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Japanese Versatility List

Spoken shortcuts

Conjugations, Stage 1chunk 12 of 15Verb forms

Fast casual speech squeezes sounds: wakannai, -teru, -nakya, -chau. These are what make real conversation hard to follow, so each is learned as a map back to its full form.

Mix-ups -cha (-te wa) vs -chau (-te shimau); -nakya (must) vs -nai (not); the -n of wakannai vs the n of n da.

-nnai

spoken -nnai〜んない

In fast speech, -ranai and -ru before n turn into n.

All over casual speech, so you mostly need to hear it: wakannai (I don't get it), tsumannai (boring), shiran (dunno).

Make it Before n, a verb's r-sound becomes n: kaeranai → kaennai, wakaranai → wakannai, nani shiteru no → nani shiten no. In rough or western speech -nai can shrink to -n: shiranai → shiran.

The doubled n is the whole clue: wakannai is just wakaranai, not a different word.

kaerukaennai帰んない
casual

nani itteru ka zenzen wakannai

I have no idea what he's saying.

何言ってるか全然わかんない

Heard not counted: the tokenizer can’t pick this form out

-nakya, -teru, -chau

spoken contractions〜なきゃ・〜てる・〜ちゃう

The squeezed sounds of fast casual speech.

Nearly every casual sentence has one; learn to hear each as its full form. Using them with friends sounds natural.

Make it -nakereba → -nakya, as in the table (tabenakya, ikanakya, konakya). Also -te iru → -teru, -te oku → -toku, -te shimau → -chau, -te wa → -cha, -te iku → -teku. And de wa → ja, no da → n da, -eba → -ya (ikeba → ikya).

-cha and -chau differ by one sound: tabecha dame = you can't eat it; tabechau = I'll eat it all up.

taberutabenakya食べなきゃ
miruminakya見なきゃ
kaukawanakya買わなきゃ
matsumatanakya待たなきゃ
kaerukaeranakya帰らなきゃ
nomunomanakya飲まなきゃ
asobuasobanakya遊ばなきゃ
kakukakanakya書かなきゃ
oyoguoyoganakya泳がなきゃ
hanasuhanasanakya話さなきゃ
ikuikanakya行かなきゃ
surushinakyaしなきゃ
kurukonakya来なきゃ
casual

gomen, mou kaeranakya. ashita hayai n da

Sorry, I've got to head home. Early start tomorrow.

ごめん、もう帰らなきゃ。明日早いんだ

Heard not counted: the tokenizer can’t pick this form out