In daily use, many Japanese constructions are contracted or simplified, especially in the spoken language. For example:
てしまう ➜ ちゃう
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さいこう
最高
!わら
笑
っちゃうよ。
That's great! That makes me laugh.
(click the icon for English translation)
ては ➜ ちゃ
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い
行
っちゃイヤだって。
I begged her not to go.
(click the icon for English translation)
ている ➜ てる (colloquial progressive)
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かのじょ
彼女
はたいへん
大変
よくははおや
母親
にに
似
てますね。
She reminds me very much of her mother.
(click the icon for English translation)
ている・ておる ➜ 〜ちょる (regional colloquial progressive)
The form ちょる is used instead of ている. Usually it is added to the stem (つけちょる), but in historical dialect it was sometimes added to the plain form (いうちょる). This form is actually a contraction of ておる, which is a colloquial form of ている used most commonly in various western regions (such as Kansai, Nagoya and Kyushu).
〜ていない ➜ 〜てない (negative colloquial progressive)
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ひょうじょう
表情
ということがまるでできてない。
It’s as though you’re unable to show any expression.
(click the icon for English translation)
〜られる ➜ 〜れる (らぬ
抜
きことば
言葉
- ranuki kotoba, used in potential forms)
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きみ
君
はなま
生
のカキはた
食
べれますか。
Can you eat raw oysters?
(click the icon for English translation)
〜せられる ➜ 〜される (godan verbs - causative-passive form)
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いっかい
一回
しかき
着
ないのに、このたか
高
いドレスをか
買
わされてこま
困
っちゃうよ。
I'm so annoyed I've been made to buy this expensive dress I'm only ever going to wear once.
(click the icon for English translation)
A detailed explanation about the colloquial form of the 'causative passive' is included at the end of our article on 'verb causative passive'.
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- is made to happen
なくてはいけない ➜ なくちゃ
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have to do
なければ ➜ なきゃ or なけりゃ
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if
かもしれない ➜ かも
The common word かもしれない (meaning 'probably is', or 'is probably the case') is often shortened to just かも colloquially.
という ➜ って
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casual version of という
は ➜ って
って can also be used as a substitute for は (or というのは) at the end of a sentence. For example:
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みき
美希
ちゃんって?
Who's Miki?
(click the icon for English translation)
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「よろい
鎧
」って?
What is 'armor'?
(click the icon for English translation)
の to indicate a question
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question or emphasis
れは, れば, りは, りや ➜ りゃ
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colloquial contraction of りは / りや and れは / れば
な as shortened imperative
Sometimes なさい is shortened to simply な as a rough (but not rude) imperative.
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よくおぼ
覚
えておきな。
Remember it well!
(click the icon for English translation)
Particle omission
In colloquial Japanese, particles such as は and が are often left out. For example:
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そんなことないわ。わたし
私
こういうのだいす
大好
き。
That's not true at all. I love things like this.
(click the icon for English translation)
In standard Japanese, the second sentence would be
わたし
私
はこういうのが
だいす
大好
き。
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おまえ
前
んちにい
行
きたいなぁ。
I wanna go to your place ...
(click the icon for English translation)
Sometimes the ん will also be omitted:
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かれ
彼
はそのよる
夜
かとう
加藤
さんちでとまった。
He lodged at Mr Kato's for the night.
(click the icon for English translation)
ていって ➜ てって
The て form of the
ていく construction is often shortened to てって. See:
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colloquial contraction of ていって
ていく ➜ てく
More generally, any form of the
ていく construction can be shortened colloquially to the equivalent form without the い, eg てく. See:
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colloquial contraction of ていく
ておく ➜ とく
The おく form of a verb (put in place) is sometimes contracted to とく.
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うまーくまとまってるブログをのっけときますんでよ
読
んでみてください。
I've put up a blog post that summarizes it really well so try reading that.
(click the icon for English translation)
In the past form, 〜ておいた would become 〜といた.
ておいてくれる ➜ とくれ
The ておく (put in place) form together with the てくれる form is sometimes shortened even further. This is a colloquial way to make a casual request, as in for example:
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おちゃ
茶
い
入
れとくれ。
Put the kettle on, would you.
(click the icon for English translation)
This form is very abrupt, and could easily be considered rude, so it is generally best avoided in your own speech!