# 会う
## Japanese
### Etymology

* Kanji in this term
* 会
* あ Grade: 2
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spellings
* 會う (kyūjitai) 逢う 遭う 遇う (rare)
Uncertain. Inherited from Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *apu. Theories of earliest origin include:
* Imitative of the upper and lower lips meeting
* Shortened from 二肖経 (フタアエフ futa aefu, two go-together)
* Shortened from アアフツ (aa futsu), the latter portion a variant of 二(ふた)つ (futatsu, “two”)
* Either 間(あい) (ai, “relation”) → 逢(あふ) (afu, “meeting”) → 会(あう) (au) or 逢(あふ) (afu) → 間(あい) (ai) → 会(あう) (au)
Various forms of あう (合, 会, 逢, 遭; “join; be together; meet”) are attested from the Middle Ages (c. 1185-1573). Compare 合(あ)う (au).

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) あう [áꜜù] (Atamadaka –)
* IPA: [a̠ɯ̟]
* Audio:(file)
* Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 「会う」
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary :
| Stem forms ||||
| Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形) | 会う | あう | [áꜜù] |
| Imperative (命令形) | 会え | あえ | [áꜜè] |
| Key constructions ||||
| Passive | 会われる | あわれる | [àwáréꜜrù] |
| Causative | 会わせる | あわせる | [àwáséꜜrù] |
| Potential | 会える | あえる | [àéꜜrù] |
| Volitional | 会おう | あおー | [àóꜜò] |
| Negative | 会わない | あわない | [àwáꜜnàì] |
| Negative perfective | 会わなかった | あわなかった | [àwáꜜnàkàttà] |
| Formal | 会います | あいます | [àímáꜜsù] |
| Perfective | 会った | あった | [áꜜttà] |
| Conjunctive | 会って | あって | [áꜜttè] |
| Hypothetical conditional | 会えば | あえば | [áꜜèbà] |
* (Kyoto) あう [àú] (Teiki – [0])

### Verb

会(あ)う • (au) intransitive godan (stem 会(あ)い (ai), past 会(あ)った (atta))
* to meet with, see, meet again or for the first time
    会(あ)いたい ― aitai ― I miss you (literally, “I want to meet up [with you again]”)
    会(あ)いたかったんだ ― aitakatta n da ― I wanted to see [you again]; I'd missed you
    友(とも)達(だち)に会(あ)えなくなる
       tomodachi ni aenakunaru
       to become unable to see one's friends
** 1923, Yumeno Kyūsaku, 約束 [Yakusoku]:
    ある人(ひと)が橋(はし)の下(した)で友(とも)達(だち)に会(あ)う約(やく)束(そく)をして待(ま)っていた。
       Aru hito ga hashi no shita de tomodachi ni au yakusoku o shite matte ita.
       This person had arranged to meet their friend under a bridge and was waiting for them there.
** 2016, Makoto Shinkai, director, 君の名は。 [Your Name. (Kimi no na wa)], spoken by Taki Tachibana (Mone Kamishiraishi), Toho:
    三(さん)年(ねん)前(まえ)…お前(まえ)はあの時(とき)　俺(おれ)に…会(あ)いに来(き)たんだ！
       San-nen mae… o-mae wa ano toki ore ni… ai ni kita nda!
       Three years ago… I remember now… you came to see me!
* to come across, meet by accident, bump into
    Synonym: 出会う (deau)
** 1929, Takiji Kobayashi, 不在地主 [Absentee Landlord (Fuzai jinushi)]:
    誰(だれ)とも道(みち)で会(あ)わねばええな。
       Dare to mo michi de awaneba ē na.
       Let's hope you don't bump into anyone on the road.
* to gather, to come together
* to receive guests etc.

#### Conjugation

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms") :
| Mizenkei ("imperfective") | 会わ | あわ | awa |
| Ren’yōkei ("continuative") | 会い | あい | ai |
| Shūshikei ("terminal") | 会う | あう | au |
| Rentaikei ("attributive") | 会う | あう | au |
| Kateikei ("hypothetical") | 会え | あえ | ae |
| Meireikei ("imperative") | 会え | あえ | ae |
| Key constructions ||||
| Passive | 会われる | あわれる | awareru |
| Causative | 会わせる 会わす | あわせる あわす | awaseru awasu |
| Potential | 会える | あえる | aeru |
| Volitional | 会おう | あおう | aō |
| Negative | 会わない | あわない | awanai |
| Negative continuative | 会わず | あわず | awazu |
| Formal | 会います | あいます | aimasu |
| Perfective | 会った | あった | atta |
| Conjunctive | 会って | あって | atte |
| Hypothetical conditional | 会えば | あえば | aeba |
Stem forms :
| Irrealis (未然形) | 会は | あは | afa |
| Continuative (連用形) | 会ひ | あひ | afi |
| Terminal (終止形) | 会ふ | あふ | afu |
| Attributive (連体形) | 会ふ | あふ | afu |
| Realis (已然形) | 会へ | あへ | afe |
| Imperative (命令形) | 会へ | あへ | afe |
| Key constructions ||||
| Negative | 会はず | あはず | afazu |
| Contrasting conjunction | 会へど | あへど | afedo |
| Causal conjunction | 会へば | あへば | afeba |
| Conditional conjunction | 会はば | あはば | afaba |
| Past tense (firsthand knowledge) | 会ひき | あひき | afiki |
| Past tense (secondhand knowledge) | 会ひけり | あひけり | afikeri |
| Perfect tense (conscious action) | 会ひつ | あひつ | afitu |
| Perfect tense (natural event) | 会ひぬ | あひぬ | afinu |
| Perfect-continuative tense | 会へり 会ひたり | あへり あひたり | aferi afitari |
| Volitional | 会はむ | あはむ | afamu |

#### Synonyms

* (to meet): (humble) お目(め)にかかる (omenikakaru)

### References

* 1 2 3 4 “あ・う［あふ］ 【合・会・逢・遭】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* ↑ Nakai, Yukihiko, editor (2002), 京阪系アクセント辞典 [A Dictionary of Tone on Words of the Keihan-type Dialects] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Bensei, →ISBN