わかる
Japanese
[edit]Etymology 1
[edit]Alternative spellings |
---|
分かる 分る (dated) 解る 判る 理解る (uncommon) |
From Old Japanese. Derived as the passive or intransitive conjugation of Old Japanese root verb 分く (waku, “to separate, to break into pieces; to be separable or distinguishable”). Compare transitive 分ける (wakeru).
As the passive or spontaneous conjugation of waku, the verb wakaru could be translated more directly as something like "it comes apart [for me / he / she / etc.]", roughly analogous to English "I can see how it comes apart" → "I can see how it is put together".
Pronunciation
[edit]- Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 「わかる」
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary | |||
Stem forms | |||
---|---|---|---|
Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形) |
わかる | わかる | [wàkáꜜrù] |
Imperative (命令形) | わかれ | わかれ | [wàkáꜜrè] |
Key constructions | |||
Passive | わかられる | わかられる | [wàkáráréꜜrù] |
Causative | わからせる | わからせる | [wàkáráséꜜrù] |
Potential | - | - | - |
Volitional | わかろう | わかろー | [wàkáróꜜò] |
Negative | わからない | わからない | [wàkáráꜜnàì] |
Negative perfective | わからなかった | わからなかった | [wàkáráꜜnàkàttà] |
Formal | わかります | わかります | [wàkárímáꜜsù] |
Perfective | わかった | わかった | [wàkáꜜttà] |
Conjunctive | わかって | わかって | [wàkáꜜttè] |
Hypothetical conditional | わかれば | わかれば | [wàkáꜜrèbà] |
Verb
[edit]わかる • (wakaru) intransitive godan (stem わかり (wakari), past わかった (wakatta))
- 分かる, 解る: to be understandable, to understand
- はい、分かりました。
- Hai, wakarimashita.
- Yes. I understood.
- はい、分かりました。
- 分かる: to tell (one thing from another), to distinguish
- 分かる, 判る: to be recognized, to be realized
- 2011, Barack Obama, 中東と北アフリカに関するバラク・オバマの演説, translation of "Remarks by the President on the Middle East and North Africa":
- これがどれほど困難であるかは判っている。
- Kore ga dore hodo konnan de aru ka wa wakatte iru.
- I recognize how hard this will be.
- これがどれほど困難であるかは判っている。
- 2011, Barack Obama, 中東と北アフリカに関するバラク・オバマの演説, translation of "Remarks by the President on the Middle East and North Africa":
- 分かる: to become known, to turn out
- 分かった!
- Wakatta!
- I've got it! / I know!
- 分かった!
Usage notes
[edit]In recent usage, this term may be more commonly spelt in hiragana.
The Japanese verb wakaru shows characteristics that are similar to verbs in potential form, and like such verbs, the target of "understanding" is commonly marked by the particle が (ga). However, just like with other verbs in potential form, it is not uncommon to see it used with the particle を (o) as well. This is more acceptable in relative clauses or longer and more complicated sentences.
Just like with other potential verbs, the agent of wakaru can also be marked not only by が (ga), but also with the particle に (ni) or a topic marker. It is possible in some sentences to have a "double が (ga)" situation where が (ga) marks both the agent of the action and the target of the understanding.
- 私はそれが分かる (correct)
- 私にはそれが分かる (correct)
- 私はそれを分かる (slightly unnatural)
- 私がそれを分かるはずがない (correct)
- 複雑でも、(私に)この事情が分かる。
- Fukuzatsu de mo, (watashi ni) kono jijō ga wakaru.
- Although it's complicated, I can understand this situation.
Due to this quirk of が (ga) and を (o) targets of wakaru, it is often considered both transitive and intransitive, depending on the perspective of the speaker. This is because the usage of wakaru with を (o) closely resembles the related verb 理解する (rikaisuru, “to understand”) which presents clear transitive characteristics.
Also, compare the difference in usage with another purely transitive verb like 知る (shiru, “to know”).
Conjugation
[edit]Katsuyōkei ("stem forms") | |||
---|---|---|---|
Mizenkei ("imperfective") | わから | wakara | |
Ren’yōkei ("continuative") | わかり | wakari | |
Shūshikei ("terminal") | わかる | wakaru | |
Rentaikei ("attributive") | わかる | wakaru | |
Kateikei ("hypothetical") | わかれ | wakare | |
Meireikei ("imperative") | わかれ | wakare | |
Key constructions | |||
Passive | わかられる | wakarareru | |
Causative | わからせる わからす |
wakaraseru wakarasu | |
Potential | わかれる | wakareru | |
Volitional | わかろう | wakarō | |
Negative | わからない | wakaranai | |
Negative continuative | わからず | wakarazu | |
Formal | わかります | wakarimasu | |
Perfective | わかった | wakatta | |
Conjunctive | わかって | wakatte | |
Hypothetical conditional | わかれば | wakareba |
Stem forms | |||
---|---|---|---|
Irrealis (未然形) | わから | wakara | |
Continuative (連用形) | わかり | wakari | |
Terminal (終止形) | わかる | wakaru | |
Attributive (連体形) | わかる | wakaru | |
Realis (已然形) | わかれ | wakare | |
Imperative (命令形) | わかれ | wakare | |
Key constructions | |||
Negative | わからず | wakarazu | |
Contrasting conjunction | わかれど | wakaredo | |
Causal conjunction | わかれば | wakareba | |
Conditional conjunction | わからば | wakaraba | |
Past tense (firsthand knowledge) | わかりき | wakariki | |
Past tense (secondhand knowledge) | わかりけり | wakarikeri | |
Perfect tense (conscious action) | わかりつ | wakaritu | |
Perfect tense (natural event) | わかりぬ | wakarinu | |
Perfect-continuative tense | わかれり わかりたり |
wakareri wakaritari | |
Volitional | わからむ | wakaramu |
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Etymology 2
[edit]Alternative spellings |
---|
分かる 別る 分る (dated) |
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]- Classical Japanese form of わかれる (wakareru): to split, to fork, to branch off
Conjugation
[edit]Stem forms | |||
---|---|---|---|
Irrealis (未然形) | わかれ | wakare | |
Continuative (連用形) | わかれ | wakare | |
Terminal (終止形) | わかる | wakaru | |
Attributive (連体形) | わかるる | wakaruru | |
Realis (已然形) | わかるれ | wakarure | |
Imperative (命令形) | わかれよ | wakareyo | |
Key constructions | |||
Negative | わかれず | wakarezu | |
Contrasting conjunction | わかるれど | wakaruredo | |
Causal conjunction | わかるれば | wakarureba | |
Conditional conjunction | わかれば | wakareba | |
Past tense (firsthand knowledge) | わかれき | wakareki | |
Past tense (secondhand knowledge) | わかれけり | wakarekeri | |
Perfect tense (conscious action) | わかれつ | wakaretu | |
Perfect tense (natural event) | わかれぬ | wakarenu | |
Perfect-continuative tense | わかれたり | wakaretari | |
Volitional | わかれむ | wakaremu |
Derived terms
[edit]See also
[edit]- 分ける (wakeru)
References
[edit]- ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
- ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- Japanese terms inherited from Old Japanese
- Japanese terms derived from Old Japanese
- Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Japanese terms with Nakadaka pitch accent (Tōkyō)
- Japanese lemmas
- Japanese verbs
- Japanese intransitive verbs
- Japanese godan verbs
- Japanese godan verbs ending with -ru
- Japanese hiragana
- Japanese terms spelled with わ
- Japanese terms with usage examples
- Japanese nidan verbs
- Japanese shimo nidan verbs
- Classical Japanese