Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 29

Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 29

1. Vて-formいます

Vて-form いますexpresses the state which results as a consequence of the action expressed by the verb.

1) N がVて-formいます

窓が割れています。(*)

The window is broken.

電気がついています。

The light is on.

As in the examples above, when the speaker describes the state he/she sees in front of him/her as it is, the subject of the action is indicated with が. Example (*) shows that “the window was broken in the past and at present its consequence remains (=it is broken)”. Verbs which are used with this expression are intransitive verbs, and most of them indicate an instantaneous act or action. Examples of such verbs include こわれます、きえます、あきます、こみますetc.

When describing states in the past, Vて-formいました is used.

けさは道が込んでいました。

The road was crowded this morning.

2) N はV-てformいます

When the subject of an act or action is taken up as a topic, it is indicated with は.

このいすは壊れています。

This chair is broken.

2. Vて-form しまいました／しまいます

Vて-form しまいましたis an expression which emphasizes that an action or event has been completed.

シュミットさんが持って来たワインは全部飲んでしまいました。

We drank all the wine that Mr. Schmidt brought.

漢字の宿題はもうやってしまいました。

I have done my Kanji homework already.

Though V ましたcan also indicate the completion of an action, the use of Vて-form しまいました emphasizes the actual completion of the action. Therefore, the latter is often accompanied by such adverbs asもう and/or ぜんぶ .

Also, Vて-formしまいますexpresses that the speaker will complete an action in the future.

昼ごはんまでにレポートを書いてしまいます。

I intend to finish writing the report by lunch time.

3. V-てform しまいました

This expression conveys the speaker’s embarrassment or regret in a difficult situation.

パスポートをなくしてしまいました。

I lost my passport.

パソコンが故障してしまいました。

My personal computer’s broken.

Though the fact of losing one’s passport or the trouble with the computer can be expressed with なくしましたor 故障しました, these sentences above add the speaker’s feeling of regret or embarrassment about the fact.

4. ありました

[かばん]がありました。

I’ve found [the bag].

ありましたhere is used to indicate that the speaker has found the bag, not to indicate that it existed some place in the past.

5. どこかで／どこかに

In the examples shown in Lesson 13, you learned へin どこかへand をin なにかをcould be omitted. However, でin どこかでor にinどこかに cannot be omitted.

どこかで財布をなくしてしまいました。

I’ve lost my wallet somewhere.

どこかに電話がありませんか。

Is there a pay phone somewhere nearby?

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Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 30
Minna No Nihongo Lesson 29 Vocabulary