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Japanese verb help

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123kaleidoscope123_501118
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Japanese verb help

Postby 123kaleidoscope123_501118 » September 16th, 2014 12:21 am

What verb conjugation would you with "Supposed to _____"? Basically in a situation like this: I was supposed to do something a few minutes ahead of time, but forgot, an realized again that I had to be doing it right now.
For example:
"Oops, I'm supposed to be looking for the cameras!"


Thank you! :D

mmmason8967
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Re: Japanese verb help

Postby mmmason8967 » September 16th, 2014 7:54 am

I think what you're looking for isn't a verb conjugation, it's the word はず or hazu. As an example of how it works, first start off with the basic sentence:-
     さが
デジカメを探している。
dejikame wo sagashite iru.
I am looking for the digital cameras.

..and then add はずだ (hazu da) or はずです (hazu desu) depending on politeness level:-
     さが
デジカメを探しているはずだ
dejikame wo sagashite iru hazu da.
I am supposed to be looking for the digital cameras.

You can find more on Tae Kim's The Way Things Should Be page and Maggie Sensie's How and When to use Hazu page.

マイケル

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123kaleidoscope123_501118
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Posts: 4
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Re: Japanese verb help

Postby 123kaleidoscope123_501118 » September 16th, 2014 9:42 am

Thank you!

Also, would I be able to use "しなければならない" In a situation like this? Or is that a completely different thing?
Thank you!

mmmason8967
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Re: Japanese verb help

Postby mmmason8967 » September 16th, 2014 6:13 pm

I think that hazu and ~nakerebanarimasen are quite similar, really. My impression (which might not be 100% correct) is that hazu expresses your own expectation and ~nakerebanarimasen expresses an obligation placed on you by someone else. They must overlap a little, I'd have thought.

マイケル

community.japanese
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Re: Japanese verb help

Postby community.japanese » September 21st, 2014 6:47 am

123kaleidoscope123 さん、
こんにちは。
What マイケルさん told you is correct.

マイケルさん、
どうもありがとうございます。
先生のようですね。 :D
 
Yuki 由紀
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mmmason8967
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Re: Japanese verb help

Postby mmmason8967 » September 21st, 2014 5:21 pm

由紀先生、

いえいえ、まだまだですよ。 :oops:

マイケル

community.japanese
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Re: Japanese verb help

Postby community.japanese » September 22nd, 2014 2:35 am

マイケルさん、

マイケルさんの熱心さには本当に尊敬にあたいします。
これからもよろしくお願いします。
:|

Yuki  由紀
Team JapanesePod101.com

123kaleidoscope123_501118
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Re: Japanese verb help

Postby 123kaleidoscope123_501118 » September 27th, 2014 2:16 am

皆さんありがとうございます。 :D

Can you use 「ないといけない」 also?

As in 「私はカメラを捜さないといけない。」 ( I have to look for the cameras.)

community.japanese
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Re: Japanese verb help

Postby community.japanese » October 5th, 2014 4:10 am

123kaleidoscope123 さん、

Yes, the sentence is correct.

Yuki  由紀
Team JapanesePod101.com

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