1-4 Verbs

1-4-1-1　Godan Conjugation

The methods of conjugation are mostly the same as the standard. The only variation is in the godan verbs that end in「う」, wherein ウ-sound change occurs before「た」and「て」in conjunctive forms.

• *1 「〜ば」hypothetical expressions are considered stuffy in the spoken language of modern Kyoto.
• *2 More on negative conjugated forms below.

• *1 「〜ば」hypothetical expressions are considered stuffy in the spoken language of modern Kyoto.
• *2 More on negative conjugated forms below.

This ウ-sound change, just as in adjectives, occurs in the vowel of the stem word as shown below.

1-4-1-2　Ichidan Conjugation

Excepting the standard imperative inflection「ろ」being「い」or「よ」in Kyoto-kotoba, the method of conjugation is the same.

More and more nowadays, the standard dialect「ろ」imperative form e.g.「起きろ」is being used, but this is not the way in Kyoto proper.

• *1 「〜ば」hypothetical expressions are considered stuffy in the spoken language of modern Kyoto.
• *2 Imperative forms ending in「よ」e.g.「起きよ」and「寝よ」are considered literary style and thus fairly stiff.
• *3 More on negative conjugated forms below.

　Such as「寝る」above, one-mora conjunctive forms are lengthened to two-mora e.g.「ねぇ」as is the pronunciation tendency.

1-4-1-3　Irregular Conjugation

We have カ- and サ-irregular. サ-irregular conjugates quite differently from the standard dialect.

• *1 「〜ば」hypothetical expressions are considered stuffy in the spoken language of modern Kyoto.
• *2 Old style.
• *3 More on negative conjugated forms below.

Conjunctive forms are normally elongated to the equivalent of two mora, due to the pronunciation tendency, and are pronounced「きぃ」and「しぃ」respectively.

One thing that must be noted about カ- and サ-irregular is the volitional form. In the standard dialect, they are, respectively,

• Imperfective「こ」＋ auxiliary「よう」=「こよう」
• Imperfective「し」＋ auxiliary「よう」=「しよう」

and in Kyoto, they are

• Imperfective「こ」＋ auxiliary「う」=「こう」
• Imperfective「せ」＋ auxiliary「う」=「せう」which becomes「しょう」due to sound change.
  （[eu]→[jo:] sound change explained in the above ウ-sound change reference chart）

Consequently, standard expressions「行ってこよう」and「見てこよう」etc. also become in Kyoto dialect「行ってこう」and「見てこう」, and「どうしよう」and「そうしよう」become「どうしょう」and「そうしょう」etc.

Also, サ-irregular imperative is not「しろ」, but rather「せい」, another point differing from the standard.

Incidentally, negative カ-irregular「きぃひん」is「けぇへん」in Osaka and「こーへん」in Kobe. As the negative forms are well known, Kansai natives often use it to guess their fellow Kansai dialect speakers' hometowns.

1-4-2-1　Various Conjunctive Forms〜Two Kinds of Imperative and Prohibition

Kyoto's conjunctive forms have characteristically developed to modern day, and the meaning of「読みなさい」is expressed by「読み/○●」, and the prohibitive「読みなさんな/○●●○○○」is expressed by「読みな/○●○」.

As with the standard dialect, imperative「読め/○▼」and prohibitive「読むな/○●○」also exist, but as Kyoto people feel these expressions to be overly strong, they often give an intense impression to the listener.

Also, as in the standard「読みなさいよ」corresponding to an emphatic expression, particles「な」and「や」can be attached e.g.「読み‐な/○●‐●」「読み‐や/○●‐●」. This「読みな」and prohibitive「読みな」are identical in writing, but they are distinguished by accent.

Furthermore, for stronger emphatic expressions, 「いな」can attach to the conjunctive form, as in「読み‐いな/○●‐○○」.

This「いな/○○」can also sometimes be attached to the prohibitive's conjunctiive form:「読みな‐いな/○●○‐○○」.

This particle「いな」can also be attached as in「読んで‐いな/○●●‐○○」to express「〜して」. To compare this with directly attaching to the conjunctive e.g.「読み‐いな」, this expression has a stronger feeling of pleading to the listener.

「読み‐いな/○●‐○○」

Carries meaning of「読みなさい」.

「読んで‐いな/○●●‐○○」

Conveys stronger emotion to the listener, as in「読んでくれ」or「読んで頂戴」.

Expressions that are difficult to call genuine "Kyo-kotoba"

For feminine request or invitatoin expressions, we have「書きよし /○●○○」「しぃよし /●●○○」. This「よし」is altered from「おし」, which is「し」conjunctive of「する」prefixed by「お」.

However, this expression is at most a polite expression, and it is not included in the honorific expressions, so it cannot be used with one's superiors.

This expression has a short history (seeming to appear in early the Showa period) so it is not considered normal Kyoto-dialect.

1-4-2-2　Negative Forms:「へん/ひん」&「ん（ぬ）」

The Kyoto dialect has two auxiliaries that express negation:「ん」&「へん」.

「ん」was formed from classical Japanese「ぬ」, and「へん」is the result of「読みはせん→読みゃせん→読ません→読まへん」transition.

Given this, the「ん」of auxiliary「へん」is auxiliary「ん（ぬ）」, so naturally「ん」&「へん」have the same conjugation.

• *1 「いで」is also spoken「んで」.
  e.g.:「読まいで/読まんで」「読まへいで/読まへんで」
• *2 The changed form「読まずと」is pronounced as「読ま‐んと /○●‐○○」.
  Plain form「読まん」+ particle「と」has both accent patterns:「読まん-と /●○○-○・○○○-●」
• *3 Recently「present negative + かった」like「読まんかった」is often heard. However, the original form was「なんだ」。
• *4 The「たら」hypothetical expression e.g.「読んだら」is the preferred usage.
• *5 Somewhat awkward, but fits grammatically.
• *6 Awkward.
• *7 Slightly awkward, but the expression itself comes from recent times.
• *8 Negative form of verbs with attached「ず」are also treated as nouns and sometimes adjectives.
  e.g.:「結局誰も来ずやった」「何も言わずで押し通す気ぃかい」

Though their conjugations are the same, this does not mean that「ん」&「へん」can be used exactly the same. Rules of use and direct usage with verbs have a number of differences.

Rules of usage are shown below.

However, these distinctions do not seem to be exactly so around the outskirts of Kyoto, so outside of Kyoto city proper, one may hear「そうかもしれへん」or「あかへん」.

On the other hand, the direct attachment of 「ん」and「へん」to verbs differs.

With respect to「ん」always attaching directly to imperfective form, 「へん」has the following connective rules below.

　Quite unfortunately, the fact is that this「ん（ぬ）」negation from the Heian period has been discarded in favor of the Tokyo「ない」e.g.「見ない」「言わない」by many people in recent times.

Somewhat strangely, this tendency appears to come from around the 1950's/60's instead of the 20's/30's. Perhaps the pre-war education had some influence.

1-4-2-3　Two Forms of Negated Potential:「できん」&「ようせん」

　Like other western Japanese dialects, Kyo-kotoba has two negative potential forms, such as the "negated potential verb forms" such as「読めん・書けん・見られん」and the "auxiliary 「よう」+ negative verb forms" such as「よう読まん・よう書かん・よう見ん」.

Since they each vary slightly in meaning, it cannot be said that one may use either in any situation.

For example,「読めん・読めへん」as in「電気が暗うて読めへん」or「眼鏡があらへんし読めへん」describe "impossibility due to circumstance", an「よう読まん」as in「こんな難しい字、よう読まん」holds the meaning of "inability" and "disinclination".

Furthermore, these two expressions can occasionally become mixed together e.g.「よう読めん」「ようできん」, but this is incorrect usage.

1-4-2-4　Expressions That Tend to Be Avoided

　Both verbs and adjectives similarly have a preferred hypothetical form:「たら」such as「読んだら」, as opposed to the「れば」e.g.「読めば」form, which is avoided as it is a stiff expression.

　Also it is common to attach auxiliary「やろう」for conjecture as in「読むやろう」, so「読もう」is only used to express volition. This is also the same when auxiliary「ます」is attached.

1-4-2-5　Misc.

1. Expressions of volitional such as「読もう」「起きよう」sometimes have their pronunciation shortened in daily conversation:「読も」「起きよ」.
2. In addition to「読ませる（ichidan）」, causative can also be「読ます（godan）」.
3. The auxiliary「まい」is mostly not used, in the cases it is used it attaches, as in the standard dialect, to the predicate/attributive form「読むまい」「書くまい」or also to the volitional form「読もまい」「書こまい」「しょうまい」.
4. The distinctions often seen in the progressive form and perfect tense in western Japanese dialects (「雨が降りよる……現在雨が降っている」vs.「雨が降っとる……つい先ほどまで雨が降っていた」) do not exist in modern Kyo-kotoba.