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Question to Teacher: Why is past tense used before TOKI?
Course 3 Lesson 10: Yumiko's Cavity (Grammar)

daniel0

Post Date: 2004-06-19 13:59:38

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2003 Apr 19

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i don't understand the first question in the miniquiz about toki, but i understand the second question.
1. I will tell you when you come.

the answer is "きたときにいいます." since it is like this, i think

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YesJapan Teacher (Yuki)

Post Date: 2004-06-19 14:16:00

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Please look at the example used in the Grammar section of Course 3 Lesson 10, おとうさんがかえったときにたべます (OTOUSAN GA KAETTA TOKI NI TABEMASU = We will eat when father comes back). The reason why the past tense, KAETTA, is used before TOKI is that you can only eat when father has returned to home.

The first sentence in the MINI QUIZ is the same way:
きたときにいいます (KITA TOKI NI IIMASU = I will tell you when you come)
KITA is past tense because the person you are talking to can only tell you after you have come.
If you were to say KURU TOKI, it would mean the person will tell you at the point when you leave to come.

This only happens with directional verbs like IKIMASU, KIMASU, KAERIMASU, etc.

As for the verb conjugator, you are correct. It is not working right with KURU. We are looking into it.

Yuki @ YesJapan

InkenObaki

Post Date: 2004-10-21 13:27:38

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2004 Sep 23

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Why is past tense used before TOKI?
You said for toki past tense can can only used for directional verbs but could i say a sentance like this
tabeta toki ni misemasu
I will show you after we have eaten.

YesJapan Tech (bparker)

Post Date: 2006-07-24 13:58:50

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2007 Nov 26

Questions: 25
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Re: Why is past tense used before TOKI?
[quote:7d3b6c6632="InkenObaki"]You said for toki past tense can can only used for directional verbs but could i say a sentance like this
tabeta toki ni misemasu
I will show you after we have eaten.[/quote:7d3b6c6632]
In that case I would think either KARA or ATO would be used instead of TOKI, but I'm not sure which one would work better there.

If anyone else has an opinion on this, I'd like to hear it also.

Edit: I found this topic http://www.yesjapan.com/online/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=59114 which describes the difference between KARA and ATO. Apparently the only difference I can see is that KARA requires the TE form of the verb, while ATO requires the TA form.

ssalaka

Post Date: 2006-07-25 00:31:33

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2005 Oct 25

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toki toki oh the toki

There are several constructions you can make with toki

past past
past present
present present
present past

Each of which imply different meanings - such as before, after, during, while, the time when I was...

For example, a past past construction could imply all the action has already occurred. A past present construction could imply that the event will occur and at which time it is past something will happen. the present present construction has many meanings - mainly during the same time as, or that when A occurs B is still a viable option to happen - i.e not aready happened in the past. the final construction, a in the present while b is in the past can imply both events happening in the past - for example watashi wa wakaii toki ninjun o tabenakatta n desu ga. - when I was young (the state being referred to in the present tense), I couldnt eat ninjin - but now I can.

dokidoki toki tokidoki ga arimasu! - sometimes there are times when I am excited.