未然形(みぜんけい)

A technical term from traditional Japanese grammar (国文法(こくぶんぽう)). Composed of 未然(みぜん) ("not yet realized") + 形(けい) ("form"), reflecting that this base is used for things that have not yet happened — negatives, volitions, and hypotheticals. Encountered mainly in school grammar textbooks, dictionaries, and linguistic discussion; not a word that comes up in everyday conversation.

Usage

• The 未然形(みぜんけい) is the stem to which suffixes like 〜ない, 〜う/〜よう, 〜れる/〜られる, and 〜せる/〜させる attach.
• Godan verbs have an -a row 未然形(みぜんけい) (書(か)く → 書(か)か-), while ichidan verbs drop the final る (食(た)べる → 食(た)べ-).
• In modern school grammar, the volitional 〜う/〜よう form is often analyzed as a separate "未然形(みぜんけい)(う)" sub-form.

Common collocations

• 未然形(みぜんけい)に活用(かつよう)する: to conjugate into the irrealis form
• 動詞(どうし)の未然形(みぜんけい): the irrealis form of a verb
• 未然形(みぜんけい)+ない: irrealis form + nai (negative)

Related words

• 連用形(れんようけい): continuative form (stem for 〜ます, 〜た)
• 終止形(しゅうしけい): terminal/dictionary form
• 連体形(れんたいけい): attributive form (modifies nouns)
• 仮定形(かていけい): hypothetical form (stem for 〜ば)
• 命令形(めいれいけい): imperative form
• 活用形(かつようけい): conjugation form (the general category)