In the previous article, we covered the "time-phase" compound verbs (始める, 続ける, 終わる). This time, let's look at four more incredibly useful suffix verbs: 過ぎる (excess), 合う (mutual), 直す (redo), and 切る (thorough). Once you have these under your belt, your Japanese expressiveness will take a serious leap forward.
～過ぎる (sugiru): Too Much, Excessive
The standalone verb 過ぎる means "to pass" or "to exceed." When attached to a masu-stem or adjective, it becomes "too much" or "overly." This is probably the most-used compound verb for everyday complaints.
With Verbs
| Compound Verb | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食べ過ぎる | たべすぎる | eat too much |
| 飲み過ぎる | のみすぎる | drink too much |
| 言い過ぎる | いいすぎる | say too much / go too far (with words) |
| 働き過ぎる | はたらきすぎる | overwork |
| やり過ぎる | やりすぎる | overdo it |
| 気にし過ぎる | きにしすぎる | worry too much / overthink |
昨日食べ過ぎて、お腹が痛いです。 → I ate too much yesterday, and my stomach hurts.
さっきは言い過ぎました。すみません。 → I went too far with what I said earlier. Sorry.
あまり気にし過ぎないでください。 → Please don't worry about it too much.
With Adjectives
過ぎる doesn't just work with verbs — it also attaches to adjectives. This is one of its superpowers.
| Type | Original | Compound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| i-adjective | 大きい | 大きすぎる | too big |
| i-adjective | 高い | 高すぎる | too expensive / too tall |
| i-adjective | 甘い | 甘すぎる | too sweet |
| na-adjective | 静か | 静かすぎる | too quiet |
| na-adjective | 簡単 | 簡単すぎる | too easy |
Rule: For i-adjectives, drop the い and add すぎる. For na-adjectives, attach すぎる directly.
このケーキは甘すぎる。 → This cake is too sweet.
テストが簡単すぎて、びっくりした。 → The test was so easy it surprised me.
Note: いい (good) is irregular — it becomes よすぎる, not いすぎる (because the stem of いい is よ).
～合う (au): Do Together, Mutually
The verb 合う means "to match" or "to fit." As a compound suffix, it expresses reciprocal or mutual action — "do something together" or "do something to each other."
| Compound Verb | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 話し合う | はなしあう | discuss (talk with each other) |
| 助け合う | たすけあう | help each other |
| 愛し合う | あいしあう | love each other |
| 知り合う | しりあう | get to know each other |
| 分かり合う | わかりあう | understand each other |
| 向き合う | むきあう | face each other / confront |
困ったときは、みんなで助け合いましょう。 → When times are tough, let's help each other.
この問題について、もう一度話し合いたいです。 → I'd like to discuss this issue one more time.
二人は大学で知り合った。 → The two of them met at university.
Noun Forms Are Common Too
Many ～合う compounds have widely used noun forms:
| Verb | Noun Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 話し合う | 話し合い | discussion, conference |
| 助け合う | 助け合い | mutual help |
| 知り合う | 知り合い | acquaintance |
| 付き合う | 付き合い | relationship, socializing |
彼は私の古い知り合いです。 → He's an old acquaintance of mine.
～直す (naosu): Redo, Do Over
直す on its own means "to fix" or "to correct." As a compound suffix, it means to redo something — you weren't satisfied with the result, so you try again.
| Compound Verb | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| やり直す | やりなおす | redo |
| 書き直す | かきなおす | rewrite |
| 作り直す | つくりなおす | remake |
| 考え直す | かんがえなおす | reconsider |
| 見直す | みなおす | review / reassess |
| 出直す | でなおす | start over (come back fresh) |
ミスがあったので、最初からやり直します。 → There was a mistake, so I'll redo it from the beginning.
この計画を考え直す必要がある。 → We need to reconsider this plan.
The Dual Meaning of 見直す
見直す is special — it has two distinct meanings:
| Meaning | Example |
|---|---|
| Re-examine, double-check | 答案を見直す → review your answers |
| Change one's opinion (usually for the better) | 彼を見直した → gain new respect for him |
テストの後、答えを見直す時間がなかった。 → After the test, I didn't have time to review my answers.
彼のスピーチを聞いて、見直した。 → After hearing his speech, I gained new respect for him.
～切る (kiru): Completely, Thoroughly
切る on its own means "to cut." As a compound suffix, it conveys doing something completely, thoroughly, with nothing left over.
| Compound Verb | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 使い切る | つかいきる | use up completely |
| 食べ切る | たべきる | eat every last bit |
| 言い切る | いいきる | state definitively |
| 疲れ切る | つかれきる | be completely exhausted |
| 売り切れる | うりきれる | be sold out |
| やり切る | やりきる | see through to the end |
一人でケーキを食べ切った。 → I ate the entire cake by myself.
マラソンを最後までやり切った。 → I ran the marathon all the way to the end.
疲れ切って、何もしたくない。 → I'm completely exhausted and don't want to do anything.
売り切れる Is Everywhere
売り切れる (sold out) and its noun form 売り切れ (sold out / out of stock) are extremely common in daily life:
このパンは毎日すぐ売り切れます。 → This bread sells out every day in no time.
チケットは売り切れです。 → The tickets are sold out.
Four-Pattern Comparison
| Suffix Verb | Core Meaning | Keyword | Key Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| ～過ぎる | too much | excess | 食べ過ぎる, 高すぎる |
| ～合う | together / mutual | mutual | 話し合う, 助け合う |
| ～直す | redo | redo | やり直す, 考え直す |
| ～切る | completely | thorough | 使い切る, 疲れ切る |
Summary
- ～過ぎる attaches to verbs and adjectives to mean "too much"; drop い for i-adjectives, attach directly for na-adjectives
- ～合う expresses mutual action; noun forms (～合い) like 知り合い and 話し合い are very common
- ～直す means "redo"; 見直す has the dual meaning of "re-examine" and "gain new respect"
- ～切る means "completely / thoroughly"; 売り切れ (sold out) is an ultra-common word
- These four patterns, combined with 始める / 続ける / 終わる from the previous article, cover the most essential N4-N3 compound verbs
Practice Quiz
Q1. What's the difference between 「食べ過ぎた」 and 「食べ切った」?
Show Answer
- 食べ過ぎた → Ate too much (excessive, with a negative nuance like a stomachache)
- 食べ切った → Ate it all (completely, emphasizing nothing was left)
過ぎる focuses on "excess," while 切る focuses on "completeness."
Q2. How do you say "These shoes are too small" in Japanese?
Show Answer
この靴は小さすぎる。
小さい (i-adjective) → drop い → 小さ + すぎる = 小さすぎる.
Q3. What does 「知り合い」 mean? How is it formed?
Show Answer
知り合い = an acquaintance (someone you know).
It comes from the compound verb 知り合う (to get to know each other). The masu-stem noun form of 知り合う is 知り合い. 知り (masu-stem of 知る) + 合う → 知り合う → noun form 知り合い.