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Teach Us, Teacher

How to cite examples using TARI (Lesson 37)

When we cite two or three examples from among a number of actions, we use the TA-form of verbs and attach RI after each TA-form verb in succession. And at the end, we close the sentence by using SHIMASU (to do), SHIMASHITA (did) or SHITAI DESU (to want to do).

In the skit, for example, Anna did many things in Shizuoka. Among them, she takes up two things, that is, she watched Mt. Fuji and she ate sushi, as examples, and mentions them to Dorm Mother.

When she speaks of Mt. Fuji, she uses the TA-form of the verb, MIMASU (to watch), which is MITA, then add RI to it, and says MITARI. Speaking of sushi, she uses the TA-form of TABEMASU (to eat), which is TABETA, adds RI to it, and says TABETARI.

Altogether, "I watched Mt. Fuji, ate sushi, and so on" is FUJI-SAN O MITARI, OSUSHI O TABETARI SHIMASHITA.

Anna did these and many other things during her trip. If you use TARI to list what you do or did, you can imply that you do or did some other things, too.
TARI also has a different role. If you list a set of opposite actions using TARI, you mean you repeatedly do those actions. For example, “I go and come back many times” is ITTARI KITARI SHIMASU. “I turn it on and off repeatedly” is TSUKETARI KESHITARI SHIMASU.
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