Japanese from zero · N4 Lesson 2
Open, closed, left open
開ける / 開く (verb pairs) ・ 〜た まま ・ 〜て おく ・ 〜て しまう / 〜ちゃう
In this lesson, you will learn to tell apart the two verbs Japanese uses for one event (I open the door, the door opens), to say something was left as it was, to say you do something ahead of time, and to own up when something goes wrong. It is Lisa's first evening at the Satos', and Yumi shows her how things are done in this house.
By the end you will be able to say
ドアが 開いて います。The door is open.
授業は 九時に 始まります。Class starts at nine.
窓を 開けた まま 寝ました。I slept with the window open.
お湯を 沸かして おきましょう。Let's heat the water ahead of time.
カップが 割れて しまいました。The cup broke.
The grammar in this lesson
- I open it, it opens: verb pairs 開ける / 開く — Many verbs come in pairs: one takes を (someone does it), the other takes が (it happens).
- Left as it was: 〜た まま — た-form + まま says a state stays as it was while something else happens.
- Do it ahead: 〜て おく — て-form + おく says you do something now so it is ready later, or leave it that way on purpose.
- Oops, and all done: 〜て しまう / 〜ちゃう — て-form + しまう says something happened that you did not want, or that an action is completely done; 〜ちゃう is the casual form.