〜出す (dasu) - Start Doing
〜出す attaches to verb stems to indicate the sudden or spontaneous beginning of an action. Unlike 始める which is neutral, 出す emphasizes that something starts abruptly or unexpectedly.
Verb stem + 出す
走り出す - start running (suddenly)
泣き出す - start crying (suddenly)
降り出す - start falling (rain/snow)
Emphasis: Sudden start
Unexpected beginning
Formation
Basic pattern
る-verbs:
食べる → 食べ出す "start eating suddenly"
見る → 見出す "start watching suddenly"
う-verbs:
走る → 走り出す "start running suddenly"
泣く → 泣き出す "start crying suddenly"
降る → 降り出す "start falling suddenly"
Irregular:
する → し出す "start doing suddenly"
来る → 来出す (rare)
Core Meaning
Sudden beginning
雨が降り出した
"It started raining (suddenly)"
Implies: Wasn't raining, then suddenly was
Not gradual, but abrupt start
子供が泣き出した
"The child started crying"
Implies: Sudden onset of crying
Unexpected or quick start
Common Uses
Weather
雨が降り出す
"rain starts falling"
雪が降り出す
"snow starts falling"
風が吹き出す
"wind starts blowing"
Natural phenomena
Sudden weather changes
Very common usage
Emotions
泣き出す
"start crying"
笑い出す
"start laughing"
怒り出す
"start getting angry"
Emotional outbursts
Sudden reactions
Physical actions
走り出す
"start running"
歩き出す
"start walking"
動き出す
"start moving"
Sudden movement
Beginning motion
Speech
話し出す
"start talking"
歌い出す
"start singing"
叫び出す
"start shouting"
Beginning to speak/sing
Often suddenly
Nuance: Sudden vs Gradual
Compare with 始める
話し始める
"begin talking"
Neutral, planned
話し出す
"start talking (suddenly)"
Abrupt, unplanned
食べ始める
"begin eating"
Normal start
食べ出す
"start eating (suddenly)"
Unexpected start, perhaps rudely
Transitivity
Usually becomes intransitive
Even if base verb is transitive:
読む (transitive) → 読み出す
Often used intransitively:
本を読み出す (less common)
急に読み出した "suddenly started reading"
The 出す compound emphasizes the action itself
Object often omitted
Context Examples
Natural contexts
会議中に笑い出した
"Started laughing during the meeting"
Implies: Inappropriate timing
いきなり走り出した
"Suddenly started running"
Implies: Without warning
雨が降り出したから帰ろう
"It started raining so let's go home"
Implies: Sudden weather change
With Different Verbs
Movement verbs
飛び出す
"jump out, dash out"
飛び込む (base) → 飛び出す
Burst out suddenly
転がり出す
"start rolling"
Roll and exit/emerge
Discovery/realization
見出す
"discover, find out"
Special meaning here
Not just "start seeing"
But "discover" or "recognize value"
才能を見出す
"discover talent"
Beginning processes
動き出す
"start moving" (machines, vehicles)
車が動き出した
"The car started moving"
機械が動き出す
"The machine starts operating"
Mechanical or large-scale movement
Spontaneity Element
Uncontrolled or natural
笑い出す
Often can't help it
Spontaneous laughter
泣き出す
Bursting into tears
Not planned crying
Implies lack of full control
Natural, spontaneous reaction
Time Frame
Immediate beginning
Focus on the moment action starts:
急に降り出した
"Suddenly started falling"
The moment it began
Not the continuation
Emphasizes start point
Common Collocations
Frequent combinations
降り出す (rain/snow)
Most common with weather
泣き出す (crying)
Very common emotional
走り出す (running)
Common physical action
笑い出す (laughing)
Common reaction
These are natural, established
Learn as set phrases
Conjugation
Regular る-verb conjugation
降り出す:
Present: 降り出す
Past: 降り出した
Negative: 降り出さない
Te-form: 降り出して
Potential: 降り出せる
Conjugates like any る-verb
Second verb determines conjugation
In Sentences
Example patterns
Noun が Verb-出す:
雨が降り出した "Rain started falling"
子供が泣き出した "Child started crying"
いきなり/急に + Verb-出す:
いきなり走り出した "Suddenly started running"
急に笑い出した "Suddenly started laughing"
Emphasizing suddenness
Natural sentence patterns
Formality
Neutral formality
Can be used in:
- Casual conversation
- Formal speech
- Writing
Formality comes from:
- Conjugation style
- Context
- Surrounding grammar
Not inherently casual or formal
Common Mistakes
❌ Using for planned actions
✗ 明日から勉強し出す (use 始める instead)
"Start studying from tomorrow"
✓ Use for spontaneous actions
✓ 急に勉強し出した
"Suddenly started studying"
❌ Overusing where 始める fits
Choose based on nuance
✓ Match verb to context
Sudden → 出す
Neutral → 始める
Special Meanings
Some compounds have unique meanings
見出す
Not "start seeing"
But "discover, find"
思い出す
Not "start thinking"
But "remember, recall"
These are lexicalized
Learn as separate vocabulary
Different from regular pattern