JLPT N5 vocabulary
持つ: meaning, reading and conjugation
Reading and pitch accent
もつ1Atamadaka · high start
Godan verb (u-verb)
Meaning
- to hold in one's hand, to take, to carry
- to possess, to have, to own
- to maintain, to keep
- to last, to be durable, to keep, to survive
- to take charge of, to be in charge of
- to hold (a meeting, etc.), to have (an opportunity, etc.)
- to have “it”, to have that special something, to be blessed with good luck (colloquial)

Conjugation
| Form | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Basics | ||
| Plain present辞書形 · ない形 | 持つ | 持 |
| Plain pastた形 · なかった形 | 持 | 持 |
| Polite presentます形 | 持 | 持 |
| Polite pastました形 | 持 | 持 |
| Te-formて形 | 持 | 持 |
| Conditions and moods | ||
| If (-ba)ば形 | 持 | 持 |
| If / when (-tara)たら形 | 持 | 持 |
| Let’s / will意向形 | 持 | —not in common use |
| Want toたい形 | 持 | 持 |
| Command / don’t命令形 · 禁止形 | 持 | 持つ |
| Can · passive · causative | ||
| Can (potential)可能形 | 持 | 持 |
| Passive受身形 | 持 | 持 |
| Make / let使役形 | 持 | 持 |
| Be made to使役受身形 | 持 | 持 |
Example sentences
5人に一人が車を持つような日も遠くあるまい。
It will not be long before the day when one out of five persons has a car.
すみませんが、日本語の名刺しか持っていないんですけど。
Sorry, I only have a business card in Japanese…
彼は、CDプレーヤーはもとよりiPodも持っていないです。
He doesn't have a CD player, and he doesn't have an iPod either.