Sasou is the Japanese verb for ‘to invite’, explained

What does “sasou” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “sasou” normally to mean ‘to invite’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this verb as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain it together with its major conjugations. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to use “sasou” more properly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “sasou”
  • Example #1: how to say “invite” in Japanese
• Sasowanai: the nai form of “sasou”
  • Example #2: how to say “don’t invite” in Japanese
• Sasoou: the volitional form of “sasou”
  • Example #3: how to say “let’s invite” in Japanese
• Sasoimasu: the masu form of “sasou”
  • Example #4: how to say “invite” politely in Japanese
• Sasotta: the ta form of “sasotta”
  • Example #5: how to say “invited” in Japanese
• Sasotte: the te form of “sasou”
  • Example #6: how to say “please invite” in Japanese
• Sasoeba: the ba form of “sasou”
  • Example #7: how to say “if invite” in Japanese
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “sasou”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “sasou”.

• sasou – 誘う (さそう) : a verb meaning ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ in Japanese.

Native speakers use this verb when they ask someone to come or join something. When they use something attractive as a means, it can mean ‘to tempt’.

The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. Then, let me explain how to use this verb through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “invite” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• tokidoki – 時々 (ときどき) : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘sometimes’ in Japanese.
• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kanojo” to make the object in the sentence.

This is a typical usage of “sasou”. In the example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to have the object. This usage is worth knowing, I think. When we want to mean ‘to invite’ in Japanese, anyway, this verb is a very good option.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “sasou” and how to use it through the example sentence. In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain its major conjugations. The first one is “sasowanai”.

Sasowanai: the nai form of “sasou”

Below are the definition and meanings of “sasowanai”.

• sasowanai – 誘わない (さそわない) : the nai form of “sasou”, which means ‘not invite’, ‘not to ask’, or ‘not to tempt’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “sasowanai” consists of the following two parts:

• sasowa – 誘わ (さそわ) : one conjugation of “sasou”. This can have a smooth connection with “nai”.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is very similar to that of “not”.

From these two parts, we can understand that “sasowanai” is literally the nai form of “sasou” and means ‘not to invite’, ‘not to ask’, or ‘not to tempt’ in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to say “don’t invite” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “kanojo” to make its possessive case, “kanojo no”, which means ‘her’ in Japanese.
• kareshi – 彼氏 (かれし) : a noun meaning ‘boyfriend’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “sasowanai”. When we want to mean ‘not to invite’ in Japanese, this nai form is a good option.

Sasoou: the volitional form of “sasou”

Below are the definition and meanings of “sasoou”.

• sasoou – 誘おう (さそおう) : the volitional form of “sasou”, which expresses volition to invite, ask, or tempt.

Grammatically, “sasoou” consists of the following two parts:

• sasoo – 誘お (さそお) : one conjugation of “sasou”. This can have a smooth connection with “u”.
• u – う : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its volitional form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “sasoou” is literally the volitional form of “sasou” and expresses volition to invite, ask, or tempt. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to say “let’s invite” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• nomikai – 飲み会 (のみかい) : a noun meaning ‘drinking party’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “nomikai” to indicate the place to which the speakers invite “kare”.

This is a typical usage of “sasoou”. In this example, it works to make the suggestion. When we want to say “let’s invite” in Japanese, this volitional form is a good option.

Sasoimasu: the masu form of “sasou”

Below are the definition and meanings of “sasoimasu”.

• sasoimasu – 誘います (さそいます) : the masu form of “sasou”, which means ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ politely in Japanese.

Grammatically, “sasoimasu” consists of the following two parts:

• sasoi – 誘い (さそい) : one conjugation of “sasou”. This can have a smooth connection with “masu”.
• masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “sasoimasu” is literally the masu form of “sasou” and means ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ politely in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to say “invite” politely in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• tamani – たまに : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘occasionally’ in Japanese.
• umi – 海 (うみ) : a noun meaning ‘sea’ or ‘ocean’ in Japanese. In the example, this has been translated as ‘beach’, though.

This is a typical usage of “sasoimasu”. Its politeness has not been reflected in the English sentence, but the Japanese sentence sounds polite thanks to the masu form. When we want to say “invite”, “ask”, or “tempt” politely in Japanese, this form is a good option.

Sasotta: the ta form of “sasotta”

Below are the definition and meanings of “sasotta”.

• sasotta – 誘った (さそった) : the ta form of “sasou”, which means ‘invited’, ‘asked’, or ‘tempted’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “sasotta” consists of the following two parts:

• sasot – 誘っ (さそっ) : one conjugation of “sasou”. This can have a smooth connection with “ta”.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “sasotta” is literally the ta form of “sasou” and means ‘invited’, ‘asked’, or ‘tempted’ in Japanese. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #5: how to say “invited” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kinou – 昨日 (きのう) : a noun meaning ‘yesterday’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence. In the example, this works at the beginning of the sentence to say “yesterday” in Japanese.
• mata – また : an adverb meaning ‘again’ or such in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “sasotta”. When we want to use the past tense form of “sasou”, this form is the best option.

Sasotte: the te form of “sasou”

Below are the definition and meanings of “sasotte”.

• sasotte – 誘って (さそって) : the te form of “sasou”, which means ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “sasotte” consists of the following two parts:

• sasot – 誘っ (さそっ) : one conjugation of “sasou”. This can have a smooth connection with “te”.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “sasotte” is literally the te form of “sasou”. In Japanese, te-formed words have some important roles. One of them is make smooth connections of words. So, “sasotte” is very useful when we want to use “sasou” in front of another verb, an adjective, or an auxiliary verb. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #6: how to say “please invite” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kondo – 今度 (こんど) : a noun meaning ‘next time’, ‘next opportunity’, or such in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence. In the example, this works as an adverb at the beginning of the sentence to say “next time” in Japanese.
• kudasai – ください : one conjugation of the verb, “kudasaru”, which means ‘to give’ or such in Japanese. When this follows a verb, however, this can work like an auxiliary verb to add the meaning of ‘please’. In the example, this works after “sasotte” to add the meaning of ‘please’.

This is a typical usage of “sasotte”. In this example, it has the smooth connection with “kudasai”. When we want to use “sasou” in front of another verb, its te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.

Sasoeba: the ba form of “sasou”

Lastly, let me explain the definition and meanings of “sasoeba”.

• sasoeba – 誘えば (さそえば) : the ba form of “sasou”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “sasoeba” consists of the following two parts:

• sasoe – 誘え (さそえ) : one conjugation of “sasou”. This can have a smooth connection with “ba”.
• ba – ば : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its ba form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “sasoeba” is literally the ba form of “sasou”. In Japanese, the ba forms of words can work as their conditional forms. So, we can use “sasoeba” to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ in Japanese. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #7: how to say “if invite” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• tanoshiku – 楽しく (たのしく) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “tanoshii“, which means ‘fun’ or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• naru – なる : a verb meaning ‘to become’, ‘to turn’, ‘to get’, or just ‘to be’ in Japanese.
• yo – よ : a sentence-ending particle used to state the fact or idea in a soft way. As the definition suggests, this is used at the end of the example sentence to state the speaker’s idea in a soft way.

This is a typical usage of “sasoeba”. In this example, it works as a part of the conditional clause, “boku wo nomikai ni sasoeba”, which means ‘if you invite me to a drinking party’ in Japanese. When we want to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to invite’, this ba form is a good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “sasou” and its major conjugations. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• sasou – 誘う (さそう) : a verb meaning ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ in Japanese.
• sasowanai – 誘わない (さそわない) : the nai form of “sasou”, which means ‘not invite’, ‘not to ask’, or ‘not to tempt’ in Japanese.
• sasoou – 誘おう (さそおう) : the volitional form of “sasou”, which expresses volition to invite, ask, or tempt.
• sasoimasu – 誘います (さそいます) : the masu form of “sasou”, which means ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ politely in Japanese.
• sasotta – 誘った (さそった) : the ta form of “sasou”, which means ‘invited’, ‘asked’, or ‘tempted’ in Japanese.
• sasotte – 誘って (さそって) : the te form of “sasou”, which means ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ in Japanese. When we want to use “sasou” in front of another verb, this te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.
• sasoeba – 誘えば (さそえば) : the ba form of “sasou”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘to invite’, ‘to ask’, or ‘to tempt’ in Japanese.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.