Meaning & Usage
โจ Basic Meaning
Expresses an action or state that was continuous, ongoing, or resulted in a sustained condition at a specific point in the past.
๐ฏ Primary Function
To place an action or state into a duration within the past timeline.
๐ Grammar Structure
Verb ใฆ-form + ใใ
Not applicable (Must use ใใฃใ or ใซใชใฃใฆใใ).
Not applicable (Must use ใ ใฃใ or ใซใชใฃใฆใใ).
Verb ใฆ-form + ใใชใใฃใ
๐ญ Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used when recounting past events or providing background information, usually followed by polite endings like ใงใ/ใพใ (e.g., ใฆใใพใใ).
Informal Situations
Extremely common in casual conversation to describe past activities.
Written Language
Used extensively in narrative texts, historical accounts, and descriptive writing.
Spoken Language
Very frequent; necessary for describing background actions and states.
๐ก Common Applications
Describing an Ongoing Past Action (Past Continuous)
Used to describe what someone was actively doing over a duration in the past, often translated as “was/were doing.”
Example: ๅฝผใฏๅ
ฌๅใง่ตฐใฃใฆใใใ(He was running in the park.)
Describing a Past Resultant State
Used with certain verbs (like ็ฅใ, ้ใ, ็ใ) to describe a state that resulted from an action and continued in the past. Translated as “was [in a state].”
Example: ้ปๆฐใฏใคใใฆใใใ(The light was on.)
Describing Past Habits or Repeated Actions (Used to)
Can be used to talk about actions that were done habitually or repeatedly in the past, similar to “used to do” in English.
Example: ้ซๆ ก็ใฎๆใๆฏๆฅใฎใฟใผใๅผพใใฆใใใ(When I was a high school student, I used to play the guitar every day.)
Frequency
High. Essential for descriptive storytelling and recounting past events.
Difficulty
N4 / N3 (Nuance)
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
ๅฝผๅฅณใฏๅณๆธ้คจใงๆฌใ่ชญใใงใใใ
Furigana: ใใฎใใใฏใจใใใใใงใปใใใใใงใใใ
Romaji: Kanojo wa toshokan de hon o yonde ita.
English: She was reading a book in the library.
Example #2
็ชใ้ใใฆใใใฎใงใ็ซใๅ
ฅใฃใฆใใใ
Furigana: ใพใฉใใใใฆใใใฎใงใใญใใใฏใใฃใฆใใใ
Romaji: Mado ga aite ita node, neko ga haitte kita.
English: The window was open, so the cat came in.
Example #3
็งใ้ป่ฉฑใใๆใๅฝผใฏๅฏใฆใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใงใใใใใจใใใใใฏใญใฆใใใ
Romaji: Watashi ga denwa shita toki, kare wa nete ita.
English: When I called, he was sleeping.
Example #4
ๆใ็งใฏๆฏๆฅใธใงใฎใณใฐใใใฆใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใใใใฏใพใใซใกใธใงใฎใณใฐใใใฆใใใ
Romaji: Mukashi, watashi wa mainichi jogingu o shite ita.
English: In the past, I used to jog every day.
Example #5
้จใ้ใฃใฆใใใใใๅฎถใซใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใตใฃใฆใใใใใใใใซใใใ
Romaji: Ame ga futte ita kara, ie ni ita.
English: It was raining, so I stayed home.
Example #6
็งใฏใใใใฎ็ญใใ็ฅใฃใฆใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใฏใใใใฎใใใใใใฃใฆใใใ
Romaji: Watashi wa mล sono kotae o shitte ita.
English: I already knew that answer.
Example #7
ๅฝผใใฏๆจๆฉใใใฃใจ่ฉฑใๅใฃใฆใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใฏใใใฐใใใใฃใจใฏใชใใใฃใฆใใใ
Romaji: Karera wa sakuban, zutto hanashiatte ita.
English: They were talking to each other the whole night.
Example #8
ๅ
ใ่ฒทใฃใฆใใใใฑใผใญใใใผใใซใฎไธใซ็ฝฎใใฆใใฃใใ
Furigana: ใใซใใใฃใฆใใใใฑใผใญใใใผใใซใฎใใใซใใใฆใใฃใใ
Romaji: Ani ga katte kureta kฤki ga tฤburu no ue ni oite atta.
English: My older brother’s bought cake was sitting on the table.
Example #9
็งใฎ็ถใฏ่ฅใ้ ใๅ
็ใใใฆใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใฎใกใกใฏใใใใใใใใใใใใใฆใใใ
Romaji: Watashi no chichi wa wakai koro, sensei o shite ita.
English: My father was a teacher when he was young.
Example #10
ๅฐใใๅญไพใฏใใฃใใพใงๆณฃใใฆใใใใใ ใ
Furigana: ใกใใใใใฉใใฏใใฃใใพใงใชใใฆใใใใใ ใ
Romaji: Chฤซsai kodomo wa sakki made naite ita yล da.
English: The little child was crying just a moment ago.
Notes & Nuances
๐ Important Points
State Verbs vs. Action Verbs: Be careful with verbs that inherently describe a state (e.g., ็ฅใ, ไฝใ, ็ตๅฉใใ). For these, ใฆใใ describes the past state, not an ongoing action.
With verbs like ใคใ (to turn on/be on), ใฆใใ expresses the *resultant state* (the light was in the state of being on), not the action (was turning on).
Example: ้ปๆฐใฏใคใใฆใใใ(The light was on.)
Past Habit/Repeated Action: ใฆใใ can describe something a person routinely did in the past.
This usage is very similar to the simple V-ใ form describing a past habit, but V-ใฆใใ often implies the habit continued over an extended, specified period.
Example: ๅฝผใฏๆฏๆฅใๆฐ่ใ่ชญใใงใใใ(He used to read the newspaper every day.)
Distinction from Simple Past (V-ใ): V-ใฆใใ emphasizes that the action was ongoing or that a state existed throughout a past time frame, whereas V-ใ marks a momentary completion.
V-ใ (Tabeta) focuses on the completion of the action, while V-ใฆใใ (Tabete ita) focuses on the duration or process of the action in the past.
Example: ้ฃในใพใใใ(I ate/finished eating.) vs. ้ฃในใฆใใพใใใ(I was eating.)
โ ๏ธ Common Mistakes
โ Using V-ใฆใใ (้จๅฑใซๅ
ฅใฃใฆใใ) when describing a momentary past action like “He entered the room.”
โ
Use V-ใ for a completed action: ้จๅฑใซๅ
ฅใฃใใ
V-ใฆใใ suggests the action was ongoing (was entering/had entered and was inside), while V-ใ indicates a single completed action (entered).
โ Using V-ใ (ๅฝผๅฅณใฏใใฎ็ญใใ็ฅใฃใ) when saying “She knew the answer.”
โ
Use V-ใฆใใ for the state: ๅฝผๅฅณใฏใใฎ็ญใใ็ฅใฃใฆใใใ
The verb ็ฅใ (to know) is a state verb. While *Shitte iru* means ‘to know,’ *Shitta* means ‘found out.’ Therefore, the past state ‘knew’ must be *Shitte ita*.
๐๏ธ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Plain form (ใฟใก่ช). To make it polite, it becomes V-ใฆ ใใพใใ (V-te imashita).
Social Situations: Used whenever talking about the background setting or duration of actions in the past, regardless of social setting (adjusted by politeness level).
Regional Variations: The structure is standard across all major Japanese dialects. Regional speakers might use slightly different contractions of the ใฆ-form itself, but the use of ใใ is consistent.
๐ Subtle Differences
V-ใฆใใ vs. V-ใ (Simple Past)
V-ใฆใใ emphasizes duration and background; V-ใ emphasizes completion and foreground.
When to use: Use V-ใฆใใ when describing an action interrupted, a background scene, or a continuous past state. Use V-ใ for the main, completed actions of a sequence.
V-ใฆใใ vs. V-ใฆใใ (Past perfect/Arrival)
V-ใฆใใ is past continuous (was doing). V-ใฆใใ implies an action started in the past and continued up to the point of reference, often suggesting movement or accumulation.
When to use: Use V-ใฆใใ when the action ‘comes’ or continues toward the speaker’s viewpoint or the narrative’s end point. Use V-ใฆใใ for simple past duration.
๐ Conjugation Notes
The structure is created by taking the Te-form of any verb and attaching ใใ (ita), which is the plain past form of the auxiliary verb ใใ (iru). V-ใฆ + ใใ (Continuous/State) becomes V-ใฆ + ใใ (Past Continuous/Past State).
๐ Pronunciation Tips
Ensure the ‘t’ in ใใ is clear. When speaking quickly, the ‘i’ of ใใ can sometimes be slightly reduced, but it should still be audible: /te-ita/ rather than a rapid /te-ta/.
๐ง Memory Tips
Remember the structure: TE (Action) + ITA (Was). It literally means “Was in the process of (action).” For state verbs, think “Was in the state of (result).”
Other Grammar
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