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Breakdown of wakai
young
若
The grass to your right is young.
Usages of wakai
家族 の 中 で 妹 が 一番 若い。kazoku no naka de imouto ga ichiban wakai.
Among the family, my sister is the youngest.
彼 は まだ 若い。kare wa mada wakai.
He is still young.
若かった なあ。wakakatta naa.
I wish I were young again.
なあ is used here to express desire or longing
もっと 若かった なら、 あの 仕事 を 受けた でしょう。motto wakakatta nara, ano shigoto o uketa deshou.
If I had been younger, I would have (probably) taken that job.
Test yourself: What does wakai mean?
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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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