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JAPANESE VERB

つっこむ

突っ込む

to hit a fool's line back, as the straight man

  • 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 hit a fool's line back
NegativeI don’t hit a fool's line back

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI hit a fool's line back
NegativeI didn’t hit a fool's line back

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formhitting a fool's line back, and…
Doing now (て います)I am hitting a fool's line back
Please (て ください)please hit a fool's line back

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can hit a fool's line back
NegativeI can’t hit a fool's line back

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to hit a fool's line back
NegativeI don’t want to hit a fool's line back

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s hit a fool's line back

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I hit a fool's line back
  2. If, when (たら) if I hit a fool's line back

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) hit a fool's line back (do it)
  2. Plain command hit a fool's line back!
  3. Please don’t please don’t hit a fool's line back

Passive and causative

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

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am hit a fool's line back
CausativeI make someone hit a fool's line back

How to use つっこむ

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

  1. Present and future

    おおさか の ひと は、 だれ でも すぐ つっこみます。

    People in Osaka, anyone, hit the line back at once.

  2. Past

    ともだち の ぼけ に、 おもわず つっこんだ。

    I couldn't help hitting back my friend's silly line.

  3. Te-form

    むすめ は、 テレビ に むかって つっこんで いる。

    My daughter's playing the straight man to the TV.

  4. Potential

    とうきょう そだち なので、 うまく つっこめません。

    I grew up in Tokyo, so I can't hit the line back well.

  5. Want to

    いま の はつげん に は、 つっこみたい。

    I want to call out what he just said.

  6. Volitional

    だれか が ぼけたら、 すぐ に つっこもう。

    If someone plays the fool, let's hit it straight back.

  7. Conditional

    いい タイミング で つっこめば、 みんな わらう。

    If you hit it back with good timing, everyone laughs.

  8. Commands and requests

    わたし が ぼける から、 きみ が つっこみなさい。

    I'll play the fool, you hit it back.

  9. Passive and causative

    かんさい の ともだち に、 まいかい つっこまれる。

    My Kansai friends hit my lines back every time.

Good to know

  • In まんざい, the ぼけ says the silly line and the つっこみ hits it back: なんで や ねん！ in Osaka. つっこむ is doing that: すぐ つっこむ. Between friends it also means to call out someone's slip.
  • Its first meaning is to thrust in: ポケット に て を つっこむ; くるま が みせ に つっこんだ, a car crashed into a shop.

Where you hear つっこむ

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Fluency Level 1

  • おおさか で は、 すぐ つっこむ。 In Osaka, you hit it back at once.
  • きのう、 はじめて つっこんだ。 Yesterday I hit one back for the first time.
  • あした は、 わたし が つっこみます。 Tomorrow I'll be the one hitting it back.
26
The fool and the straight man

Fluency Level 1 · ぼけ に は、 つっこむ。 とうきょう は、 だまる。

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Verbs like this one

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