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Breakdown of motu
hold
持
Usages of motu
傘 を 持たないで 出ました。kasa wo motanaide demasita.
I left without taking an umbrella.
彼 は カップ を 手 に 持って います。kare ha kappu wo 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。kanozyo no sobo ha kokoro no byouki wo motte imasita.
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。watasi ha hyakuen sika 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 ha atui kokoro wo 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 ha itumo atui imi wo motu.
His words always carry deep meaning.
彼女 は 苦い 思い出 を 持って いる。kanozyo ha nigai omoide wo motte iru.
She has bitter memories.
彼 は 熱い 血 を 持って いる。kare ha atui ti wo 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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