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Questions tagged [auxiliary-ず]

打消しの補助動詞. Classical auxiliary for negating a predicate, having the same function as ない. This auxiliary is still commonly found in fixed patterns (e.g. ~ざるを得ない or ~ずに) or its 連体形 can merely be used instead of ない to give a formal and archaic tone.

打消しの補助動詞 (Auxiliary of negation).

活用（未然形・連用形・終止形・連体形・已然形・命令形）：
[ ざら（ず）｜ず（ざり）｜ず｜ざる（ぬ）｜ざれ（ね）｜ざれ ].

This auxiliary is used to negate a predicate and has the same function as ない. It is still commonly found in fixed patterns: ~ざるを得ない・~ずに or it can merely be used instead of ない to give a formal and archaic tone.

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What is the difference between the negative forms -ず and -ぬ?

-ず and -ぬ are two alternatives to the negative form -ない / -ません. But I noticed that depending on the word, it's either -ず or -ぬ, although it seems like some words can take both suffixes. Some examples I have encountered: -ず 知らず (lyric in song "タッチ"…
Lukman
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What is the difference between 〜ないではいられない and 〜ずにはいられない

I was taught that these two phrases are interchangeable and have the same meaning. However, I recently wrote a few practice sentences using this grammar point and they were corrected to use ずには instead of ないでは The sentences I wrote…
phirru
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When does ない become ぬ?

Does anyone know what to call the outdated, high form of language which will say for example "ならぬ" rather than "ならない" or more accurately "だめだ"? Specifically, I would like to know if there is a name for the dialect used by Kuchiki Byakuya from the…
Arden
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What does the ぬ in 詰まぬ mean?

I encountered a Shogi saying: 三桂あって詰まぬこと無し And I'm pretty confused about the ぬ there. If it was る I'd expect the meaning to be something like: "If you have 3 knights, you can't be mated" But looking at it's explanation here and here it looks like…
Nescio
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Help for this expression: 猿は人間に毛が[三筋]{みすじ}足らぬ

I read this expression in a text. It seems to be an old proverb about monkeys. But I am not sure about its meaning. Why 筋, for instance? Does it mean muscle? reasoning faculty? Why would they be lacking?
ogerard
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せず - What does it come from?

気にするまいと思っても、気にせずにはいられない。 In above sentence, I guess せず means しない, but what is the original form, and how does it become せず?
Eric
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じ/ず conversion in 人は動かじ

There is this famous quote reputedly from 山本五十六: やってみせて、言って聞かせて、やらせてみて、 ほめてやらねば人は動かじ。(source) やってみせ、言ってきかせて、させてみて、誉めてやらねば人は動かじ。(a different version. source) Do it and show'em; say things and make'em listen; try and let'em do things; and if you…
Eddie Kal
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Why じと instead of ず in その機を逃さじと?

硝煙で、鏑木肆星氏の姿は完全に覆い尽くされてしまう。その機を逃さじと、二匹のバケネズミが突進した。 I think その機を逃さじと means "not letting their chance slip away". But why isn't it just その機を逃さず?
Axe
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"ji" ending on verb "nai" stem?

My question is from this sentence. It is from the "Easy Japanese" YouTube videos: 秋雨や我がすげみのはまだ濡らさじ Why "nurasaji"? I would understand "mada nurasanai" - not yet wet - but why "ji"?
dan
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How is 百にも足らぬ used here?

How is 百にも足らぬ used here? 「算え｛かぞえ｝十九の若さで御供頭の大役を仰せつかるとは、冥加｛みょうが｝な話よのう」背戸｛せど｝の畑から戻ってきた叔父は、野良着のまま囲炉裏端に座りこむと、まるきり他人事のように言った。 「お言葉ではございますが叔父上、冥加と申されるのもいかがなものかと」 一路｛いちろ｝は憮然として抗った。武士だか百姓だかもわからぬ叔父は、百にも足らぬ御家来衆の典型である。しかし頼りになる親類がほかにいないのでは仕様がなかった。 Is it…
user12413
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Conjugation of negative auxiliary 〜ぬ

〜ない functions the same way as an adjective, and so it can be conjugated to 〜なかった, 〜なくて, and so on. As far as I can tell, this is not case for 〜ぬ. Does it function as a standalone suffix, or is it able to be conjugated? If so, how would one put it…
ハイドン
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What does 帰れん mean?

from the youtube channel 釣れるまで帰れん is it won't go back or can't go back if translated or neither?
gbfrd
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The meaning of しなければならず in this article

What's the meaning of しなければならず in this article? 「拘束中に、事情があってイスラム教に改宗しなければならず、そこで自分で『ウマル』というのを選んでいた。彼らが設定したルールに従って言った」と説明し link to the original and complete phrase
Yuji
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Translation for 食べ物を腐らせずに保存する

Saw this in my textbook. The translation is "to preserve food from decay". I get it, but I am not clear about the ず after 腐らせる. Where is it coming from?
buskila
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Difference ~ぬ and ~ず

What is the difference between the negatives ~ぬ and ~ず, e.g. 。。。飲まず 。。。飲まぬ Thanks
tokosh
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