つ（完了）

Completion (Classical)

Level 6Sounds Like tsu (kanryou)

The auxiliary つ is a classical Japanese marker for completion (perfective aspect). It is typically used for actions that are finished or processes that have reached their end. In modern Japanese, it is often equivalent to 〜た or 〜てしまった.

How It Works

The auxiliary つ serves three primary functions in Classical Japanese (Kobun):

1. Completion（完了）: It indicates that an action has been fully realized. Because it carries a nuance of intentionality, it is frequently paired with transitive verbs.
2. Emphasis/Certainty（強意）: When combined with speculative auxiliaries like む or べし, it emphasizes that an action will certainly happen (e.g., つべし = 'will surely...').
3. Parallel Action（並列）: In the form 〜つ 〜つ, it describes two actions occurring alternately, a usage that survives in modern set phrases like 行きつ戻りつ（いきつもどりつ）.

Conjugation Table（下二段型）:

  • 未然形（みぜんけい）: て
  • 連用形（れんようけい）: て
  • 終止形（しゅうしけい）: つ
  • 連体形（れんたいけい）: つる
  • 已然形（いぜんけい）: つれ
  • 命令形（めいれいけい）: てよ

Historically, the modern conjunctive particle て is derived from the 連用形 of this auxiliary.

Examples (4)

  1. なよ竹のかぐや姫とつけつ。

    I have named her Kaguya-hime of the slender bamboo.

    Word by Word: Slender bamboo of Kaguya-hime (quotation) named [completed].

    From 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'. The verb つく（to name） is in the continuative form つけ, followed by the terminal form of つ to show the action is finished.

  2. 日を暮らしつ。

    I spent the entire day there.

    Word by Word: Day (object) spent [completed].

    From 'Sarashina Nikki'. Here, つ emphasizes the completion of the intentional act of spending time.

  3. 行きつ戻りつ、夜を明かす。

    Going back and forth, I passed the night.

    Word by Word: Going [parallel] returning [parallel], night (object) pass.

    This demonstrates the parallel usage (いきつもどりつ) which is still occasionally seen in literary modern Japanese.

  4. 今こそ死につべけれ。

    Now I must surely die.

    Word by Word: Now (emphasis) die [certainly] [must].

    Here, つ is used in its emphatic sense（強意） before the auxiliary べし. The particle こそ triggers the Kakarimusubi rule, changing べし to its realis form べけれ.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing the perfective つ with the negative ぬ.

    花散りつ。
    花散りぬ。

    While both mean completion, つ is for intentional actions. Natural phenomena like flowers falling（ちる） usually take ぬ because they are not volitional.

  • Treating つ as a simple past tense marker.

    昨日、書きつ。
    昨日、書きき。

    In classical Japanese, つ is an aspect marker (completion), not a tense marker. For a simple past event, the auxiliary き is more appropriate, though they are often combined（てき） to mean 'completely finished in the past'.

How It Connects

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つ（完了）Level 6Completion (Classical)

Learn This First

The classical auxiliary 'つ' indicates the completion of an action. To understand it, learners should be familiar with basic verb concepts and how modern Japanese expresses completion (via 'てしまう'). It is also helpful to compare it with its counterpart 'ぬ', as they form the basis of the classical perfective system.