Can someone please explain how to use 出会い/出会う correctly?


I really can't understand the difference. As far as I understand it, 出会い is a
noun and 出会う is the verb. But I can't get my head around how to use them in a
sentence!

Too add to the confusion, when I used tangorin to search for 出会い example
sentences this was one of the examples:

> わたしは素敵{すてき}な人{ひと}たちと出会{であ}いました。

Surely it functions as a verb in this case?

Also, when is it appropriate to use 出会う instead of using 会う?




[出]{で}[会]{あ}う is a verb that means to come across or in some contexts to meet
(but not in the sense of "have a meeting with"). Thus it's basic meaning is to
chance upon something.

[出]{で}[会]{あ}い is two things -- and it's not a coincidence.

[出]{で}[会]{あ}い is what is often-called the "masu-stem" in English or 連用形 in
Japanese. This is a productive form which for 五段 / type i verbs like those
that end in う changes to い. (For 一段 / type II verbs, the final sounds
disappears -- 食べる -> 食べ)

Thus, one use is when you join 出会う to the helping verb ます to make it more
polite. = 出会い + ます = 出会います

The other thing that happens is that for many verbs the masu-stem / 連用形 has
become a **noun** as well with a meaning like an -ing noun in English.

So 出会い can also mean "meeting" (under the meaning to chance upon something or
encounter it).

Similar production can be seen elsewhere:

[code]

      遊ぶ -> 遊び
      話す -> 話し
      飲む -> 飲み
      食べる -> 食べ
      切る -> 切り
    
[/code]

My sense is that this not universally productive (meaning I don't think every
single verbs' 連用形 will be a known and usuable noun).

