auxiliary adjectives like tai

[heatherjane]

I can't find any information on auxiliary adjectives like tai. I found some on auxiliary verbs but thats about it. I can't even find a list let alone an explanation of how they're used. Can anyone tell me where to look?

[QuackingShoe]

You slap tai on the 連用形 (i-stem, masu, whatever) form. So, する --> したい. Suru --> shitai.
Others vary.

[heatherjane]

I know what "tai" does and how to use it (for the most part). What I can't found out is if there are more words that work like "tai" does. Is there a whole section of "auxiliary adjectives" like "tai" I have scoured the internet to no avail, so far.

[QuackingShoe]

What does it matter? In the grand scheme of things they're basically all just conjugations, and you learn them as you learn them.

But the answer to your question depends on how you decide to view the grammar. In English, there are so many explanations. You could view nai as an auxiliary adjective along with tai, if you wished, simply because it conjugates like an adjective, which may be what you're asking about. Yet, most of the time, in English, we don't consider it that way.

But in fact, if you go by what the Japanese teach of their own grammar, most of what we consider to be conjugations are actually a conjugation combined with what they call 助動詞, or auxiliary verbs. This includes reru, rareru, seru, saseru, tai, nai, mai, masu, sou da, the other sou da, and in fact even da and desu, and others. The conjugation is only what they attach to. So for example, nai attachs to the 未然形 conjugation of a verb, such as ika of iku. Therefore, ikanai. Whereas, one of the sou da attaches to the 連用形 (so, ikisouda) and the other to the 終止形 (so, ikusouda).

Complicated, but it doesn't really matter until you're far enough into the language to care to start learning about it. The shorthands given to students are... temporarily sufficient, if ultimately somewhat misleading.

Anyway, ask again if you want a more specific answer, because I'm still not sure what you're looking for exactly.

[heatherjane]

First, thanks. I appreciate you spending the time to help. Specifically, "tai" conjugates differently from typical verbs. Once it is attaches to the verb it follows the pattern of an i-adjective, dropping the "i" then adding neg, past, etc (katta, kunai, kunakatta). Similarly some verb forms create a new ichidan verb even if the starting verb was godan. for example: The potential form (eru/rareru) makes the verb ichidan. The resulting verb can be conjugated to give negatives, past tense, presumptives etc. just as any other ichidan verb.

This may help clarify what I'm getting at. Na-adjective never take "ku" as part of their "conjugation" when used as a predicate. "Desu," is really what changes or conjugates.

So, knowing if something is really an i-adjective (or something that follows the same pattern as what is typically called an i-adjective) as apposed to a verb or na-adjective will change the conjugation patterns, where and how it is used.

In other words, knowing what is what will keep me from putting "ku" where it doesn't belong, so to speak.

In conclusion (I know you've been waiting for it ) if there are other "forms" that act like "tai" (some call them auxiliary adjectives) that attach to verbs and conjugate like an adjective, I would like to know them. If you know a few, great. if you know of a site that has some awesome.

I hope this was intelligible. Thanks again.

[QuackingShoe]

Don't have a lot of time, but http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8A%A9% ... 6%B3%95%29 is a list of everything if you can read it. Glancing through, those with adjective inflection of the modern forms (形容詞型) are nai, tai, and rashii.

Though, you don't really need to know beforehand. You know an adjective when you see it mostly because it ends with 'i' .