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japanese · Past & Experience · Lesson 75

Plain Past Negative: What Didn't Happen

Using the plain past negative (なかった-form) and vocabulary for problems, damage, and repairs.

You're explaining a past incident to a friend. "I didn't lose my keys, but I couldn't find them for a while and was very troubled." You add, "Luckily, my phone didn't break when it fell, so I didn't need to fix it."

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なくす

to lose (something)

Group 1 verb

The most common verb type. The ending sound changes depending on how you use it — like how 飲む (drink) becomes 飲みます in polite speech.

見つける (みつける)

to find / discover

Group 2 verb

A simpler verb type that always ends in る. To change the form, just drop the る and add a new ending — like 食べる (eat) becomes 食べます.

落ちる (おちる)

to fall / drop

Group 2 verb

A simpler verb type that always ends in る. To change the form, just drop the る and add a new ending — like 食べる (eat) becomes 食べます.