Aspect you build from a verb stem
Take a verb, remove masu to get the stem, and attach a helper. Yomimasu becomes yomi, and yomi plus owaru is yomiowaru, to finish reading. The compound is a new verb in its own right.
Because this is so regular, it multiplies your vocabulary quickly: every action verb you know can potentially describe starting, finishing and continuing.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 雨が降り始めました。 | Ame ga furihajimemashita. | It started to rain. |
| 本を読み終わりました。 | Hon o yomiowarimashita. | I finished reading the book. |
| 三時間歩き続けました。 | Sanjikan arukitsuzukemashita. | I kept walking for three hours. |
The helpers at a glance
Each compound conjugates like its final verb. Hajimeru and tsuzukeru are ichidan verbs; owaru and dasu are godan verbs, so the endings follow those patterns.
| Helper | Meaning | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| hajimeru | Start doing | Any start, planned or natural |
| dasu | Suddenly start | Unplanned, uncontrolled starts |
| owaru | Finish doing | Actions with a natural end point |
| oeru | Finish doing, more formal | Writing, announcements, formal speech |
| tsuzukeru | Keep doing | Deliberate or sustained actions |
Hajimeru: starting a process
Hajimeru is the default for starting. It works for your own actions and for things that simply begin, like rain or blossoms. In these compounds you always use hajimeru, never hajimaru, even when the subject is not a person.
Notice the difference between a noun with o hajimeru and a verb stem with hajimeru. Jogingu o hajimeta means you took up jogging; hashirihajimeta means you started running at that moment.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日本語を勉強し始めて、二年になります。 | Nihongo o benkyō shihajimete, ninen ni narimasu. | It has been two years since I started studying Japanese. |
| 桜が咲き始めましたね。 | Sakura ga sakihajimemashita ne. | The cherry blossoms have started to bloom. |
| 最近、ジョギングを始めました。 | Saikin, jogingu o hajimemashita. | I recently took up jogging. |
| 信号が変わって、走り始めた。 | Shingō ga kawatte, hashirihajimeta. | The light changed and I started running. |
Dasu: when it starts suddenly
Dasu marks a start that happens abruptly or without control. It is common with crying, laughing, rain and anything that bursts into action.
It does not suit plans. Saying you will study-dasu from tomorrow sounds odd; hajimeru is the word for a start you choose. The broader verb dasu has its own guide; here only the suffix matters.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 急に雨が降り出した。 | Kyū ni ame ga furidashita. | It suddenly started pouring. |
| 赤ちゃんが泣き出しました。 | Akachan ga nakidashimashita. | The baby burst out crying. |
| みんなが笑い出した。 | Minna ga waraidashita. | Everyone burst out laughing. |
Owaru and oeru: getting to the end
Owaru needs an action that has a natural end point: reading a book, eating a meal, writing a report. Momentary actions and states do not have an end to reach, so they do not take it.
Oeru is the slightly more formal partner and is common in announcements and written instructions. In conversation, owaru is the natural default.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食べ終わったら、お皿を下げてください。 | Tabeowattara, o-sara o sagete kudasai. | When you have finished eating, please clear your plate. |
| レポートを書き終えました。 | Repōto o kakioemashita. | I have finished writing the report. |
| この本、もう読み終わった？ | Kono hon, mō yomiowatta? | Have you finished this book yet? |
Tsuzukeru and tsuzuku: keeping it going
Tsuzukeru describes continuing an action, often with effort or persistence. It is the natural way to talk about keeping a habit going.
For natural events that continue on their own, especially weather, the intransitive tsuzuku is very common: furitsuzuku for rain that keeps falling.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 十年間、同じ会社で働き続けています。 | Jūnenkan, onaji kaisha de hatarakitsuzukete imasu. | I have kept working at the same company for ten years. |
| 毎日話し続けることが大切です。 | Mainichi hanashitsuzukeru koto ga taisetsu desu. | The key is to keep speaking every day. |
| 雨が一週間降り続いた。 | Ame ga isshūkan furitsuzuita. | It rained for a week straight. |
Mistakes to fix while speaking
Most errors with these compounds come from mixing up the helper or the stem. A short checklist keeps them clean.
- Use the masu stem: tabehajimeru, not taberuhajimeru.
- Use hajimeru, not hajimaru, even when the subject is rain or blossoms.
- Keep dasu for sudden starts, not for plans.
- Use owaru only for actions with a real end point.
- Conjugate the final verb: owaru is godan, so owatta and owarimasen.