Group 1: ~ U ending verbs
The basic form of Group 1 verbs end with "~ u". This group is also called Consonant-stem verbs or Godan-doushi (Godan verbs).
• hanasu （（（（ - to speak • kaku （書く） - to write • kiku （聞く） - to listen • matsu （待つ） - to wait • nomu （飲む） - to drink
Group 2: ~ Iru and ~ Eru ending verbs
The basic form of Group 2 verbs end with either "~iru" or "~ eru". This group is also called Vowel-stem-verbs or Ichidan-doushi (Ichidan verbs).
~ Iru ending verbs
• kiru （着る） - to wear • miru （見る） - to see • okiru （起きる） - to get up • oriru （降りる） - to get off • shinjiru （信じる） - to believe
~ Eru ending verbs
• akeru （開ける） - to open • ageru （あげる） - to give • deru （出る） - to go out • neru （寝る） - to sleep • taberu （食べる） - to eat
There are some exceptions. The following verbs belong to Group 1, though they end with "~ iru" or "~ eru". • hairu （入る） - to enter • hashiru （走る） - to run • iru （いる） - to need • kaeru （帰る） - to return • kagiru （限る） - to limit • kiru （切る） - to cut • shaberu （しゃべる） - to chatter • shiru （知る） - to know
There are only two irregular verbs, kuru (to come) and suru (to do).
The verb "suru" is probably the most often used verb in Japanese. It is used as "to do," "to make," or "to cost". It is also combined with many nouns (of Chinese or Western origin) to make them into verbs. Here are some examples.
• benkyousuru （勉強する） - to study • ryokousuru （旅行する） - to travel • yushutsusuru （輸出する） - to export • dansusuru （ダンスする） - to dance • shanpuusuru （シャンプーする） - to shampoo Dictionary Form
The dictionary form (basic form) of all Japanese verbs end with "u". This is the form listed in the dictionary, and is the informal, present affirmative form of the verb. This form is used among close friends and family in informal situations.
The ~ masu Form (Formal Form)
The suffix "~ masu" is added to the dictionary form of the verbs to make sentence polite. Aside from changing the tone, it has no meaning. This form is used in situations required politeness or a degree of formality, and is more appropriate for general use. Check out the ~ masu form of the basic verbs.
The ~ masu Form
Group 1 Take off the final ~u, and add ~ imasu kaku --- kakimasu, nomu --- nomimasu Group 2 Take off the final ~ru, and add ~ masu
miru --- mimasu, taberu --- tabemasu Group 3 kuru --- kimasu, suru --- shimasu
The ~ masu Form minus "~ masu" is the stem of the verb. The verb stems are useful since many verb suffixes are attached to them.
~ Masu Form The stem of the verb
Kakimasu kaki
Nomimasu nomi
Mimasu mi
Tabemasu tabe
Japanese verb forms have two main tenses, the present and the past. There is no future tense. The present tense is used for future and habitual action as well. The informal form of the present tense is the same as the dictionary form. The ~ masu form is used in formal situations.
Past Tense
The past tense is used to express actions completed in the past (I saw, I bought etc.) and present perfect tense (I have read, I have done etc.). Forming the informal past tense is simpler for Group 2 verbs, but more complicated for Group 1 verbs. The conjugation of Group 1 verbs varies depending on the consonant of the last syllable on the dictionary form. All Group 2 verbs have the same conjugation pattern.
Group 1
Formal Replace ~ u with ~ imashita kaku --- kakimashita nomu --- nomimashita Informal (1) Verb ending with ~ ku:
replace ~ ku with ~ ita
kaku --- kaita kiku --- kiita (2) Verb ending with ~ gu:
replace ~ gu with ~ ida oyogu --- oyoidaisogu --- isoida (3) Verb ending with ~ u, ~tsu and ~ ru:
replace them with ~ tta matsu --- mattautau --- utatta kaeru --- kaetta (4) Verb ending with ~ nu, ~bu
and ~ mu:
replace them with ~ nda
shinu --- shinda asobu --- asonda
nomu --- nonda (5) Verb ending with ~ su:
replace ~ su with ~ shita hanasu --- hanashitadasu --- dashita Group 2
Formal Take off ~ru, and add ~ mashita miru --- mimashita taberu ---tabemashita Informal Take off ~ru, and add ~ ta miru --- mita
taberu --- tabeta Group 3
Formal Kuru --- kimashita, suru --- shimashita Informal kuru --- kita, suru ---shita
Present Negative
To make sentence negative, verb endings are changed into negative forms (The ~ nai Form).
Formal All Verbs (Group 1, 2, 3)
Replace ~ masu with ~ masen nomimasu --- nomimasen tabemasu --- tabemasen
kimasu --- kimasen shimasu --- shimasen
Informal Group 1
Replace the final ~ u with ~anai (If verb ending is a vowel + ~ u,
replace with ~ wanai)
kiku --- kikanai nomu --- nomanai
au --- awanai Group 2
Replace ~ ru with ~ nai miru --- minai taberu --- tabenai Group 3
kuru --- konai, suru ---shinai Past Negative
Formal All Verbs (Group 1, 2, 3) Add ~ deshita to
the formal present negative form
nomimasen --- nomimasen deshita tabemasen --- tabemasen deshita
kimasen--- kimasen deshita shimasen--- shimasen deshita Informal All Verbs (Group 1, 2, 3)
Replace ~ nai
with ~ nakatta nomanai --- nomanakattatabenai --- tabenakatta konai --- konakatta shinai ---shinakatta
The ~ te form is a useful form of the Japanese verb. It does not indicate tense by itself, however it combines with other verb forms to create other tenses. It has many other uses as well. To make the ~ te form, replace the final ~ ta of the informal past tense of the verb with ~ te, and ~ da with ~ de. Learn the ~ te form of the basic verbs.
Here are some examples.
• nonda （飲んだ） - nonde （飲んで） • tabeta （食べた） - tabete （食べて） • kita （来た） - kite （来て）
Here are some other functions of the ~ te form. (1) Request: the ~ te form kudasai
• Mite kudasai. （（（（（（（（（ - Please look.
• Kiite kudasai. （聞いてください。（ - Please listen.
(2) The present progressive: the ~ te form iru or imasu (formal)
• Hirugohan o tabete iru. （昼ご飯を食べている。） - I am having lunch. • Terebi o mite imasu. （テレビを見ています。） - I am watching TV.
It is also used to describe a habitual action and a condition. (3) Listing successive actions
It is used to connect two or more verbs. The ~ te form is used after all but the last sentence in a sequence.
• Hachi-ji ni okite gakkou ni itta. （八時に起きて学校に行った。（ - I got up at eight and went to school.
• Depaato ni itte kutsu o katta. （デパートに行って靴を買った。） - I went to department store and bought shoes.
(4) Asking permission: the ~ te form mo ii desu ka.
• Terebi o mite mo ii desu ka. （テレビを見てもいいですか。） - May I watch TV? • Tabako o sutte mo ii desu ka. （タバコを吸ってもいいですか。） - May I smoke?
Verbs
Learning verbs when learning a new language is obviously very important. In the table below I have created a list of some of the most important verbs that someone new to Japanese should know.
If you are not familiar with Japanese verbs at all, follow this link to learn about verb groups and conjugations.
If you would like to hear the pronunciation of each verb, click the link and small audio file will play for you.
Group 1 Verbs Dictionary Form
(Basic Form) English Formal Form The ~ te Form
aruku （（ to walk arukimasu 歩きます aruite 歩いて
asobu （（ to play asobimasu遊びます asonde 遊んで au （（ to meet aimasu （（（（ atte 会って hairu （（ to enter hairimasu入ります haitte 入って hajimaru （（（ to begin hajimarimasu始まります hajimatte 始まって iku （（ To go 行きますikimasu itte 行って kaeru （（ to return kaerimasu帰ります kaette 帰って kakaru （（（ to take kakarimasuかかります kakatte （（（（ kaku （（ to write kakimasu 書きます kaite 書いて kau
（（ to buy kaimasu（（（（ 買ってkatte
kiku （（ to listen kikimasu聞きます kiite 聞いて matsu （（ to wait machimasu待ちます matte 待って motsu
（（ to have mochimasu（（（（ motte持って
narau （（ to learn naraimasu 習います naratte 習って nomu （（ to drink nomimasu飲みます nonde 飲んで okuru （（ to send okurimasu送ります okutte 送って omou （（ to think omoimasu思います omotte 思って oyogu （（ to swim oyogimasu泳ぎます oyoide 泳いで shiru （（ to know shirimasu知ります shitte 知って
suwaru （（ To sit suwarimasu座ります suwatte 座って tatsu （（ to stand tachimasu 立ちます tatte 立って tomaru 止まる to stop tomarimasu 止まります tomatte 止まって tsuku
（（ to arrive tsukimasu（（（（ 着いてtsuite
uru
（（ To sell urimasu売ります
utte 売って
utau
（（ to sing utaimasu（（（（ utatte歌って
wakaru （（（ to understand wakarimasu分かります wakatte （（（（ warau （（ to laugh waraimasu 笑います waratte 笑って yomu
（（ to read yomimasu（（（（ yonde読んで
Group 2 Verbs kangaeru （（（ to think kangaemasu考えます kangaete 考えて miru （（ to see mimasu見ます mite 見て neru （（ to sleep nemasu寝ます nete 寝て oshieru （（（ to teach oshiemasu教えます oshiete 教えて taberu （（（ To eat tabemasu 食べます tabete 食べて Group 3 Verbs
（（ 来ます 来て
suru
（（ To do shimasu（（（ shiteして
The ~ te form of verbs is one of several other verb forms. It does not indicate tense by itself and is used to string together sequences of verbs. One of the ~te form structure is "~ te kudasai （～てください） ," which expresses a request.
Kaite kudasai. 書いてください。 Please write. Matte kudasai. 待ってください。 Please wait.
Japanese verbs are roughly divided into three groups according to their dictionary form (basic form). The basic form of 'Group 1' verbs end with "~ u". The basic form of 'Group 2' verbs end with either "~iru" or "~ eru". 'Group 3' verbs are irregular verbs. There are only two irregular verbs, kuru (to come) and suru (to do).
Click here to learn more about Japanese verbs and hear their pronunciation ("Audio Phrasaebook – verbs").
Here are some common verbs from each group. The links lead to various conjugations of each verb. Group 1 aruku （歩く） --- to walk（ asobu （遊ぶ） --- to play（ au （会う） --- to meet（ hairu （入る） --- to enter（ hajimaru （始まる） --- to begin（ iku （行く） --- to go（ kaeru （帰る） --- to return（ kakaru （かかる） --- to take kaku （書く） --- to write kau （買う） --- to buy（ kiku （聞く） --- to listen（ matsu （待つ） --- to wait（ motsu （持つ） --- to have narau （習う） --- to learn nomu （飲む） --- to drink okuru （送る） --- to send
omou （思う） --- to think oyogu （泳ぐ） --- to swim shiru （知る） --- to know（ suwaru （座る） --- to sit（ tatsu （立つ） --- to stand（ tomaru （止まる） --- to stop（ tsuku （着く） --- to arrive（ uru （売る） --- to sell utau （歌う） --- to sing wakaru （分かる） --- to understand warau （笑う） --- to laugh（ yomu （読む） --- to read（ Group 2 kangaeru （考える） --- to think miru （見る） --- to see; to look neru （寝る） --- to sleep oshieru （教える） --- to teach taberu （食べる） ---（to eat Group 3
kuru （来る） --- to come（ suru （する） --- to do
