Give the verb stem of きく (using hiragana only).

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The prompt asks for the verb stem of きく, written in hiragana only, and provides no multiple-choice options to evaluate. To approach this, one must first consider how 'stem' is defined in Japanese verb conjugation, because terminology can vary between teaching materials.

First, the basic form or dictionary form of the verb is きく (kiku), which is a Godan (u-row) verb meaning 'to listen' or 'to hear.' The term stem can refer to different related forms depending on the grammatical feature being highlighted.

One common interpretation in Japanese grammar is the 連用形 (renyoukei), or the masu-stem, which is the form used before adding ます in polite conjugations. For きく, the masu-stem is きき (kiki), so under this definition the stem would be きき. This is the form you would attach ます to for the polite present/future tense: ききます.

However, some learners and certain textbooks describe a simplified notion of 'stem' as the portion that remains when you remove the final く from the 基本形 (dictionary form) to form a basic concatenation base for other endings, which can lead to the impression that the stem is just き. In such a view, the stem would be き, since く is the ending that changes across conjugations.

In the absence of additional options to compare, consider the two main perspectives:
- If the question intends the standard Japanese grammar term 連用形 used for polite conjugation, the stem is きき.
- If the question uses a looser or simplified notion of stem that’s sometimes taught at introductory levels, the stem might be taken as き.

Given that the provided answer (in the data you shared) is き, it appears the material you’re referencing aligns with the shorter stem notion or presents the stem in a way that treats き as the base before adding endings in some contexts. The key point is that terminology can vary, and what counts as 'the stem' depends on the specific instructional framework being used.

No alternative options are present here to debunk or contrast against; the exercise focuses on parsing how different definitions of 'stem' might yield different outputs for the same verb. If you are studying with a particular course or textbook, it’s best to confirm which definition they intend for 'stem' in their problems, since that will determine whether the expected answer is き or きき in this context.

Give the verb stem of きく (using hiragana only).

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