たり

Japanese

Etymology 1

From the 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal form”) of the classical tari below.

Particle

たり • (tari) 

1. Shows examples of actions or states.

   テレビを見(み)たり、パソコンをしたりしている。

   Terebi o mitari, pasokon o shitari shite iru.

   I'm (doing things like) watching TV and playing on the computer.

Usage notes

Attaches to the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verbs, adjectives, and nominals, in the same way as the past/perfective ending た (ta). (The result is segmentally identical to the past/perfective form + ri.)

Etymology 2

/-te ari/ → /-tari/

Contraction of て (te), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of the classical perfective つ (tsu), and あり (ari, “to be; to exist”).

Suffix

たり • (-tari) ^†-ri

1. (Classical Japanese, jodōshi) Used to form the stative of verbs.

Conjugation

未然形	連用形	終止形	連体形	已然形	命令形
たら (tara)	たり (tari)	たり (tari)	たる (taru)	たれ (tare)	たれ (tare)

Derived terms

• た (-ta, past or perfective)
• たら (-tara, conditional)
• たり (-tari) (above)

Etymology 3

/-to ari/ → /-tari/

Contraction of the case particle と (to) and the verb あり (ari, “to be; to exist”).

Verb

たり • (tari) ^†-ri

1. (Classical Japanese or archaic) to be; having the appearance of

   処女(しょじょ)たる女神(めがみ)

   shojo taru megami

   virgin goddess

Conjugation

未然形	連用形	終止形	連体形	已然形	命令形
たら (tara)	たり (tari) と (to)	たり (tari)	たる (taru)	たれ (tare)	(たれ (tare))

In modern Japanese, the continuative と (to) or として (to shite) and the adnominal たる (taru) are used with the so-called -tari adjectives.