……
Breakdown of motsu
hold
持
Usages of motsu
傘 を 持たないで 出ました。kasa o motanaide demashita.
I left without taking an umbrella.
彼 は カップ を 手 に 持って います。kare wa kappu o te ni motte imasu.
He is holding a cup in his hand.
彼女 の 祖母 は 心 の 病気 を 持って いました。kanojo no sobo wa kokoro no byouki o motte imashita.
Her grandmother had a heart disease.
Using 持って いる suggests that the condition or disease is chronic, whereas かかって いる is neutral with respect to duration.
持って 行くmotte iku
to take/bring something with you
私 は 百円 しか 持って いない。watashi wa hyakuen shika motte inai.
I have only 100 yen.
持って 来るmotte kuru
to take/bring something with you
Whether you say 持って 行く or 持って 来る depends on the perspective of the speaker. For movement away from the speaker, use 行く. For movement towards the speaker, use 来る.
彼 は 厚い 心 を 持って いる。kare wa atsui kokoro o motte iru.
He has a generous heart.
彼 の 言葉 は いつも 厚い 意味 を 持つ。kare no kotoba wa itsumo atsui imi o motsu.
His words always carry deep meaning.
彼女 は 苦い 思い出 を 持って いる。kanojo wa nigai omoide o motte iru.
She has bitter memories.
彼 は 熱い 血 を 持って いる。kare wa atsui chi o motte iru.
He has passionate blood. (He is very passionate.)
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“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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