持つ

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
持
も
Grade: 3
kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
有つ

Etymology

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *mətu.

Cognates

Cognate with Kikai 持ちゅい (muchui), Kunigami 持ちゅん (muchun), Northern Amami-Oshima 持と゚ぅり (muθuri), Okinawan 持ちゅん (muchun), Oki-No-Erabu 持ちゅん (muchun), Southern Amami-Oshima 持ちゅむっ (muchum), Toku-No-Shima 持つぃ (mutsï), Yoron 持ちゅん (muchun), Miyako 持つぃ (mutsï), Yaeyama 持つん (mutsun), and Yonaguni 持とぅん (mutun).

Pronunciation

  • Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of "持つ"
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Terminal (終止形)
Attributive (連体形) 		持つ も​つ
Imperative (命令形) 持て も​て
Key constructions
Passive 持たれる もたれ​る
Causative 持たせる もたせ​る
Potential 持てる もて​る
Volitional 持とう もと​ー
Negative 持たない もた​ない
Negative perfective 持たなかった もた​なかった
Formal 持ちます もちま​す
Perfective 持った も​った
Conjunctive 持って も​って
Hypothetical conditional 持てば も​てば

Verb

持(も)つ • (motsu) transitive godan (stem 持(も)ち (mochi), past 持(も)った (motta))

  1. to hold, to carry something
    コートを持(も)ちましょうか。
    Kōto o mochimashō ka.
    Shall I hold your coat?
  2. to have, to possess
    パスポートは持(も)った？
    Pasupōto wa motta?
    Have you got your passport?
    お金(かね)をいくら持(も)っていますか。
    O-kane o ikura motte imasu ka.
    How much money do you have?
    私(わたし)はお金(かね)を持(も)っていない。
    Watashi wa o-kane o motte inai.
    I don't have any money.
    自転車(じてんしゃ)を持(も)っていない。
    Jitensha o motte inai.
    I don't have a bicycle.
    車(くるま)は持(も)っていませんが、自転車(じてんしゃ)なら持(も)っています。
    Kuruma wa motte imasen ga, jitensha nara motte imasu.
    I don't have a car, but I have a bicycle.
  3. to hold up, to maintain
    精神(せいしん)が持(も)たない
    seishin ga motanai
    can't withstand the pressure
    心臓(しんぞう)が持(も)たない
    shinzō ga motanai
    my heart can't take it

Synonyms

Conjugation

Conjugation of "持つ" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective") 持た もた mota
Ren’yōkei ("continuative") 持ち もち mochi
Shūshikei ("terminal") 持つ もつ motsu
Rentaikei ("attributive") 持つ もつ motsu
Kateikei ("hypothetical") 持て もて mote
Meireikei ("imperative") 持て もて mote
Key constructions
Passive 持たれる もたれる motareru
Causative 持たせる
持たす 		もたせる
もたす 		motaseru
motasu
Potential 持てる もてる moteru
Volitional 持とう もとう motō
Negative 持たない もたない motanai
Negative continuative 持たず もたず motazu
Formal 持ちます もちます mochimasu
Perfective 持った もった motta
Conjunctive 持って もって motte
Hypothetical conditional 持てば もてば moteba
Classical conjugation of "持つ" (タ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形) 持た もた mota
Continuative (連用形) 持ち もち moti
Terminal (終止形) 持つ もつ motu
Attributive (連体形) 持つ もつ motu
Realis (已然形) 持て もて mote
Imperative (命令形) 持て もて mote
Key constructions
Negative 持たず もたず motazu
Contrasting conjunction 持てど もてど motedo
Causal conjunction 持てば もてば moteba
Conditional conjunction 持たば もたば motaba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge) 持ちき もちき motiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge) 持ちけり もちけり motikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action) 持ちつ もちつ motitu
Perfect tense (natural event) 持ちぬ もちぬ motinu
Perfect-continuative tense 持てり
持ちたり		 もてり
もちたり		 moteri
motitari
Volitional 持たむ もたむ motamu

Idioms

Derived terms

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ “持”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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