (toh) QUOT omoimasu (oh-moh-ee-mahss) think-POLITE
53.11a この this 問題 problem は TOP 私 I が SUBJ 思って think-TE いた be-PAST ほど extent 難しく difficult-ADV ありませんでした exist-NEG.PAST.POLITE
53.11b kono (koh-noh) this mondai (mohn-dah-ee) problem wa (wah) TOP watashi (wah-tah-shee) I ga (gah) SUBJ omotte (oh-moht-teh) think-TE ita (ee-tah) be-PAST hodo (hoh-doh) extent muzukashiku (moo-zoo-kah-shee-koo) difficult-ADV arimasen deshita (ah-ree-mah-sen dehsh-tah) exist-NEG.PAST.POLITE
53.12a あの that 店 shop が SUBJ まだ still 開いて open-TE いる be-NONPAST と QUOT は TOP 思わなかった think-NEG.PAST
53.12b ano (ah-noh) that mise (mee-seh) shop ga (gah) SUBJ mada (mah-dah) still aite (ah-ee-teh) open-TE iru (ee-roo) be-NONPAST to (toh) QUOT wa (wah) TOP omowanakatta (oh-moh-wah-nah-kaht-tah) think-NEG.PAST
53.13a 彼女 she が SUBJ 嘘 lie を OBJ つく tell-NONPAST はず expectation が SUBJ ない not-exist と QUOT 思う think-NONPAST
53.13b kanojo (kah-noh-joh) she ga (gah) SUBJ uso (oo-soh) lie wo (oh) OBJ tsuku (tsoo-koo) tell-NONPAST hazu (hah-zoo) expectation ga (gah) SUBJ nai (nah-ee) not-exist to (toh) QUOT omou (oh-moh-oo) think-NONPAST
53.14a 電話 phone が SUBJ 鳴った ring-PAST ので because 母 mother か Q と QUOT 思って think-TE 出たら answer-COND 友達 friend でした COP.PAST.POLITE
53.14b denwa (dehn-wah) phone ga (gah) SUBJ natta (naht-tah) ring-PAST node (noh-deh) because haha (hah-hah) mother ka (kah) Q to (toh) QUOT omotte (oh-moht-teh) think-TE detara (deh-tah-rah) answer-COND tomodachi (toh-moh-dah-chee) friend deshita (dehsh-tah) COP.PAST.POLITE
53.15a 遠く far-place に LOC いて be-TE も EVEN-IF 故郷 hometown を OBJ 思わない think-NEG 日 day は TOP ありません exist-NEG.POLITE
53.15b tōku (toh-koo) far-place ni (nee) LOC ite (ee-teh) be-TE mo (moh) EVEN-IF furusato (foo-roo-sah-toh) hometown wo (oh) OBJ omowanai (oh-moh-wah-nah-ee) think-NEG hi (hee) day wa (wah) TOP arimasen (ah-ree-mah-sen) exist-NEG.POLITE
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53.1 そう思います。(Sō omoimasu.) "I think so." 53.2 私はそう思いません。(Watashi wa sō omoimasen.) "I don't think so." 53.3 いいと思います。(Ii to omoimasu.) "I think it's good." 53.4 明日は雨だと思います。(Ashita wa ame da to omoimasu.) "I think it will rain tomorrow." 53.5 日本語は面白いと思います。(Nihongo wa omoshiroi to omoimasu.) "I think Japanese is interesting." 53.6 彼は来ないと思います。(Kare wa konai to omoimasu.) "I think he won't come." 53.7 私は来年日本に行きたいと思っています。(Watashi wa rainen nihon ni ikitai to omotte imasu.) "I am thinking that I would like to go to Japan next year." 53.8 母は私のことをいつも思っています。(Haha wa watashi no koto wo itsumo omotte imasu.) "My mother is always thinking of me." 53.9 今朝は思ったより寒かったです。(Kesa wa omotta yori samukatta desu.) "This morning was colder than I thought." 53.10 今日は疲れているので、早く寝ようと思います。(Kyō wa tsukarete iru node, hayaku neyō to omoimasu.) "I'm tired today, so I think I'll go to bed early." 53.11 この問題は私が思っていたほど難しくありませんでした。(Kono mondai wa watashi ga omotte ita hodo muzukashiku arimasen deshita.) "This problem was not as difficult as I had thought." 53.12 あの店がまだ開いているとは思わなかった。(Ano mise ga mada aite iru to wa omowanakatta.) "I didn't think that shop would still be open." 53.13 彼女が嘘をつくはずがないと思う。(Kanojo ga uso wo tsuku hazu ga nai to omou.) "I think there is no way she would tell a lie." 53.14 電話が鳴ったので、母かと思って出たら、友達でした。(Denwa ga natta node, haha ka to omotte detara, tomodachi deshita.) "The phone rang, and I answered it thinking it was my mother, but it was a friend." 53.15 遠くにいても、故郷を思わない日はありません。(Tōku ni ite mo, furusato wo omowanai hi wa arimasen.) "Even when I am far away, there is no day when I do not think of my hometown."
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53.1 そう思います。 53.2 私はそう思いません。 53.3 いいと思います。 53.4 明日は雨だと思います。 53.5 日本語は面白いと思います。 53.6 彼は来ないと思います。 53.7 私は来年日本に行きたいと思っています。 53.8 母は私のことをいつも思っています。 53.9 今朝は思ったより寒かったです。 53.10 今日は疲れているので、早く寝ようと思います。 53.11 この問題は私が思っていたほど難しくありませんでした。 53.12 あの店がまだ開いているとは思わなかった。 53.13 彼女が嘘をつくはずがないと思う。 53.14 電話が鳴ったので、母かと思って出たら、友達でした。 53.15 遠くにいても、故郷を思わない日はありません。
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These are the grammar rules for 思う (omou), "to think."
The forms of 思う. It is a godan verb ending in う, so the vowel before the endings changes as follows: - Dictionary / plain non-past: 思う (omou) - Polite: 思います (omoimasu), 思いません (omoimasen) - Plain negative: 思わない (omowanai) - Past: 思った (omotta), 思いました (omoimashita), 思わなかった (omowanakatta) - Te-form: 思って (omotte) - Volitional: 思おう (omoō) - Conditional: 思えば (omoeba) - Potential, "can be thought, seems": 思える (omoeru) - Passive, "is thought": 思われる (omowareru)
と + 思う: quoting a thought (53.1–53.6, 53.13). The content of the thought is a clause closed by the quoting particle と, and 思う follows. The clause is in the plain form even when 思います is polite: 来ない (not 来ません) と思います (53.6). A noun or a na-adjective needs だ to stand as a plain clause: 雨だと思います (53.4), 先生だと思います, 静かだと思います. The i-adjective needs nothing: いいと思います (53.3), 面白いと思います (53.5). The short answer そう思います (53.1) uses そう, "so," as the content: "I think so."
Whose thought? 思う speaks for the speaker. In the plain or polite non-past, 〜と思う / 〜と思います is the speaker's own thought, which is why it works as a polite hedge ("I think..."). The thought of another person, or of the speaker earlier, needs 〜と思っている / 〜と思っていた: 母は私のことをいつも思っています (53.8), 私が思っていた (53.11). To ask someone else's opinion, use 思いますか: どう思いますか (what do you think?).
Negation (53.2, 53.6, 53.12). English "I don't think he will come" is 彼は来ないと思います (53.6), with the negative inside the quotation. 私はそう思いません (53.2) negates 思う itself, a plain "I don't think so." 〜とは思わなかった (53.12) is a past negative of surprise: "I did not think that..." The は makes the negative stand out ("that, at least, I did not think").
〜たいと思う and 〜(よ)うと思う: wish and intention (53.7, 53.10). After the wish form (行きたい) or the volitional (寝よう), と思う says "I think I'd like to..." or "I think I'll...". The volitional of a godan verb is made with お: 行く → 行こう, 書く → 書こう; that of an ichidan verb with よう: 寝る → 寝よう. With 思います the plan is stated on the spot (53.10). With 思っています the plan has been held for some time (53.7): "I've been thinking of...".
思ったより and 思っていたほど (53.9, 53.11). 思った + より is "than I thought": 今朝は思ったより寒かった. The pattern 〜ほど + a negative is "not so... as": 思っていたほど難しくありませんでした, "was not as difficult as I had thought." The same stem gives 思ったとおり (just as I thought) and 思うように (as one wishes), which usually goes with a negative: 思うように書けなかった.
〜かと思う (53.14). A question clause with か and と gives a guess that may prove wrong: 母かと思って出たら, "thinking it was Mother, I answered." 〜かと思ったら means "I thought... but then": 雨かと思ったら、雪だった (I thought it was rain, but it was snow).
Feeling: adjective + 思う. An i-adjective in the adverbial form -く, or a na-adjective with に, can stand before 思う and says what is felt: うれしく思う (to be glad), ありがたく思う (to be grateful), 不思議に思う (to find it strange), 疑問に思う (to have doubts).
を + 思う: to think of, to long for (53.8, 53.15). With を the object is a person or a place held in the heart: 故郷を思う, 母を思う. The sense is care or yearning, and a different thing from について考える (to think about a subject).
思われる and 思える. 思われる is the passive and is often used in writing for a cautious judgment: 〜と思われる, "it seems that" or "it is thought that." 思える is the potential form and means "can be thought," hence "seems": 彼は若く思える (he seems young).
Common Mistakes: - Using 思う for another person's thought in the plain non-past. 田中さんは来ると思います gives your own view of whether Tanaka will come. To say that Tanaka thinks it, use 田中さんは来ると思っている. - Making the negative with あ: \*思あない. The correct form is 思わない. Godan verbs in う use わ. - Using 思う for reasoning. \明日まで思います is wrong; "I'll think it over by tomorrow" is 明日までに考えます. And "to think about it" is それについて考える, not \それについて思う. - Leaving out だ. 先生と思います (after a noun, with no だ) tends to be heard as "I regard (him) as a teacher," as in 彼を天才と思う. For "I think he's a teacher," say 先生だと思います. - Putting the polite form inside the quotation. \*来ませんと思います is wrong. Use the plain form: 来ないと思います. - Using 思う for a fact. 東京は日本の首都だと思います sounds as though you were unsure. For a known fact, say 東京は日本の首都です. - Using 思う where English means "come up with an idea." アイデアを考える or アイデアを思いつく, not \*アイデアを思う. - Writing the old spelling 思ふ. In modern Japanese it is always 思う.
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思う is among the most common verbs in everyday Japanese. A speaker who wants to give a view without pressing it on the listener ends the sentence with と思います, and a meeting, a speech or an announcement is full of it: 始めたいと思います (I think we shall begin), 〜と思います (I think that...). Japanese speakers often use it to soften a statement that they could have made flat. A learner who states everything with です and だ may sound more certain than they mean to be, and 〜と思います is the usual remedy.
Politeness changes the verb in the usual steps. 思う is plain, 思います is polite, and in formal speech and in business the humble 思っております (omotte orimasu) and the still more formal 存じます (zonjimasu) are used of one's own thoughts: 〜と存じます, "I believe that..." To ask the opinion of a person of higher standing, it is more respectful to use the honorific お考え (okangae) than to say 思いますか: どうお考えですか (Dō okangae desu ka: how do you see it?).
The word has a large family of derived nouns and compounds, and many belong to the daily vocabulary: 思い出 (omoide, memory), 思い出す (omoidasu, to recall), 思いつく (omoitsuku, to hit upon an idea), 思いやり (omoiyari, consideration for others), 片思い (kataomoi, one-sided love), 思い切り (omoikiri, with all one's might). The noun 思い itself means "thought, feeling, longing." Each of these is a word in its own right, to be learned when its turn comes in this course.
Section F takes the word back a thousand years. 思ふ is the same word as 思う, and in classical poetry it stands very often for the pining of love. The poem is by Taira no Kanemori (平兼盛) and is number 40 in the 百人一首 (Hyakunin Isshu, "One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each"), the anthology collected in the thirteenth century that is still learned by heart and played as the card game karuta.
Register: 思う is neutral, spoken and written at every level of speech. The plain 思う ends a diary entry or an essay, the polite 思います ends a spoken opinion or a letter, and the humble 存じます belongs to formal business speech.
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平兼盛 (Taira no Kanemori), 『拾遺和歌集』 (Shūi Wakashū), Book of Love I (恋一), no. 622; 『小倉百人一首』 (Ogura Hyakunin Isshu), no. 40
忍ぶれど色に出でにけりわが恋は物や思ふと人の問ふまで
The poem was composed for a court poetry contest, the 天徳四年内裏歌合 (Tentoku yonen dairi utaawase), held at the palace of Emperor Murakami in 960, on the set subject of "hidden love." It is printed here in the form of the Hyakunin Isshu, as given by several online editions (Benesse's Hyakunin Isshu pages, the All Japan Karuta Association, and the Fusau classical-literature site), which agree on the wording and differ only in the choice of kana or kanji (しのぶれど / 忍ぶれど, もの / 物, わが / 我が, 問ふ / とふ). The poem contains the verb of this lesson in its classical spelling: 思ふ (omofu), modern 思う.
F-A: Interlinear (read with the modern pronunciation of the classical spelling)
F.1a 忍ぶれ conceal-REALIS ど though 色 colour に in 出で appear-STEM に PERF けり REALIZATION-PAST わが my 恋 love は TOP
F.1b shinobure (shee-noh-boo-reh) conceal-REALIS do (doh) though iro (ee-roh) colour ni (nee) in ide (ee-deh) appear-STEM ni (nee) PERF keri (keh-ree) REALIZATION-PAST waga (wah-gah) my koi (koh-ee) love wa (wah) TOP
F.2a 物 things や Q 思ふ think-ATTR と QUOT 人 person の SUBJ 問ふ ask-ATTR まで to-the-point
F.2b mono (moh-noh) things ya (yah) Q omou (oh-moh-oo) think-ATTR to (toh) QUOT hito (hee-toh) person no (noh) SUBJ tou (toh-oo) ask-ATTR made (mah-deh) to-the-point
F-B: Original and Translation
忍ぶれど色に出でにけりわが恋は物や思ふと人の問ふまで
"Though I hid it, it has shown in my face, my love, so that people ask, 'Are you brooding over something?'" (Translation: Latinum Institute.)
F-C: Original
忍ぶれど 色に出でにけり わが恋は 物や思ふと 人の問ふまで
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The poem turns on the verb 思ふ. People look at the poet and ask "物や思ふ?", "are you brooding over something?" 物思ふ (mono omou) is the classical phrase for "to brood, to be weighed down by cares," and above all by the cares of love. It is the same 思う as in the modern 物思い (monoomoi, brooding), which has kept the old phrase. The poem makes a neat picture: a feeling is concealed (忍ぶ) and shows nevertheless, and what the onlookers ask is a question made with 思う.
The grammar is classical and worth reading closely, since it sits behind the modern forms. 忍ぶれど is 忍ぶ (to conceal) in its realis form 忍ぶれ plus the concessive ど: "although I conceal it." 色に出でにけり has 出で, the stem of the classical verb 出づ (modern 出る), then に, the stem of the auxiliary ぬ (completion), then けり, which gives the sense of a thing newly noticed: "it has come out, I see." The modern equivalent is 〜てしまったのだなあ. 色 here is the look of the face or the colour of the skin, and 色に出づ is the old idiom for a feeling that shows; the modern one is 顔に出る (kao ni deru).
The order is inverted: the verdict 色に出でにけり comes before its subject わが恋は, which makes the poet's surprise the first thing the reader meets. Then ものや思ふと is a quoted question. The や is the question particle of the classical language, and it requires the verb at the end of its clause to be in the attributive form (連体形), here 思ふ. 人の問ふまで closes the poem: 人の, with の as the subject marker in a subordinate clause, 問ふ (modern 問う, tou) "ask," and まで "up to the point of." In modern Japanese: 人に「何か思い悩んでいるのですか」と聞かれるほどに. The historical spelling ふ in both 思ふ and 問ふ is read u: omou, tou.
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Yuki finds an old postcard from her former teacher and tries to answer it. The narrative uses the plain written style (the dictionary form and the plain past), as Japanese stories do. Every sentence turns on 思う.
53.16a 由紀 Yuki は TOP 古い old 箱 box を OBJ 開けて open-TE 懐かしい nostalgic と QUOT 思った think-PAST
53.16b Yuki (yoo-kee) Yuki wa (wah) TOP furui (foo-roo-ee) old hako (hah-koh) box wo (oh) OBJ akete (ah-keh-teh) open-TE natsukashii (nah-tsoo-kah-shee-ee) nostalgic to (toh) QUOT omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST
53.17a 箱 box の GEN 底 bottom に LOC 先生 teacher から from の GEN 葉書 postcard が SUBJ 残って remain-TE いる be-NONPAST と QUOT は TOP 思わなかった think-NEG.PAST
53.17b hako (hah-koh) box no (noh) GEN soko (soh-koh) bottom ni (nee) LOC sensei (sehn-say) teacher kara (kah-rah) from no (noh) GEN hagaki (hah-gah-kee) postcard ga (gah) SUBJ nokotte (noh-koht-teh) remain-TE iru (ee-roo) be-NONPAST to (toh) QUOT wa (wah) TOP omowanakatta (oh-moh-wah-nah-kaht-tah) think-NEG.PAST
53.18a 葉書 postcard に LOC は TOP 元気 well です COP.POLITE か Q ときどき sometimes あなた you の GEN こと matter を OBJ 思って think-TE います be-POLITE と QUOT 書いて write-TE あった exist-PAST
53.18b hagaki (hah-gah-kee) postcard ni (nee) LOC wa (wah) TOP genki (gehn-kee) well desu (dehss) COP.POLITE ka (kah) Q tokidoki (toh-kee-doh-kee) sometimes anata (ah-nah-tah) you no (noh) GEN koto (koh-toh) matter wo (oh) OBJ omotte (oh-moht-teh) think-TE imasu (ee-mahss) be-POLITE to (toh) QUOT kaite (kah-ee-teh) write-TE atta (aht-tah) exist-PAST
53.19a 由紀 Yuki は TOP 十年前 ten-years-ago の GEN 夏 summer の GEN こと matter を OBJ 思って think-TE しばらく a-while 動けなかった move-POT-NEG.PAST
53.19b Yuki (yoo-kee) Yuki wa (wah) TOP jūnen mae (joo-nehn mah-eh) ten-years-ago no (noh) GEN natsu (nah-tsoo) summer no (noh) GEN koto (koh-toh) matter wo (oh) OBJ omotte (oh-moht-teh) think-TE shibaraku (shee-bah-rah-koo) a-while ugokenakatta (oo-goh-keh-nah-kaht-tah) move-POT-NEG.PAST
53.20a 由紀 Yuki は TOP 先生 teacher は TOP もう already 自分 self の GEN こと matter を OBJ 忘れた forget-PAST と QUOT 思って think-TE いた be-PAST
53.20b Yuki (yoo-kee) Yuki wa (wah) TOP sensei (sehn-say) teacher wa (wah) TOP mō (moh) already jibun (jee-boon) self no (noh) GEN koto (koh-toh) matter wo (oh) OBJ wasureta (wah-soo-reh-tah) forget-PAST to (toh) QUOT omotte (oh-moht-teh) think-TE ita (ee-tah) be-PAST
53.21a だから therefore 葉書 postcard を OBJ 読んで read-TE うれしく glad-ADV 思った think-PAST
53.21b dakara (dah-kah-rah) therefore hagaki (hah-gah-kee) postcard wo (oh) OBJ yonde (yohn-deh) read-TE ureshiku (oo-reh-shee-koo) glad-ADV omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST
53.22a 返事 reply を OBJ 書こう write-VOLITIONAL と QUOT 思った think-PAST が but 何 what と QUOT 書けば write-COND いい good か Q わからなかった understand-NEG.PAST
53.22b henji (hehn-jee) reply wo (oh) OBJ kakō (kah-koh) write-VOLITIONAL to (toh) QUOT omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST ga (gah) but nani (nah-nee) what to (toh) QUOT kakeba (kah-keh-bah) write-COND ii (ee-ee) good ka (kah) Q wakaranakatta (wah-kah-rah-nah-kaht-tah) understand-NEG.PAST
53.23a 机 desk に DIR 向かって face-TE 長い long 間 interval 考えた think-through-PAST が but 思う think-NONPAST ように MANNER 書けなかった write-POT-NEG.PAST
53.23b tsukue (tsoo-koo-eh) desk ni (nee) DIR mukatte (moo-kaht-teh) face-TE nagai (nah-gah-ee) long aida (ah-ee-dah) interval kangaeta (kahn-gah-eh-tah) think-through-PAST ga (gah) but omou (oh-moh-oo) think-NONPAST yō ni (yoh nee) MANNER kakenakatta (kah-keh-nah-kaht-tah) write-POT-NEG.PAST
53.24a 窓 window の GEN 外 outside で LOC は TOP 雨 rain が SUBJ 降って fall-TE いて be-TE 先生 teacher の GEN 町 town も also 雨 rain だろう COP.PROBABLY か Q と QUOT 思った think-PAST
53.24b mado (mah-doh) window no (noh) GEN soto (soh-toh) outside de (deh) LOC wa (wah) TOP ame (ah-meh) rain ga (gah) SUBJ futte (foot-teh) fall-TE ite (ee-teh) be-TE sensei (sehn-say) teacher no (noh) GEN machi (mah-chee) town mo (moh) also ame (ah-meh) rain darō (dah-roh) COP.PROBABLY ka (kah) Q to (toh) QUOT omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST
53.25a 先生 teacher なら if-it-is どんな what-kind-of 手紙 letter でも even 喜んで be-glad-TE くれる give-to-me だろう PROBABLY と QUOT 思った think-PAST
53.25b sensei (sehn-say) teacher nara (nah-rah) if-it-is donna (dohn-nah) what-kind-of tegami (teh-gah-mee) letter demo (deh-moh) even yorokonde (yoh-roh-kohn-deh) be-glad-TE kureru (koo-reh-roo) give-to-me darō (dah-roh) PROBABLY to (toh) QUOT omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST
53.26a 由紀 Yuki は TOP 短い short 言葉 words でも even いい good と QUOT 思って think-TE ペン pen を OBJ 取った take-PAST
53.26b Yuki (yoo-kee) Yuki wa (wah) TOP mijikai (mee-jee-kah-ee) short kotoba (koh-toh-bah) words demo (deh-moh) even ii (ee-ee) good to (toh) QUOT omotte (oh-moht-teh) think-TE pen (pehn) pen wo (oh) OBJ totta (toht-tah) take-PAST
53.27a お HON 元気 well です COP.POLITE か Q 私 I は TOP 元気 well です COP.POLITE と QUOT 書いて write-TE から after それ that だけ only で WITH は TOP 足りない suffice-NEG と QUOT 思った think-PAST
53.27b o (oh) HON genki (gehn-kee) well desu (dehss) COP.POLITE ka (kah) Q watashi (wah-tah-shee) I wa (wah) TOP genki (gehn-kee) well desu (dehss) COP.POLITE to (toh) QUOT kaite (kah-ee-teh) write-TE kara (kah-rah) after sore (soh-reh) that dake (dah-keh) only de (deh) WITH wa (wah) TOP tarinai (tah-ree-nah-ee) suffice-NEG to (toh) QUOT omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST
53.28a 由紀 Yuki は TOP 十年分 ten-years-worth の GEN 話 story は TOP 一枚 one-sheet の GEN 葉書 postcard に LOC 書けない write-POT-NEG と QUOT 思った think-PAST
53.28b Yuki (yoo-kee) Yuki wa (wah) TOP jūnen bun (joo-nehn boon) ten-years-worth no (noh) GEN hanashi (hah-nah-shee) story wa (wah) TOP ichimai (ee-chee-mah-ee) one-sheet no (noh) GEN hagaki (hah-gah-kee) postcard ni (nee) LOC kakenai (kah-keh-nah-ee) write-POT-NEG to (toh) QUOT omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST
53.29a 由紀 Yuki は TOP 引き出し drawer から from 便箋 letter-paper を OBJ 出して take-out-TE 今度 this-time は TOP 思った think-PAST こと matter を OBJ そのまま as-it-is 書いた write-PAST
53.29b Yuki (yoo-kee) Yuki wa (wah) TOP hikidashi (hee-kee-dah-shee) drawer kara (kah-rah) from binsen (been-sehn) letter-paper wo (oh) OBJ dashite (dah-shee-teh) take-out-TE kondo (kohn-doh) this-time wa (wah) TOP omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST koto (koh-toh) matter wo (oh) OBJ sono mama (soh-noh mah-mah) as-it-is kaita (kah-ee-tah) write-PAST
53.30a 手紙 letter を OBJ 出した post-PAST あと after 由紀 Yuki は TOP 先生 teacher が SUBJ また again 葉書 postcard を OBJ くれる give-to-me と COND いい good な FP と QUOT 思った think-PAST
53.30b tegami (teh-gah-mee) letter wo (oh) OBJ dashita (dah-shee-tah) post-PAST ato (ah-toh) after Yuki (yoo-kee) Yuki wa (wah) TOP sensei (sehn-say) teacher ga (gah) SUBJ mata (mah-tah) again hagaki (hah-gah-kee) postcard wo (oh) OBJ kureru (koo-reh-roo) give-to-me to (toh) COND ii (ee-ee) good na (nah) FP to (toh) QUOT omotta (oh-moht-tah) think-PAST
53.16 由紀は古い箱を開けて、懐かしいと思った。(Yuki wa furui hako wo akete, natsukashii to omotta.) "Yuki opened an old box and felt nostalgic." 53.17 箱の底に先生からの葉書が残っているとは思わなかった。(Hako no soko ni sensei kara no hagaki ga nokotte iru to wa omowanakatta.) "She had not thought that a postcard from her teacher would still be lying at the bottom of the box." 53.18 葉書には「元気ですか。ときどきあなたのことを思っています」と書いてあった。(Hagaki ni wa "genki desu ka. Tokidoki anata no koto wo omotte imasu" to kaite atta.) "On the postcard was written, 'Are you well? I think of you from time to time.'" 53.19 由紀は十年前の夏のことを思って、しばらく動けなかった。(Yuki wa jūnen mae no natsu no koto wo omotte, shibaraku ugokenakatta.) "Thinking of the summer ten years before, Yuki could not move for a while." 53.20 由紀は、先生はもう自分のことを忘れたと思っていた。(Yuki wa, sensei wa mō jibun no koto wo wasureta to omotte ita.) "Yuki had thought that her teacher had long since forgotten her." 53.21 だから、葉書を読んで、うれしく思った。(Dakara, hagaki wo yonde, ureshiku omotta.) "So she read the postcard and was glad." 53.22 返事を書こうと思ったが、何と書けばいいかわからなかった。(Henji wo kakō to omotta ga, nani to kakeba ii ka wakaranakatta.) "She thought she would write a reply, but she did not know what to write." 53.23 机に向かって長い間考えたが、思うように書けなかった。(Tsukue ni mukatte nagai aida kangaeta ga, omou yō ni kakenakatta.) "She sat at her desk and thought for a long time, but could not write as she wished." 53.24 窓の外では雨が降っていて、先生の町も雨だろうかと思った。(Mado no soto de wa ame ga futte ite, sensei no machi mo ame darō ka to omotta.) "Rain was falling outside the window, and she wondered whether it was raining in her teacher's town too." 53.25 先生ならどんな手紙でも喜んでくれるだろうと思った。(Sensei nara donna tegami demo yorokonde kureru darō to omotta.) "She thought that her teacher would be glad of any letter at all." 53.26 由紀は短い言葉でもいいと思って、ペンを取った。(Yuki wa mijikai kotoba demo ii to omotte, pen wo totta.) "Thinking that even a few short words would do, Yuki took up a pen." 53.27 「お元気ですか。私は元気です」と書いてから、それだけでは足りないと思った。("O-genki desu ka. Watashi wa genki desu" to kaite kara, sore dake de wa tarinai to omotta.) "After writing, 'Are you well? I am well,' she thought that this alone was not enough." 53.28 由紀は十年分の話は一枚の葉書に書けないと思った。(Yuki wa jūnen bun no hanashi wa ichimai no hagaki ni kakenai to omotta.) "Yuki thought that ten years' worth of stories could not be written on a single postcard." 53.29 由紀は引き出しから便箋を出して、今度は思ったことをそのまま書いた。(Yuki wa hikidashi kara binsen wo dashite, kondo wa omotta koto wo sono mama kaita.) "Yuki took writing paper out of the drawer and this time wrote down what she thought just as it came." 53.30 手紙を出したあと、由紀は先生がまた葉書をくれるといいなと思った。(Tegami wo dashita ato, Yuki wa sensei ga mata hagaki wo kureru to ii na to omotta.) "After she posted the letter, Yuki thought how nice it would be if her teacher sent a card again."
53.16 由紀は古い箱を開けて、懐かしいと思った。 53.17 箱の底に先生からの葉書が残っているとは思わなかった。 53.18 葉書には「元気ですか。ときどきあなたのことを思っています」と書いてあった。 53.19 由紀は十年前の夏のことを思って、しばらく動けなかった。 53.20 由紀は、先生はもう自分のことを忘れたと思っていた。 53.21 だから、葉書を読んで、うれしく思った。 53.22 返事を書こうと思ったが、何と書けばいいかわからなかった。 53.23 机に向かって長い間考えたが、思うように書けなかった。 53.24 窓の外では雨が降っていて、先生の町も雨だろうかと思った。 53.25 先生ならどんな手紙でも喜んでくれるだろうと思った。 53.26 由紀は短い言葉でもいいと思って、ペンを取った。 53.27 「お元気ですか。私は元気です」と書いてから、それだけでは足りないと思った。 53.28 由紀は十年分の話は一枚の葉書に書けないと思った。 53.29 由紀は引き出しから便箋を出して、今度は思ったことをそのまま書いた。 53.30 手紙を出したあと、由紀は先生がまた葉書をくれるといいなと思った。
〜と思った in narrative (53.16, 53.21, 53.22 and the others). In a story, 思った (the plain past) takes the place of 思います. The narrator reports a character's thought as a plain event, because the story has entered that character's mind. In a conversation about someone else, the same thought would need 思っていた.
〜とは思わなかった (53.17). 残っているとは思わなかった is "did not think it was still there," a surprise: she had expected nothing. 残っている is the 〜ている form of 残る (to remain), a state still holding.
〜ている (53.18, 53.19, 53.20, 53.24). 思っています (53.18) is a thought held over a period: "I think of you now and then." 思っていた (53.20) is the same in the past: "she had been thinking." 降っていて (53.24) is "falling, and...", the te-form of 降っている.
書いてあった (53.18). 書いてある is a state that remains because someone wrote it: "it is written there, it says." The past is 書いてあった. The は in 葉書には sets the postcard as the place of the writing.
を思う, "to think of" (53.19). 夏のことを思って is "thinking of the summer," in the sense of bringing it to mind. The こと ("the matter of") often follows the object of 思う in this sense: あなたのことを思う, "to think about you."
自分 (53.20). 自分 is "oneself." In a quoted clause it often refers back to the person whose thought it is: 先生はもう自分のことを忘れた, "that her teacher had forgotten her (Yuki herself)."
うれしく思う (53.21). The adverbial form of an adjective (うれしい → うれしく) before 思う gives a feeling: "was glad." It is a little more formal than うれしかった.
〜(よ)うと思った (53.22). 書こうと思った is "she thought she would write." The volitional 書こう is the intention, and と思った reports it. が then turns the sentence round: "but she did not know." 何と書けばいいか is "what to write," with a conditional 書けば and いい ("it is good if...") and the question か.
考えた and 思うように (53.23). 考えた is the deliberate thinking, the long search for words. 思うように is the other kind of thought: the wish, "as she would wish." The two words sit in one sentence for that reason. 思うように書けなかった is "could not write as she wanted."
〜だろうかと思った (53.24). だろうか is the question "is it, I wonder?" and と思った reports it: "she wondered whether it was raining in the teacher's town too."
〜なら and 〜でも (53.25). 先生なら is "if it is the teacher" or "as for the teacher." どんな手紙でも is "any letter at all." 喜んでくれる is the te-form of 喜ぶ plus くれる, "be glad for me, give me the favour of being glad."
〜でもいい (53.26). 短い言葉でもいい is "even short words will do." 〜でもいい lowers the standard: "it will do even if...". The te-form 思って closes the clause, and the next action (ペンを取った) follows.
〜だけでは (53.27). それだけでは足りない is "with that alone it is not enough." The で is the instrument, "by means of," and は contrasts. 足りない is the negative of 足りる (to be sufficient).
〜に書けない (53.28). 書けない is the potential negative of 書く: "cannot write." The に marks the surface written upon, 葉書に.
思ったこと (53.29). The past form 思った makes a relative clause for こと: 思ったこと, "the thing she thought." そのまま is "as it is, unchanged." 今度は is "this time, by contrast."
〜といいな (53.30). The conditional と plus いい is the pattern of a wish: 先生がくれるといいな, "it would be nice if the teacher gave me one." な is the sentence-final particle of soft feeling. くれる is "to give to me": the action goes toward the speaker.
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Japanese has pitch accent, not stress: each word has a pattern of high and low pitch, and the respellings in this lesson give every syllable the same weight. For the pitch pattern of each word, check an accent dictionary such as the NHK 日本語発音アクセント新辞典 as you learn.
思う (omou) — IPA: /o.mo.ɯ/ — Three morae. Say the o twice with a short, pure vowel, and let the last u be light and unrounded. Do not turn the final syllable into English "ow." 思います (omoimasu) — IPA: /o.mo.i.ma.sɯ/ — The final u of ます is almost silent: oh-moh-ee-mahss. 思って (omotte) — IPA: /o.mot.te/ — The small っ doubles the t: a silent beat, then the t. 思わない (omowanai) — IPA: /o.mo.wa.na.i/ — Five morae, each of the same length. 考える (kangaeru) — IPA: /kaŋ.ɡa.e.ɾɯ/ — The ん before g is a nasal sound made at the back of the mouth, as in English "sing." The r is a quick tap of the tongue. 面白い (omoshiroi) — IPA: /o.mo.ɕi.ɾo.i/ — The sh is a soft, hushing sound, tongue flat. 難しい (muzukashii) — IPA: /mɯ.zɯ.ka.ɕiː/ — The long final ii counts two morae. 懐かしい (natsukashii) — IPA: /na.tsɯ.ka.ɕiː/ — The ts is one sound, as at the end of English "cats." 故郷 (furusato) — IPA: /fɯ.ɾɯ.sa.to/ — The f is made with both lips and a light breath, softer than English f. 嘘 (uso) — IPA: /ɯ.so/ — Two morae. The u is unrounded. 疲れて (tsukarete) — IPA: /tsɯ.ka.ɾe.te/. 今日 (kyō) — IPA: /kjoː/ — One syllable with a long o, two morae. 先生 (sensei) — IPA: /seɴ.seː/ — The ei is pronounced as a long e: sehn-say. 便箋 (binsen) — IPA: /bi.ɴ.seɴ/ — Both ん sounds are a nasal beat of their own. 葉書 (hagaki) — IPA: /ha.ɡa.ki/. 由紀 (Yuki) — IPA: /jɯ.ki/ — The name of the woman in the story.
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