Page 546 - Basic Japanese

In the polite style, plain forms of verbs, adjectives and the
copula are usual in all positions except at the end of the

sentence, and sometimes in the middle before loosely
connective particles like ga and keredomo. Occasionally, polite
forms are used within the sentence to give an extra-polite

flavor. In plain speech, the plain forms are usual in all positions.
The plain copula is often omitted, especially in questions.

v. The plain imperative

In the polite style, you usually make commands in a roundabout

way. If a genuine imperative form is used, it is from one of the
exalted verbs: nasai from nasaru, kudasai or kudasaimase from

kudasaru. In plain speech, too, oblique commands are common:
Shinbun katte kite kurenai ka ‘Won’t you go buy me a newspaper,

please?’ Often, you use the simple gerund: Chotto matte (yo)!
‘Wait a minute!’

In addition, there is a plain imperative form, but you seldom
use it except when showing extreme impatience, or when
quoting rather impersonal commands. The imperative forms are
often followed by the particle yo!, as in Ike yo! ‘Go!’

3. The modern literary style

The modern literary style, or bungo, is seldom heard except in
the form of set expressions quoted, as it were, from written

sources. It is not even often used in contemporary writing, but
many things written a generation ago were in this style. The
grammar of the literary style is different from that of colloquial

Japanese in many ways, and its structure should be studied
separately. If you are reading something that contains literary
passages, the quickest way to understand the material is to get

some Japanese to ‘translate’ the passages into colloquial
Japanese.