Japanese Grammar Te oku

Japanese Plug and Play Ghetto Grammar or JPPGG©
Lesson #101: Verb (base TE) + Oku – To verb for later
By Makurasuki Sensei, Brett McCluskey

When translating from Japanese to English, whether text or spoken conversation, there are times when it is quite impossible to extract an exact equivalent or expression having the same meaning in both languages. Today’s lesson is will focus on one such grammar principle. This particular bunpo will take a little more time for westerners to absorb than some of the easier Japanese grammar.

Today’s bunpo uses the verb oku. Knowing the meaning of this verb and how it is used by itself will help in understanding the meanings of the sentences and phrases we can make with today’s grammar construction, however as I have said before this particular grammar has nuances and meaning which cannot be expressed with an exact equivalent. As Always, Do Your Best. Ganbatte Ne!

Verb (base TE) + Oku - To verb for later

Oku means to put, place; lay down, leave (it as it is), or the biggie in relation to how we will use it in today’s bunpo is to pawn. Oku, the verb, in and of itself, is easy to understand. For example, to say,

“I will place the cup on the table” you could say, “Te^buru no ue ni kappu o oku”, or “Te^buru no ue ni kappu o okimasu.” Polite version

Here is another example of using oku the verb.

“Please put it over there.” or, “Asoko ni oite* kudasai”.

*If you need a refresher of how to put verbs into base TE, please see. http://ezinearticles.com/?Learn-Japanese-Grammar-To-The-Tune-Of-Silver-Bells&id=493900. In general the verb oku means to place an object somewhere or to put something in its place, or spot etc. However, when sentences are constructed using the verb (base TE) + oku bunpo, the meanings of the possible sentences are not so easily derived. When a verb is put into base TE followed by oku the meaning extract to pawn. Let us go over in our minds how we ue the word pawn in English. We pawn jewelry at the pawn shop etc. People use other people as pawns in their grand scheme. Pawning means in the base Te + oku sense to give something to someone to hold as a sort of ransom for return later on. I hope you get my drift, or wakaru? (See http://squidoo.com/japponics/

Ex. 1. Sara o aratte okimasu – (I, he, she, it etc.) will do the dishes (so that I will have clean ones to use later on) for later.

Ex. 2. Te^buru no ue ni kappu o oite okimasu – I’ll set the cup on the table for later (just in case). This uses the verb oku inside of the verb (base TE) + oku bunpo. Yes lot’s of interesting ways to use this bunpo. Oku in base TE is oite + oku = oite okimasu

Ex. 3. Azukatte okimasho^ ka? Shall I hold this for you for later? Shall I take this in my care and hold it for you until you come back?

Ex. 4 Shitokan to akan yo! *see http://squidoo.com/ghettogrammar/ – You better frikkin' do this or things ain’t going to be good later on! This is an abbreviated version of what should be shite okanai to ikemasen in Hakata Dialect, but is often heard in that region.