Endings and forms — learn them through core images – ShareDocs

て形 te-kei The て form means nothing. It is a hook. て turns the end of a verb into a small hook. Whatever comes next hangs off that hook. Japanese 5 uses

上来/上去 shàng lái / shàng qù 上来 and 上去 are not about up. They are about where you stand A single arrow pointing upward. If its tip comes toward you, that is 上来; if it leaves you behind, that is 上去. Chinese 5 uses

た形 ta-kei た is not 'yesterday'. It is a stamp already down. The moment the action finishes, a stamp comes down on the paper. The mark does not come off. Japanese 5 uses

下来/下去 xià lái / xià qù 下来 keeps it in your hand; 下去 lets it run on Water running downhill. Catch it in your hands and that is 下来; let it pass you and keep flowing and that is 下去. Chinese 5 uses

出来 chū lái 出来 is less about coming out than about becoming visible Something popping out of a closed box. A second ago you could not see it; now you can. Chinese 5 uses

ない形 nai-kei Draw one X. Everything else stands on it. You draw a single X on the spot where the action would have gone. All that changes is what you then say about that X. Japanese 5 uses

ている te-iru ている is not 'is doing'. It is a switch left on. A switch flipped on over the verb. Either it is still running, or it was flipped once and has stayed on. Japanese 5 uses

起来 qǐ lái Everything 起来 does comes from one picture: standing up Something lying flat pushing itself upright. What wasn't there stands up; what was scattered gets gathered and stood up too. Chinese 5 uses

てある te-aru てある still has a person's fingerprints on it Something a person did deliberately and then stepped away from. Their intention is still sitting there. Japanese 5 uses

过来/过去 guò lái / guò qù Draw one line down the middle and 过来/过去 solve themselves A line drawn between here and there. Cross it toward me and it is 过来; cross it away from me and it is 过去. Chinese 5 uses

回来 huí lái 回来 is not coming back. It is being brought back to where it belongs An arrow that leaves and lands exactly where it started. The origin is also the destination. Chinese 5 uses

ておく te-oku Not doing it now — parking it for later You do a thing now and set it down in place for later. Time gets pushed one step ahead of you. Japanese 5 uses

てしまう te-shimau てしまう is not regret. It is a lid closing. You put it in a box and shut the lid. It cannot be reopened — which is both 'all done' and 'well, that's that'. Japanese 5 uses

得/不 de / bu There is a door between the verb and its result A door standing between the verb and the result it aims at. 得 says the door is open; 不 says it is locked. Chinese 5 uses

完 wán 完 does not say finished. It says you can see the bottom A bowl scraped until the bottom shows. There is nothing left to spoon out. Chinese 5 uses

てみる te-miru Why of all verbs is it 'see'? You throw the thing once without knowing the outcome, and then watch to see how it lands. Japanese 5 uses

好 hǎo 完 says you used it all up. 好 says it is ready to use The moment you straighten the last detail, step back and say 'there'. Not just finished, but fit to use. Chinese 5 uses

てくれる te-kureru Drop it and the grammar survives, but you sound cold What the other person did flies toward me like an arrow and lands. Gratitude rides in on that arrow. Japanese 5 uses

到 dào 到 is not arrival. It is the instant your fingertips touch Reaching out until your fingertips land on the target. There is a line between not touching and touching. Chinese 5 uses

てもらう te-morau Same arrow. This time I'm the one pulling it. The action still travels toward me, but now I pull the string. The subject is the hand receiving, not the hand giving. Japanese 5 uses

られる(受身) rareru-ukemi The passive is not 'suffering'. It is moving the camera. Someone else's arrow comes down and lands on me. The camera stands at the receiving end, not the shooting end. Japanese 5 uses

见 jiàn 看 is aiming your eyes; 见 is what lands in them Your eyes and ears are windows left open. 见 is the moment something actually comes in through one. Chinese 5 uses

住 zhù 住 has nothing to do with living somewhere. It is a grip A hand closing around something in motion and pinning it where it is. It can no longer move or slip away. Chinese 5 uses

させる(使役) saseru-shieki The same hand pushes and clears the way I reach out and set someone else in motion. Push hard and it is an order; step aside and open a path and it is permission. Japanese 5 uses

-고 -go One thread, many beads: the ending -고 Beads going onto a single thread, one after another. The thread never breaks. Korean 5 uses

-아서/어서 -aseo/eoseo The upper basin spills into the lower one: -아서/어서 Water running down a slope from one basin into the next. You cannot pull the two apart. Korean 5 uses

-(으)니까 -(eu)nikka Putting your reason on the table: -(으)니까 Laying a card face up in front of the other person: here is my reason, so let's do this. Korean 5 uses

-(으)면 -(eu)myeon Cross the threshold and the door opens: -(으)면 Standing at a threshold. Only by stepping over it does the door beyond open. Korean 5 uses

-지만 -jiman Admit it, then turn: -지만 Taking a step forward, then turning sharply the other way from that spot. Korean 5 uses

-는데 -neunde Lay the stage before you speak: -는데 Rolling out a round mat under your feet before you say the real thing. The point comes on top of that mat. Korean 5 uses

-(으)러 -(eu)reo The feet move first: -(으)러 Putting one errand in your bag and stepping out the door. The purpose is the load; the body carries it somewhere. Korean 5 uses

-(으)려고 -(eu)ryeogo Setting up a target in your head: -(으)려고 Holding a drawn bow, aiming at a target you have not shot yet. Your whole body leans that way. Korean 5 uses

-자마자 -jamaja Not a sliver of gap: -자마자 The door clicks shut and the next thing springs out on that same click. No gap between the two. Korean 5 uses

-기 전에 -gi jeone Pointing left on the timeline: -기 전에 Marking a dot on a line of time and putting your finger on the space to the left of it. Korean 5 uses

-(으)ㄴ 후에 -(eu)n hue Same line, other side: -(으)ㄴ 후에 Marking a dot on the line of time and putting your finger on the space to the right of it. The door has already shut. Korean 5 uses

-(으)면서 -(eu)myeonseo Two lines drawn at once: -(으)면서 Holding two pens in one hand and drawing two parallel lines at the same time. Korean 5 uses

-겠- get The screen inside your head: -겠- Playing, on the screen inside your head, a scene that has not happened yet. Korean 5 uses

-았/었- at/eot -았/었- is not the past, it is a set block Something finished and hardened, sitting in front of you as a solid block. Korean 5 uses

-고 있다 go itda The film is still rolling: -고 있다 A film reel still turning, so the picture keeps moving. Korean 5 uses

-아/어 있다 a/eo itda The move is over, the picture stays: -아/어 있다 Something frozen in the shape it was left in once the action finished. Korean 5 uses

-아/어 보다 a/eo boda A hand testing the doorknob: -아/어 보다 A hand turning a doorknob once, not knowing yet whether it is locked. Korean 5 uses

-아/어 주다 a/eo juda Handing the action over: -아/어 주다 The action you perform sliding across and landing in the other person's hands. Korean 5 uses

-아/어 버리다 a/eo beorida Wiping your hands clean: -아/어 버리다 Finishing off what was in your hands and brushing your palms — nothing left on them. Korean 5 uses

-아/어 두다 a/eo duda Done, and left where it lies: -아/어 두다 Doing something and leaving it right there, untouched, until it is needed. Korean 5 uses

-게 되다 ge doeda The current put you there: -게 되다 You are not steering; the current has carried you and set you down over there. Korean 5 uses

-아/어지다 a/eo jida Nobody pushed it, the dial moved on its own: -아/어지다 A dial sliding one way with nobody's hand on it. Korean 5 uses