1.
auxiliary verb
A grammatical term for verbs or verb-like elements that attach to other words to add meaning such as tense, negation, politeness, or modality. In Japanese grammar, this category includes elements like ます, ない, た, れる, and られる.
「ない」は助動詞です。
"Nai" is an auxiliary verb.
日本語の助動詞は種類が多い。
There are many types of auxiliary verbs in Japanese.
古典文法の助動詞は現代語とは大きく異なるので、覚えるのが大変だ。
The auxiliary verbs in classical grammar differ greatly from modern Japanese, so they are difficult to learn.
USAGE:
助動詞 is a technical grammar term used in Japanese language education. In traditional Japanese grammar (国文法), the category of 助動詞 is broader than the English concept of "auxiliary verb" and includes elements that express negation (ない), past tense (た), politeness (ます), passive (れる/られる), and more.
CONTRAST WITH ENGLISH:
In English grammar, auxiliary verbs are words like "can," "will," and "have." Japanese 助動詞 are typically suffixes that attach directly to verb stems, not independent words.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 助動詞の活用: conjugation of auxiliary verbs
- 助動詞の接続: how auxiliary verbs connect (to verb stems)
- 古典の助動詞: classical auxiliary verbs