語る
語る · godan verb (-ru)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 語る | 語らない |
| Polite | 語ります | 語りません |
| Past polite | 語りました | 語りませんでした |
| Past | 語った | 語らなかった |
| Te-form | 語って | 語らないで |
| Desire | 語りたい | 語りたくない |
| Potential | 語れる | 語れない |
| Passive | 語られる | 語られない |
| Causative | 語らせる | 語らせない |
| Causative passive | 語らせられるalso 語らされる | 語らせられないalso 語らされない |
| Volitional | 語ろう | |
| Polite volitional | 語りましょう | |
| Imperative | 語れ | 語るな |
| Conditional | 語れば | 語らなければ |
| Tara conditional | 語ったら | 語らなかったら |
Meanings
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
More deliberate or narrative than ordinary 話す; often used for telling experiences, memories, ideas, stories, or history in some detail.
My grandmother told me about her childhood memories.
The director spoke passionately about his feelings toward the new work.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
Specialized use for oral performance, especially traditional narrative arts where a text or story is chanted or recited.
The tayū chants jōruri on stage.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
Figurative use with an inanimate or non-speaking subject: an expression, number, fact, object, etc. silently shows or reveals something.
Her expression told the whole story of the result.
These figures indicate changes in the market.
Usage patterns
- 〈事〉を語るto talk about/narrate something (an experience, story, etc.)
He quietly talked about his own experience.
- 物語を語るto narrate/recite a tale (often in a traditional performance)
The biwa priest chants the Tale of the Heike.
- 〈事〉が〈事〉を語っているfor a fact, figure, or expression to silently reveal something
These figures reveal the current state of the economy.
- 〈人〉に〈事〉を語るto tell someone about something
The grandfather told his grandson about his memories of the war.
- 表情が〈事〉を語るfor someone's expression to show/tell something without words
His expression showed how tired he was.
- 〈事〉について語るto talk about a topic in some depth
She spoke passionately about her dreams for the future.