う

Etymology 1
.

Etymology 2
→ →  → (fused with the  ending in the preceding verb stem)  →

From. See the entry at for more information.

Suffix

 * 1)  to try to do; to attempt to do
 * 2)  to be about to do; to be on the verge of doing
 * 3)  whether … or …
 * 1)  to try to do; to attempt to do
 * 2)  to be about to do; to be on the verge of doing
 * 3)  whether … or …
 * 1)  to try to do; to attempt to do
 * 2)  to be about to do; to be on the verge of doing
 * 3)  whether … or …
 * 1)  whether … or …
 * 1)  whether … or …
 * 1)  whether … or …
 * 1)  whether … or …
 * 1)  whether … or …

Usage notes
Attaches by changing the -u of godan verbs to -ō (spelled -ou in modern kana, -au in historical kana). The polite auxiliary -masu changes to -mashō (spelled -mashou in modern kana, -maseu in historical kana). The Tokyo accent falls on the penultimate mora regardless of the underlying verb.

The volitional form of ichidan and irregular verbs are formed with instead of.

This ending also attaches to adjectives and negative forms of verbs but the meaning is restricted to the conjectural sense. To express volition not to do something you can use the ending or express it in another way:  or.

In traditional Japanese grammar, this is a attaching to the. The ending itself has the sole form as its  and. Morphologically, this is an uninflecting inflectional suffix whose proper shape is (-ō), attaching to the stem of consonant-stem verbs.

Usage notes
This form of adjectives is now restricted to western Japan. In the standard language it is used in super-polite language before and, and also in fossilized words like.