TUFS Language Modules

For accented verbs the position of their accent nuclei in their dictionary form is at the second mora from the end or the penultimate accent type.

A u ( あうto meet), mi ru ( みる to see), taberu (たべる（食べる） to eat) are some examples of verbs of this type. There are accented verbs, such as mō su ( もうす totell), tō ru ( とおるto pass by), tō su ( とおす to let somebody pass), ha iru ( はいるto enter), ma iru ( まいるto go) and ka eru ( かえるto return) which belong to the antepenultimate accent type, although there are not many of them. The accent nuclei of these words are assumed to have shifted to the third mora from the end because their second last mora is a dependent mora.

The position of the accent nucleus of accented verbs in their te form is at the second mora before te. These examples are： a u (あう (会う）to meet)→ a tte あって, taberu (たべる→ to eat)→ ta bete たべて) However, if the second mora before te happens to be a dependent mora, the accent nucleus shifts to the mora before it, because an accent nucleus cannot be on a dependent mora, such as on the third mora before te. This is an example： ka eru (かえる （帰る）to return)→ ka ette かえって). Moreover, if the verb has only two moras, the accent nucleus will be on the mora right before te. Here is an example : mi ru ( みる to see)→ mi te みて).

For accented verbs in their nai and naide forms, their accent nucleus is on the mora before na. These are examples：taberu (たべる to eat)→tabenai たべない tabenaide たべないで, a u ( あうto meet)→awanai あわない awanaide あわないで, ka eru ( かえる（帰る） to return)→kaeranai かえらない kaeranaide かえらないで).

The accent nucleus for all accented verbs in their masu (～ます) forms is on ma.