#85 Can’t Find the Words? Try Japanese Compound Verbs!

Do you know 読む (yomu) and 始める (hajimeru)?
They mean read and start.

Now, imagine this. 📖
You borrowed a book last Sunday, but were busy all week. On Saturday, you finally read a few pages. The next day, your senior asks
🧑「どう？　先週貸した本、読んでみた？」Dō? Senshū kashita hon, yonde mita?
“Have you had a chance to read the book I lent you?”

You 「はい、本を読みました。」Hai, hon o yomimashita.
“Yes, I’ve read it.”

This is not necessarily wrong, but your senior might think you have finished it. You have only read a few pages! 😅

What about using 始めました (hajimemashita)?
You 「本を始めました。」Hon o hajimemashita.

“I started a book” can work in English, but this Japanese sentence does not clearly say what you started doing 🤣

You know the words, yet cannot quite express your meaning. Sound familiar?
Try this instead
You「はい、昨日読み始めました。」
Hai, kinō yomihajimemashita.
“Yes, I started reading it yesterday.”

Much clearer!✨

Japanese often joins two verbs to form a compound verb — 複合動詞 (fukugō dōshi).
Let us explore how these combinations add detail. Even if you do not use them yet, recognising them can help when listening or reading.

1. The second verb adds information

First, an important point⚠️
Today, we are looking at combinations where the second verb supports the meaning of the first.
Other types exist too. Sometimes the first part strengthens the second; other combinations bring two actions together. This article covers only part of the picture‼️

Take 探し回る (sagashi-mawaru).

探す (sagasu) means to look for something.
回る (mawaru) can mean to go round or to go from place to place.

Imagine you have lost your wallet. You had it yesterday, but this evening, at a convenience store, you realise it is missing😣

“Is it at home? Did I drop it when I was out with my friend?”💦💦

You go home and search: the bedroom, living room, entrance, under the sofa. No luck.
You contact your friend
「家の中を探し回ったんだけど、財布が見つからなくて。今日、一緒にいたとき、私の財布を見なかった？」
Ie no naka o sagashimawatta n da kedo, saifu ga mitsukaranakute. Kyō, issho ni ita toki, watashi no saifu o minakatta?
“I’ve been looking all over the house, but I can’t find my wallet. Did you see it when we were together today?”

家の中を探しました (ie no naka o sagashimashita) simply says you looked in the house. 探し回りました (sagashimawarimashita) adds that you moved from place to place while searching.

Your friend can picture the effort you have already made💡

回る (mawaru) does not mean you searched and then spun round afterwards! 🤣 It adds information about how you searched.

The form works like this:
探す → 探します → 探し(ます) ＋ 回る ＝ 探し回る
Sagasu → sagashimasu → sagashi + mawaru → sagashimawaru

Remove ます (masu) from the first verb’s polite form, then add the second verb. To change the tense, change the ending:
探し回る → 探し回りました
Sagashimawaru → sagashimawarimashita

2. Starting and finishing

Back to your borrowed book. You have learnt 読み始める (yomihajimeru): to start reading.

A few days later, you reach the final page:

「読み終わりました。来週、返してもいいですか？」
Yomiowarimashita. Raishū, kaeshite mo īdesuka?
“I’ve finished reading it. Is it all right if I give it back next week?”

始める (hajimeru) marks the start; 終わる (owaru) marks the finish. Both tell your friend more precisely how far you have got.

These endings work beyond books too. Imagine you and a senior colleague are having lunch separately, then meeting afterwards.
They ask what time you can meet.
You reply「今、食べ始めたところです。もう少し待ってください。」
Ima, tabehajimeta tokoro desu. Mō sukoshi matte kudasai.
“I’ve only just started eating. Could you give me a little longer?”

Or
「もう食べ終わりました。いつでも大丈夫です。」
Mō tabeowarimashita. Itsu demo daijōbu desu.
“I’ve already finished eating. I’m ready whenever you are.”

The second verb helps your colleague understand whether you need more time or are ready to meet.

3. Spreading over a wide area

You may know 渡る (wataru) from 橋を渡る (hashi o wataru), to cross a bridge.
In compound verbs, however, it does not always describe physical movement from one side to another.

響き渡る (hibikiwataru): sound spreading

響く (hibiku) describes sound carrying or echoing. Imagine a singer’s voice reaching the back of a large hall. 🎵

「歌声がホール全体に響き渡りました。」
Utagoe ga hōru zentai ni hibikiwatarimashita.
“The singer’s voice rang out throughout the hall.”

響き渡る (hibikiwataru) tells us the sound spreads over a wide area. We can picture it filling the space.

晴れ渡る (harewataru): clear skies

You are on holiday. It rained this morning, but by lunchtime the clouds have disappeared. ☀️

「晴れ渡りましたね。そろそろ外に出ましょうか。」
Harewatarimashita ne. Sorosoro soto ni demashō ka.
“The sky’s completely clear now. Shall we head out?”

晴れ渡る (harewataru) describes clear conditions extending across the sky.

Sound and skies are different, but here 〜渡る (wataru) adds the idea of extending over a wide area. That image can help you understand these words.

4. Make a guess, then check

Can you attach 回る (mawaru) or 渡る (wataru) to any verb? Not quite. Only certain combinations sound natural, and meanings can change with the word.

When you meet an unfamiliar compound, ask:
🤔“What does the first verb mean?”
📚“What might the second part add?”

Then check a dictionary or examples. The parts offer clues, but your first guess may need adjusting.
Try remembering a whole situation, such as searching the house for your wallet, rather than assigning one fixed meaning to each part.

Reflection

You do not need to master every detail straight away.
If 探し回る (sagashimawaru) does not come to mind, you can still say:

「家のいろいろな場所を探しました。」Ie no iroiro na basho o sagashimashita.
“I looked in lots of places around the house.”

Your meaning gets across. For adult learners, I think that is a perfectly good first priority.

Then, when you hear or read a compound verb, you may notice what the second part adds. Your understanding grows a little further😊

For example, you may understand a new expression before you feel ready to use it. That still counts as good progress. You do not have to turn every word you recognise into something you can immediately say.
Choose the expressions you are likely to need, connect them with a real situation, and try them when you have the chance. Small steps are enough.

Which expression gave you the clearest picture today? Try one sentence about your own life. Or simply notice it next time you hear it.

Thank you for reading!
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