What's the difference?

skittlepie345 · (#1 (**permalink**))

So this is on the difference between ます and ません at the end of a sentence. I think ます is used to convey is happening, ません is used to tell what is not happening, but I don't know for sure.

MMM · (#2 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by skittlepie345

So this is on the difference between ます and ません at the end of a sentence. I think ます is used to convey is happening, ません is used to tell what is not happening, but I don't know for sure.

ます appears at the end of a verb to show positive action. The action is happening.

ません appears at the end of a verb to show negative action. The action is not happening.

skittlepie345 · (#3 (**permalink**))

Thank you. thank you, thank you! I knew it was something like that, but I didn't know for sure.

MMM · (#4 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by skittlepie345

Thank you. thank you, thank you! I knew it was something like that, but I didn't know for sure.

Are you studying Japanese?

skittlepie345 · (#5 (**permalink**))

Yes, though I've only just recently started teaching myself.

KyleGoetz · (#6 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by skittlepie345

Yes, though I've only just recently started teaching myself.

I'm curious how you got confused on this. Are you using materials that explain things in your native language? It seems you aren't, so I suggest referring to some.

I've never seen a bilingual reference that didn't explain ます as the positive polite verb ender and ません as the negative polite verb ender.

Since you asked such a question, it seems you haven't been reading materials written in your language. Assuming your native language is English, Google "tae kim japanese."

dougbrowne · (#7 (**permalink**))

Sounds like he is using Rosetta Stone to me lol.

KyleGoetz · (#8 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougbrowne

Sounds like he is using Rosetta Stone to me lol.

Yeah, it's gotta be some materials that literally do not explain the first (or second) thing you learn about Japanese grammar. I don't know how you can be aware of the ます／ません endings and not know what they're for unless you're using really, really bad educational materials.

It's like saying "I think I figured it out. あ is hiragana and ア is katakana." It's not possible to be aware of the distinction and not know the nature of the distinction.

Unless, as I said, the materials are crappy. I'm not blaming OP. I'm blaming whatever he's using to learn. It's actually impressive if he deduced this rule on his own by just observing some Japanese sentences.