まさに…す

Japanese

Alternative spellings
将に…す且に…す

Verb

まさに…す • (masa ni…su)

(Classical Japanese) will, be about to do, is about to
- (Can we date this quote?), chapter 29, in 日(に)本(ほん)書(しょ)紀(き) (Nihon Shoki); translated as William George Aston, Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697, volume 2, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1896, →OCLC, page 329:
  
  六(ろく)月(がつ)癸(みづのと)酉(とり)朔(さく)乙(きのと)未(ひつじ)、大(おほ)分(きたノ)君(きみ)惠(ゑ)尺(さか)、病(やミテ)將(まさニ)死(しナントス)。
  Rokugatsu mizunototori saku kinotohitsuji, Ohokita no Kimi Esaka, yamite masa ni shinan to su.
  6th month, 23rd day. Yesaka, Ohokida no Kimi, was ill, and was about to die.

Usage notes

The verb that is about to happen is conjugated to volitional form using 未然形(みぜんけい) (mizenkei, “irrealis”) + ん (n, “volitional suffix”) + と (to). With す (su) it becomes まさに…せんとす.

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "まさに…す" (サ行変格活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	まさに…せ	まさに…せ	masa ni…se
Continuative (連用形)	まさに…し	まさに…し	masa ni…si
Terminal (終止形)	まさに…す	まさに…す	masa ni…su
Attributive (連体形)	まさに…する	まさに…する	masa ni…suru
Realis (已然形)	まさに…すれ	まさに…すれ	masa ni…sure
Imperative (命令形)	まさに…せよ	まさに…せよ	masa ni…seyo
Key constructions
Negative	まさに…せず	まさに…せず	masa ni…sezu
Contrasting conjunction	まさに…すれど	まさに…すれど	masa ni…suredo
Causal conjunction	まさに…すれば	まさに…すれば	masa ni…sureba
Conditional conjunction	まさに…せば	まさに…せば	masa ni…seba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	まさに…しき	まさに…しき	masa ni…siki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	まさに…しけり	まさに…しけり	masa ni…sikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	まさに…しつ	まさに…しつ	masa ni…situ
Perfect tense (natural event)	まさに…しぬ	まさに…しぬ	masa ni…sinu
Perfect-continuative tense	まさに…せりまさに…したり	まさに…せりまさに…したり	masa ni…seri masa ni…sitari
Volitional	まさに…せむ	まさに…せむ	masa ni…semu