Cuts: Grammar patterns as vocabulary

Sorted by drama-subtitle rank, most frequent first.

Already covered (32)

A word already in the list does this job.

• -nantethe likes of; how could (surprise or dismissal)#84Mainly recognition; uso, masaka and wa-contrast already let the learner express disbelief and dismissal.
• -tame niin order to; for#124Covered by -tame ni (in order to; for). Already kept among connectors.
• -to shiteas (a role); as X#136Particle de (shumi de) and kept -nara cover role/capacity well enough; #136 inflated by other uses.
• -te gomenpolite -te sumimasensorry for -ing#154Naive combination of kept -te and gomen already gives the correct 'okurete gomen'; no gap.
• -tsumoripolite -tsumori desuintend to, plan to#208Covered by tsumori (intend to / plan to). Kept in sentence endings with the same job.
• -hajimerupolite -hajimemasustart -ing#330Kept -te kuru (start to) and main verb hajimeru already express onset; confusable overlap.
• -koto ni narupolite -koto ni narimasuit's been decided that#388Noun + kept -ni naru already reports outcomes (tenkin ni natta, chuushi ni natta); wake da covers 'so that means'.
• -ta mama(leaving it) as is; still -ing#425Kept kono mama / sono mama teach mama; -ta mama is recognisable and -te linking approximates it.
• -bekipolite -beki desushould, ought to#441Covered by "Advice" -ta hou ga ii (you should). Casual advice uses -ta hou ga ii; beki sounds stronger and preachy.
• -koto ga dekirupolite -koto ga dekimasube able to#656Covered by "Want, can, have done" -eru / -rareru (can (do)). Casual speech uses the potential form, which is kept, for ability.
• -koto wa naipolite -koto wa nai desuthere's no need to#753Covered by "May and must" -nakute mo ii (don't have to). 'No need to' is the same job as the kept 'don't have to'.
• -yoteipolite -yotei desuplan to, scheduled to#843Covered by tsumori (intend to / plan to). Kept tsumori already covers 'plan to'; the noun 'plans' is closer to a topic word.
• -aseru / -saserupolite -asemasu / -sasemasumake / let do#851Overlaps -sasete, which carries the causative's main conversational payoff; adding both creates a near-duplicate.
• -koto ni surupolite -koto ni shimasudecide to#886Kept -ni suru, kimeru ('yameru tte kimeta'), -ou to omou and tsumori already announce decisions.
• -you ni surupolite -you ni shimasumake sure to#903Confusable with kept -you ni naru; -tame ni and itsumo cover purpose and habits well enough.
• -ni yottedepending on; by#939Covered by -ni yoru (it depends on). Already kept among connectors as 'it depends on'.
• -toorias, just as — itta toori; sono toori: exactly#1038Kept itta jan / itta desho, onaji and sou cover 'as I said' and 'exactly'.
• -teki ni-wise, in terms of (watashi-teki ni wa = personally; jikan-teki ni = time-wise)#1072Kept -nara and 'watashi wa' already hedge 'personally / X-wise'; slightly youthful, optional.
• -tari surupolite -tari shimasuthings like -ing#2470Covered by -tari ... -tari suru (doing things like ... and ...). Already kept among connectors.
• -zuraihard to (awkward or uncomfortable): iizurai = hard to say#2585Covered by "Too, easy, hard" -nikui (hard to). Same job as the kept -nikui; the nuance difference doesn't block communication.
• -furipretend to (shiranai furi)#2643Pretending is a real but narrow meaning (#2643); not a versatility gap for everyday conversation.
• -naidepolite -naide kudasaiwithout -ing; don't#3426Covered by -naide (don't... (casual request)), -naide (without doing). Both senses are already kept: the request and 'without doing'.
• -garu / -tagarupolite -garimasu / -tagarimasu(someone else) shows signs of feeling / wants to (kowagatteru = is scared; ikitagatteru = is keen to go)#4064Kept mitai, -sou, rashii and -tai tte already report others' feelings and wants in casual speech.
• -nakuchapolite -nakucha ikemasenhave to, must#9360Covered by "May and must" -nakya (have to, must). Second contraction of the same obligation as the kept -nakya.
• -nai topolite -nai to ikemasenhave to (or else)#9425Near-synonym of kept -nakya; -nai plus kept -to makes it recognisable when heard.
• -ou / -youpolite -mashoulet's / I'll (volitional)—Covered by -ou / -you (let's (do)), -ou ka / -you ka. Already kept in sentence endings as the let's form. · 1 of 3 judges kept it
• -ou to omoupolite -ou to omoimasuI'm thinking of -ing—Covered by -ou / -you to omou (I'm thinking of (doing)). Kept in sentence endings word for word. · 1 of 3 judges kept it
• -te yokattapolite -te yokatta desuglad that—Kept -te (so) plus kept yokatta builds it correctly; near-duplicate of -te kurete arigatou's frame.
• -ba iipolite -ba ii desushould just; I wish—Covered by "Advice" -tara ii (should I / you could). Near-twin with the same job: dou shitara ii? covers dou sureba ii?
• -ba yokattapolite -ba yokatta desushould have—Past of kept -ta hou ga ii ('kiita hou ga yokatta') already expresses regret naturally.
• -te arupolite -te arimasuhas been done (deliberately)—Covered by "Doing and done" -teru (is in a state), "Doing and done" -toku (do in advance). -teru covers result states and -toku covers deliberate preparation; you rarely need to say it yourself.
• -no kotoabout X; X (and things to do with X)—Covered by koto (thing, matter; about X). Kept koto already carries 'about X'. · 1 of 3 judges kept it

Skipped (7)

Too rare, narrow, formal or out of scope.

• -dasupolite -dashimasusuddenly start -ing (naki dasu = burst into tears; ii dasu = bring up, blurt out)#163Mostly fixed words (omoidasu, iidasu); kyuu ni plus a past verb covers the sense.
• -owarupolite -owarimasufinish -ing#190In conversation the plain past or mou ... -ta usually does this job.
• -rashiipolite -rashii desutypical of, just like (kimi rashii = so you; rashiku nai = not like you)#218Narrow character teasing; shares its sound with the kept hearsay rashii, so it can confuse.
• -wake ni wa ikanaipolite -wake ni wa ikimasencan't very well (do) (kaeru wake ni wa ikanai = I can't just leave)#1336Stiff and narrow; you rarely need to say it, and -shika nai covers the nearby ground.
• -naosupolite -naoshimasuredo, do again (properly)#1617Mostly a few fixed verbs (yarinaosu, iinaosu); mou ikkai and mata cover 'again'.
• -shidaidepending on; up to (anata shidai = up to you); as soon as#1911Narrow and a bit formal; ni yoru covers 'depends', and 'anata shidai' can be learned as a phrase.
• -ou to surupolite -ou to shimasutry to; be about to—Mostly used in storytelling; -te miru and -tokoro cover trying and 'about to'.