1.
realis form; perfective base
A conjugation form in classical Japanese grammar that indicates the action has already been realized or completed. In modern grammar, this form has been reclassified as the hypothetical form (仮定形), but the term 已然形 is still used when discussing classical texts.
A grammatical term from classical Japanese (古典文法). The character 已 means "already," so 已然形 literally means "the form for what has already happened." In classical Japanese, this form followed by ば expressed a realized condition ("since/because X happened"), unlike the modern hypothetical use ("if X").
Common collocations
- 已然形＋ば: realis form + ba (confirmed condition)
- 六活用形: the six conjugation forms (of which 已然形 is one)