Original form of んとする (n to suru). Compound of classical volitional auxiliary む (mu), quotation particle と (to), and verb す (su, “to do”), original form of する (suru, “to do”). む (mu) regularly contracted into ん (n) and is read as n in the modern language in Classical Japanese texts.
In Heian era speech, this would also sometimes contract into むず (muzu) or うず (uzu).
| Stem forms | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irrealis (未然形) | むとせ | むとせ | mu to se |
| Continuative (連用形) | むとし | むとし | mu to si |
| Terminal (終止形) | むとす | むとす | mu to su |
| Attributive (連体形) | むとする | むとする | mu to suru |
| Realis (已然形) | むとすれ | むとすれ | mu to sure |
| Imperative (命令形) | むとせよ | むとせよ | mu to seyo |
| Key constructions | |||
| Negative | むとせず | むとせず | mu to sezu |
| Contrasting conjunction | むとすれど | むとすれど | mu to suredo |
| Causal conjunction | むとすれば | むとすれば | mu to sureba |
| Conditional conjunction | むとせば | むとせば | mu to seba |
| Past tense (firsthand knowledge) | むとしき | むとしき | mu to siki |
| Past tense (secondhand knowledge) | むとしけり | むとしけり | mu to sikeri |
| Perfect tense (conscious action) | むとしつ | むとしつ | mu to situ |
| Perfect tense (natural event) | むとしぬ | むとしぬ | mu to sinu |
| Perfect-continuative tense | むとせり むとしたり |
むとせり むとしたり |
mu to seri mu to sitari |
| Volitional | むとせむ | むとせむ | mu to semu |