ます

Japanese

Etymology 1

The -ます ending is generally believed to have come from the Old Japanese auxiliary verb まゐらする(mawirasuru > mairasuru: to humbly do something for a superior), with idiomatic use arising from the causative conjugation of 参る (mairu, “to come or go to the place of a social superior”, humble verb).[1][2]

mawirasuru → mairasuru → marasuru → massuru → masuru → masu

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ma̠sɨ̥ᵝ]
  • The pitch accent depends on the suffixed verb.

Alternative forms

  • 在す, 坐す (rare), 〼

Suffix

ます (rōmaji -masu)

  1. expresses politeness toward and distance from the listener: vaguely similar to the social context indicated by the usted verb conjugation in Spanish, the vous conjugation in French, or the Sie conjugation in German
Conjugation

Other forms not attested.

Usage notes

Connects to the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of a verb and inflects partially like type-1 verbs. The imperative forms are only used with honorific verbs, e.g. いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), なさいませ (nasaimase), 下さいませ (kudasaimase). The perfective has an irregular negative form ませんでした (masen deshita); the hypothetical conditional is rare. The old dictionary form まする (masuru) is still sometimes used. When there is a choice, attaches last: e.g. polite passive is 話されます (hanasaremasu), not 話しまされる (*hanashimasareru).

See also

Etymology 2

The reading of various kanji.

Pronunciation 1

Noun

ます (rōmaji masu)

  1. 鱒: trout
  2. 枡, 升, 桝, 斗: a traditional Japanese cup (unit of measurement)
Verb

ます (rōmaji masu)

  1. 増す, 益す: to increase in amount or degree

Pronunciation 2

Noun

ます (rōmaji masu)

  1. 鱒: trout
  2. 枡, 升, 桝, 斗: a traditional Japanese cup (unit of measurement)
  3. 斗: (architecture) the capital of a wooden pillar

References

  1. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 1 2 3 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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