Jump to content

れる

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Japanese

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Early Middle Japanese (-ru), which followed 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, lower bigrade conjugation) and attached to the 未然形 (mizenkei, irrealis or incomplete form) of 四段活用 (yodan katsuyō, quadrigrade conjugation), ナ行変格活用 (na-gyō henkaku katsuyō, n-irregular conjugation), and ラ行変格活用 (ra-gyō henkaku katsuyō, r-irregular conjugation) verbs; from Proto-Japonic *-(a)ru.

During the later stages of the language, as with other shimo nidan verbs, the original 終止形 (shūshikei, terminal form) (-ru) was gradually lost as the 連体形 (rentaikei, attributive form) るる (-ruru) came to be used for both functions, realigning the conjugations. The suffix came to be also used with (-sa-), the new 未然形 (mizenkei, irrealis or incomplete form) of サ行変格活用 (sa-gyō henkaku katsuyō, s-irregular conjugation) verbs. Finally, the conjugation type of the suffix shifted to 下一段活用 (shimo ichidan katsuyō, lower monograde conjugation), making the modern form れる (-reru).

Suffix

[edit]

れる (-reruichidan (stem (-re), past れた (-reta))

  1. forms a passive verb from an active one
    (あい)()(せん)(しゅ)()たら()(かえ)
    Aite no senshu ni osaretara, oshikaese!
    If you are pushed by opponent players, push them in return!
  2. indicates a spontaneous action
  3. by extension of the indirect sense of the passive, used to add a light honorific sense to verbs
    (えい)(みん)ました
    eimin saremashita
    passed away
    (わたし)たち先生(せんせい)()(ふん)(ぐらい)(もど)れる(おも)ます
    Watashitachi no sensei wa, go fun gurai de modorareru to omoimasu.
    I/We think that our teacher will be back in about five minutes.
    (てん)(のう)(へい)()(こう)(きょ)(もど)なられる
    Tennō Heika ga Kōkyo ni o-modori ni narareru.
    His Imperial Majesty would be back to the Imperial Palace.
  4. (archaic, now colloquial) forms a potential verb from an active one: to be able to [verb]

Usage notes

[edit]
  • Attaches only to the 未然形 (mizenkei, irrealis or incomplete form) of Group I (godan) verbs and the irregular verb する (suru). The result is conjugated like an ichidan verb.
  • In modern Japanese, れる (-reru) is no longer used for the potential in godan verbs, a function which is now expressed by the -eru form of godan verbs and by substituting できる (dekiru) for する (suru) for s-irregular verbs. The result is conjugated similarly.
  • In traditional Japanese grammar, this is a 助動詞 (jodōshi, auxiliary verb). Morphologically, this is an inflectional suffix whose proper shape is -are- (terminal form -areru), attaching to the stem of consonant-stem verbs.

Conjugation

[edit]

See also

[edit]