verb + noun (verbing)

Hi. =p In English, a verb can be made into a noun using –ing, so that it can be used together with other verbs.

For example, start eating, practise singing, finish eating, see (the car) knocking…

How should we phrase it in Japanese? Is it by using hojodoushi?

Thank you.

If you ask how do say "the act of eating," then I can quickly tell you "taberu koto." But it's not that you can simply use it as you can in English to say "start eating," "finish eating, etc." (YOu don't say: "Taberu koto wo hajimeru" or "taberu koto wo owaru.")

Instead, you say "tabe hajimeru" (start eating) and "tabe owaru" (finish eating). Sometimes other verbs, as "hojodoushi" (such as "...hajimeru" and "...owaru") are added to the "stem" of the verb ("tabe" in this example) to express the "start ...ing" and "finish ...ing" meanings.

In other instances, instead of the "stem" of the verb," the "te-form" of the verb ("tabete" in this example) to be connected to other verbs to express the meaning. For example, to say "I can see him eating now," I would say "kare ga tabete iru no ga mieru." (Here "te-form" + "iru" is used to express the "now doing something" = present progressive= meaning.

I would recommend getting hold of a structured texbook - those expressions and structures appear gradually so that you don't get confused :)