Skip to content
fluentbyear

JAPANESE VERB

かう

飼う

to keep, a pet

  • #411 most used
  • Godan verb (u-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI keep
NegativeI don’t keep

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI kept
NegativeI didn’t keep

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formkeeping, and…
Doing now (て います)I am keeping
Please (て ください)please keep

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can keep
NegativeI can’t keep

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to keep
NegativeI don’t want to keep

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s keep

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I keep
  2. If, when (たら) if I keep

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) keep (do it)
  2. Plain command keep!
  3. Please don’t please don’t keep

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am kept
CausativeI make someone keep

How to use かう

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    ペット は かいません。 ねこ アレルギー な ので。

    I don't keep pets, because I'm allergic to cats.

  2. Past

    こども の ころ、 うさぎ を かった。

    When I was a kid, I had a rabbit.

  3. Te-form

    うち は ねこ を にひき かって います。

    We keep two cats at home.

  4. Potential

    この アパート で は ペット が かえません。

    You can't keep pets in this apartment.

  5. Want to

    いつか にわ の ある いえ で いぬ を かいたい。

    Someday I want to keep a dog in a house with a garden.

  6. Volitional

    こども の ため に、 ハムスター を かおう か。

    Shall we get a hamster, for the kids?

  7. Conditional

    いぬ を かえば、 まいにち さんぽ が ひつよう だ よ。

    If you get a dog, it needs a walk every day.

  8. Commands and requests

    いきもの を かんたん に かわないで ください。

    Please don't take on an animal lightly.

  9. Passive and causative

    むすこ に カブトムシ を かわせました。

    I let my son keep a rhinoceros beetle.

Good to know

  • This かう, 飼う, is to keep an animal; the かう of shopping, 買う, sounds exactly the same.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).