Godan意思

"Godan" is a term used in Japanese linguistics and refers to the fifth (go) position (dan) of a verb or adjective in its inflectional paradigm. In Japanese, verbs and adjectives are inflected to indicate tense, mood, and voice, among other things. The godan system is one of the two main systems of verb conjugation in Japanese, the other being the ichidan (first-position) system.

Verbs that belong to the godan conjugation system change their basic form when adding various endings to express different meanings. These endings are typically added to the stem of the verb, and the change in the verb's vowel or consonant in the fifth position is a characteristic feature of this conjugation type. For example, the verb "iku" (to go) is a godan verb, and its basic form is "i-" with the "u" in the fifth position. When conjugated, this "u" changes to "a" in the present affirmative form ("ima"), "e" in the past affirmative form ("ike"), and so on, depending on the conjugation.

Adjectives that follow the godan system also change their ending in the fifth position to express different grammatical aspects. For example, the adjective "tsurai" (sad) is a godan adjective, and its ending "i" changes to "a" in the present affirmative form ("tsuraa") and "e" in the past affirmative form ("tsurae"), similar to the pattern seen in godan verbs.

Godan verbs and adjectives are more common in Japanese than ichidan ones, and they often have a more complex conjugation pattern. Understanding the godan system is crucial for mastering the Japanese language, as it is used extensively in both spoken and written Japanese.