Editing Japanese grammar (section)

===Auxiliary verbs===
All auxiliary verbs attach to a verbal or adjectival [[#Stem forms|stem form]] and conjugate as verbs. In modern Japanese there are two distinct classes of auxiliary verbs:
; {{nihongo|Pure auxiliaries|助動詞|jodōshi}} : are usually just called ''verb endings'' or ''conjugated forms''. These auxiliaries do not function as independent verbs.
; {{nihongo|Helper auxiliaries|補助動詞|hojodōshi}} : are normal verbs that lose their independent meaning when used as auxiliaries.

In classical Japanese, which was more heavily agglutinating than modern Japanese, the category of ''auxiliary verb'' included every verbal ending after the stem form, and most of these endings were themselves inflected. In modern Japanese, however, some of them have stopped being productive. The prime example is the classical auxiliary {{nihongo||たり|-tari}}, whose modern forms {{nihongo||た|-ta}} and {{nihongo||て|-te}} are no longer viewed as inflections of the same suffix, and can take no further affixes.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ '''Some pure auxiliary verbs'''
! auxiliary !! group !! attaches to !! meaning modification !! example
|-
| {{nihongo||ます|masu}} || irregular<sup>1</sup> || continuative || makes the sentence polite
| {{nihongo3|'to write'|書く|kaku}} → {{nihongo||書きます|kakimasu}}
|-
| {{nihongo||られる|rareru}}<sup>2</sup>
|rowspan="2"| 2b
| irrealis of grp.&nbsp;2
| makes V passive/honorific/potential
| {{nihongo3|'to see'|見る|miru}} → {{nihongo3|'to be able to see'|見られる|mirareru}}<br />{{nihongo3|'to eat'|食べる|taberu}} → {{nihongo3|'to be able to eat'|食べられる|taberareru}}
|-
| {{nihongo||れる|reru}} || irrealis of grp.&nbsp;1
| makes V passive/honorific
| {{nihongo3|'to drink/swallow'|飲む|nomu}} → {{nihongo3|'to be drunk'|飲まれる|nomareru}} (Passive form of ''drink'', not a synonym for ''intoxicated''.)
|-
<!-- asdf| {{nihongo||る|ru}}<sup>3</sup> || hyp. of grp. 1
| makes V potential
| {{nihongo3|'to drink/swallow'|飲む|nomu}} → {{nihongo3|'to be able to drink'|飲める|nomeru}}
|- -->
| {{nihongo||させる|saseru}}<sup>3</sup>
|rowspan="2"| 2b
| irrealis of grp.&nbsp;2
|rowspan="2"| makes V causative
| {{nihongo3|'to think'|考える|kangaeru}} → {{nihongo3|'to cause to think'|考えさせる|kangaesaseru}}
|-
| {{nihongo||せる|seru}} || irrealis of grp.&nbsp;1
| {{nihongo3|'to realize'|思い知る|omoishiru}} → {{nihongo3|'to cause to realize/to teach a lesson'|思い知らせる|omoishiraseru}}
|}
# {{nihongo||ます|masu}} has stem forms: irrealis {{lang|ja|ませ}} and {{lang|ja|ましょ}}, continuative {{lang|ja|まし}}, terminal {{lang|ja|ます}}, attributive {{lang|ja|ます}}, hypothetical {{lang|ja|ますれ}}, imperative {{lang|ja|ませ}}.
# {{nihongo||られる|rareru}} in potential usage is sometimes shortened to {{nihongo||れる|reru}} (group 2); thus {{nihongo3|'to be able to eat'|食べれる|tabereru}} instead of {{nihongo3||食べられる|taberareru}}. However, it is considered non-standard.
# {{nihongo||させる|saseru}} is sometimes shortened to {{nihongo||さす|sasu}} (group 1), but this usage is somewhat literary.

Much of the agglutinative flavour of Japanese stems from helper auxiliaries, however. The following table contains a small selection of many such auxiliary verbs.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ '''Some helper auxiliary verbs'''
! auxiliary !! group !! attaches to !! meaning modification !! example
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to be' [inanimate]|ある|aru}}
| 1
| {{transliteration|ja|-te}} form<br />only for trans.
| indicates state modification
| {{nihongo3|'to open'|開く|hiraku}} → {{nihongo3|'opened and is still open'|開いてある|hiraite-aru}}
|-
|rowspan="2"| {{nihongo3|'to be' [animate]|いる|iru}}
| 2a
| {{transliteration|ja|-te}} form<br />for trans.
| progressive aspect
| {{nihongo3|'to sleep'|寝る|neru}} → {{nihongo3|'is sleeping'|寝ている|nete-iru}}
|-
| 2a
| {{transliteration|ja|-te}} form<br />for intrans.
| indicates state modification
| {{nihongo3|'to close (intransitive)'|閉まる|shimaru}} → {{nihongo3|'is closed'|閉まっている|shimatte-iru}}
|-
|rowspan="2"| {{nihongo3|'to put/place'|おく|oku}}
|rowspan="2"| 1
|rowspan="2"| {{transliteration|ja|-te}} form
| "do something in advance"
| {{nihongo3|'to eat'|食べる|taberu}} → {{nihongo3|'eat in advance'|食べておく|tabete-oku}}
|-
| "keep"
| {{nihongo3|'to open'|開ける|akeru}} → {{nihongo3|'keep it open'|開けておく|akete-oku}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to go'|行く|iku}}
| 1
| {{transliteration|ja|-te}} form
| "goes on V-ing"
| {{nihongo3|'to walk'|歩く|aruku}} → {{nihongo3|'keep walking'|歩いて行く|aruite-iku}}
|-
|rowspan="3"| {{nihongo3|'to come'|くる|kuru}}
|rowspan="3"| {{transliteration|ja|ka}}
|rowspan="3"| {{transliteration|ja|-te}} form
| inception, "start to V"
| {{nihongo3|'fall'|降る|furu}} → {{nihongo3|'start to fall'|降ってくる|futte-kuru}}
|-
| perfection, "have V-ed" (only past-tense)
| {{nihongo3|'live'|生きる|ikiru}} → {{nihongo3|'have lived'|生きてきた|ikite-kita}}
|-
| conclusion, "come to V"
| {{nihongo3|'differ'|異なる|kotonaru}} → {{nihongo3|'come to differ'|異なってくる|kotonatte-kuru}}
|-
|rowspan="2"| {{nihongo3|'to begin'|始める|hajimeru}}
|rowspan="2"| 2b
| continuative<br />non-punctual
|rowspan="2"| "V begins", "begin to V"
| {{nihongo3|'to write'|書く|kaku}} → {{nihongo3|'start to write'|書き始める|kaki-hajimeru}}
|-
| continuative<br />punctual & subj. must be plural
| {{nihongo3|'to arrive'|着く|tsuku}} → {{nihongo3|'have all started to arrive'|着き始める|tsuki-hajimeru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to emit'|出す|dasu}}
| 1
| continuative
| "start to V"
| {{nihongo3|'to shine'|輝く|kagayaku}} → {{nihongo3|'to start shining'|輝き出す|kagayaki-dasu}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to see'|みる|miru}}
| 1
| {{transliteration|ja|-te}} form
| "try to V"
| {{nihongo3|'do'|する|suru}} → {{nihongo3|'try to do'|してみる|shite-miru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to correct/heal'|なおす|naosu}}
| 1
| continuative
| "do V again, correcting mistakes"
| {{nihongo3|'to write'|書く|kaku}} → {{nihongo3|'rewrite'|書きなおす|kaki-naosu}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to rise'|あがる|agaru}}
| 1
| continuative
| "do V thoroughly" / "V happens upwards"
| {{nihongo3|'to stand'|立つ|tatsu}} → {{nihongo3|'stand up'|立ち上がる|tachi-agaru}}<br />{{nihongo3|'to come out'|出来る|dekiru}} → {{nihongo3|'be completed'|出来上がる|deki-agaru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to be able'|得る|eru/uru}}
| (see note at bottom)
| continuative
| indicates potential
| {{nihongo3|'to be'|ある|aru}} → {{nihongo3|'is possible'|あり得る|ariuru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to hang/catch/obtain'|かかる・かける|kakaru/kakeru}}
| 1
| continuative<br />only for intrans., non-volit.
| "about to V", "almost V", <br /> "to start to V"
| {{nihongo3|'drown'|溺れる|oboreru}} → {{nihongo3|'about to drown'|溺れかける|obore-kakeru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to cut'|きる|kiru}}
| 1
| continuative
| "do V completely"
| {{nihongo3|'to eat'|食べる|taberu}} → {{nihongo3|'to eat it all'|食べきる|tabe-kiru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to erase'|消す|kesu}}
| 1
| continuative
| "cancel by V"<br />"deny with V"
| {{nihongo3|'to rub'|揉む|momu}} → {{nihongo3|'to rub out, to extinguish'|揉み消す|momi-kesu}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to enter deeply/plunge'|込む|komu}}
| 1
| continuative
| "V deep in", "V into"
| {{nihongo3|'to speak'|話す|hanasu}} → {{nihongo3|'to be deep in conversation'|話し込む|hanashi-komu}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to lower'|下げる|sageru}}
| 2b
| continuative
| "V down"
| {{nihongo3|'to pull'|引く|hiku}} → {{nihongo3|'to pull down'|引き下げる|hiki-sageru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to exceed'|過ぎる|sugiru}}
| 2a
| continuative
| "overdo V"
| {{nihongo3|'to say'|言う|iu}} → {{nihongo3|'to say too much, to overstate'|言いすぎる|ii-sugiru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to attach'|付ける|tsukeru}}
| 2b
| continuative
| "become accustomed to V"
| {{nihongo3|'to go'|行く|iku}} → {{nihongo3|'be used to (going)'|行き付ける|iki-tsukeru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to continue'|続ける|tsuzukeru}}
| 2b
| continuative
| "keep on V"
| {{nihongo3|'to fall'|降る|furu}} (e.g. rain) → {{nihongo3|'to keep falling'|降り続ける|furi-tsuzukeru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to show/thread/lead'|通す|tōsu}}
| 1
| continuative
| "finish V-ing"
| {{nihongo3|'to read'|読む|yomu}} → {{nihongo3|'to finish reading'|読み通す|yomi-tōsu}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to shed/spill/desert'|抜ける|nukeru}}
| 2b
| continuative<br />only for intrans.
| "V through"
| {{nihongo3|'to run'|走る|hashiru}} → {{nihongo3|'to run through'|走り抜ける|hashiri-nukeru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to leave behind'|残す|nokosu}}
| 1
| continuative
| "by doing V, leave something behind"
| {{nihongo3|'to think'|思う|omou}} → {{nihongo3|'to regret'|思い残す|omoi-nokosu|lit: to have something left to think about}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to be left behind'|残る|nokoru}}
| 1
| continuative<br />only for intrans.
| "be left behind, doing V"
| {{nihongo3|'live'|生きる|ikiru}} → {{nihongo3|'to survive'|生き残る|iki-nokoru|lit: to be left alive}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to divide/split/classify'|分ける|wakeru}}
| 2b
| continuative
| "the proper way to V"
| {{nihongo3|'use'|使う|tsukau}} → {{nihongo3|'to indicate the proper way to use'|使い分ける|tsukai-wakeru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3|'to forget'|忘れる|wasureru}}
| 2b
| continuative
| "to forget to V"
| {{nihongo3|'to ask'|聞く|kiku}} → {{nihongo3|'to forget to ask'|聞き忘れる|kiki-wasureru}}
|-
| {{nihongo3||合う|au}} 'to come together'
| 1
| continuative
| "to do V to each other", "to do V together"
| {{nihongo3|'to hug'|抱く|daku}} → {{nihongo3|'to hug each other'|抱き合う|daki-au}}
|}
* Note: {{nihongo3||得る|eru/uru}} is the only modern verb of ''shimo nidan'' type (and it is different from the ''shimo nidan'' type of classical Japanese), with conjugations: irrealis {{lang|ja|え}}, continuative {{lang|ja|え}}, terminal {{lang|ja|える}} or {{lang|ja|うる}}, attributive {{lang|ja|うる}}, hypothetical {{lang|ja|うれ}}, imperative {{lang|ja|えろ}} or {{lang|ja|えよ}}.