Japanese reference
説明する
せつめいする
to explain
Irregular · 32 form tables
Rows describe verb forms and levels of politeness. Honorific and humble forms are labeled separately. Strong commands appear under additional forms.
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Basic
Non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form | せつめいする (setsumeisuru)explain |
| Polite, masu | せつめいします (setsumeishimasu)explain |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | せつめいしない (setsumeishinai)do not explain |
| Polite negative | せつめいしません (setsumeishimasen)do not explain |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | せつめいした (setsumeishita)explained |
| Polite past | せつめいしました (setsumeishimashita)explained |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | せつめいしなかった (setsumeishinakatta)did not explain |
| Polite past negative | せつめいしませんでした (setsumeishimasendeshita)did not explain |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | せつめいして (setsumeishite)explaining (and then) |
| Polite te-form | せつめいしまして (setsumeishimashite)explaining (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | せつめいしている (setsumeishiteiru)be explaining |
| Polite te-iru | せつめいしています (setsumeishiteimasu)be explaining |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | せつめいすれば (setsumeisureba)if you explain |
| Rare literary polite conditional | せつめいしますれば (setsumeishimasureba)if you explain (rare and literary). In ordinary polite conversation, use the plain conditional and make the main clause polite |
Conditional, tara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, tara | せつめいしたら (setsumeishitara)if you explain |
| Polite conditional, tara | せつめいしましたら (setsumeishimashitara)if you explain |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | せつめいできる (setsumeidekiru)can explain |
| Polite potential | せつめいできます (setsumeidekimasu)can explain |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | せつめいしよう (setsumeishiyou)let's explain! |
| Polite volitional | せつめいしましょう (setsumeishimashou)let's explain! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | せつめいしたい (setsumeishitai)want to explain |
| Polite desire, tai | せつめいしたいです (setsumeishitaidesu)want to explain |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | せつめいされる (setsumeisareru)be explained |
| Polite passive | せつめいされます (setsumeisaremasu)be explained |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | せつめいさせる (setsumeisaseru)make or let someone explain |
| Polite causative | せつめいさせます (setsumeisasemasu)make or let someone explain |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | せつめいさせられる (setsumeisaserareru)be made to explain |
| Polite causative-passive | せつめいさせられます (setsumeisaseraremasu)be made to explain |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | せつめいするな (setsumeisuruna)do not explain! |
| Polite negative request | せつめいしないでください (setsumeishinaidekudasai)please do not explain |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | せつめいします (setsumeishimasu)explain |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | せつめいしません (setsumeishimasen)do not explain |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | せつめいしました (setsumeishimashita)explained |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | せつめいしませんでした (setsumeishimasendeshita)did not explain |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | せつめいしてください (setsumeishitekudasai)please explain |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | せつめいしないでください (setsumeishinaidekudasai)please do not explain |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | せつめいしましょう (setsumeishimashou)let's explain! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | せつめいしてもいい (setsumeishitemoii)may explain |
| Polite permission | せつめいしてもいいです (setsumeishitemoiidesu)may explain |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | せつめいしてはいけない (setsumeishitehaikenai)must not explain |
| Polite prohibition | せつめいしてはいけません (setsumeishitehaikemasen)must not explain |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | せつめいしなさい (setsumeishinasai)explain (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | せつめいしてみる (setsumeishitemiru)try to explain |
| Polite try doing | せつめいしてみます (setsumeishitemimasu)try to explain |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | せつめいしてしまう (setsumeishiteshimau)explain completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | せつめいしてしまいます (setsumeishiteshimaimasu)explain completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | せつめいしておく (setsumeishiteoku)explain in advance |
| Polite preparation | せつめいしておきます (setsumeishiteokimasu)explain in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | せつめいしたことがある (setsumeishitakotogaaru)have the experience of: explained |
| Polite past experience | せつめいしたことがあります (setsumeishitakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: explained |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | せつめいすると (setsumeisuruto)whenever you explain |
| Polite automatic result | せつめいしますと (setsumeishimasuto)whenever you explain |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | せつめいするなら (setsumeisurunara)if you mean to explain |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | せつめいするだろう (setsumeisurudarou)probably explain |
| Polite probability | せつめいするでしょう (setsumeisurudeshou)probably explain |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | せつめいしろ (setsumeishiro)explain! |
| Polite request | せつめいしてください (setsumeishitekudasai)please explain |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.