What Makes Japanese Verbs Unique
Japanese verbs are simpler than you think:
- No person or number (same form for I/you/he/they)
- Only two tenses: past and non-past
- Regular conjugation patterns
- Always come at the end of sentences
The Three Verb Groups
Every Japanese verb belongs to one of three groups. Knowing which group determines how to conjugate it.
Group 1: Godan Verbs (五段動詞)
Also called: う-verbs, consonant-stem verbs
Rule: Dictionary form ends in -u (う, つ, る, く, ぐ, す, む, ぶ, ぬ)
書く (kaku) - to write
話す (hanasu) - to speak
飲む (nomu) - to drink
読む (yomu) - to read
行く (iku) - to go
Key feature: The ending consonant changes during conjugation.
Group 2: Ichidan Verbs (一段動詞)
Also called: る-verbs, vowel-stem verbs
Rule: Dictionary form ends in -eru or -iru
食べる (taberu) - to eat [e-る]
見る (miru) - to see [i-る]
寝る (neru) - to sleep [e-る]
起きる (okiru) - to wake up [i-る]
Key feature: Simply drop る and add endings.
Group 3: Irregular Verbs (不規則動詞)
Only two verbs:
する (suru) - to do
来る (kuru) - to come
Must memorize these separately.
How to Identify Verb Groups
Step 1: Check if it's Irregular
Is it する or 来る? → Group 3
Step 2: Look at the Ending
Does it end in anything other than -eru or -iru? → Group 1
書く (kaku) - ends in ku → Group 1
話す (hanasu) - ends in su → Group 1
Step 3: -eru/-iru Ending
Group 2 (Ichidan): The sound before る is e or i
食べる (ta-be-ru) - be is an e sound → Group 2
見る (mi-ru) - mi is an i sound → Group 2
Tricky Cases
Some verbs end in -eru/-iru but are actually Group 1:
帰る (kaeru) - to return → Group 1 (exception)
走る (hashiru) - to run → Group 1 (exception)
知る (shiru) - to know → Group 1 (exception)
切る (kiru) - to cut → Group 1 (exception)
When in doubt, check a dictionary.
Verb Forms Overview
Japanese verbs have several forms used for different purposes:
Dictionary Form (辞書形)
The base form found in dictionaries:
食べる (taberu) - to eat
行く (iku) - to go
Uses:
- Plain/casual present/future
- Before certain particles
- In plain speech
Masu Form (ます形)
Polite present/future form:
食べます (tabemasu) - eat/will eat
行きます (ikimasu) - go/will go
Uses:
- Polite conversation
- Standard business language
- Safe default for learners
Te-form (て形)
Connective form:
食べて (tabete) - eating and...
行って (itte) - going and...
Uses:
- Connecting actions
- Making requests (〜てください)
- Progressive (〜ている)
- Many grammar patterns
Ta-form (た形)
Plain past form:
食べた (tabeta) - ate
行った (itta) - went
Uses:
- Plain past tense
- Casual conversation
- Many grammar patterns
Nai-form (ない形)
Plain negative form:
食べない (tabenai) - don't eat
行かない (ikanai) - don't go
Uses:
- Plain negative
- Before certain grammar patterns
Basic Conjugation Patterns
Group 1 (Godan) - 書く (kaku)
Dictionary: 書く (kaku) - write
Masu: 書きます (kakimasu)
Te-form: 書いて (kaite)
Ta-form: 書いた (kaita)
Nai-form: 書かない (kakanai)
Group 2 (Ichidan) - 食べる (taberu)
Dictionary: 食べる (taberu) - eat
Masu: 食べます (tabemasu)
Te-form: 食べて (tabete)
Ta-form: 食べた (tabeta)
Nai-form: 食べない (tabenai)
Group 3 (Irregular) - する (suru)
Dictionary: する (suru) - do
Masu: します (shimasu)
Te-form: して (shite)
Ta-form: した (shita)
Nai-form: しない (shinai)
Group 3 (Irregular) - 来る (kuru)
Dictionary: 来る (kuru) - come
Masu: 来ます (kimasu)
Te-form: 来て (kite)
Ta-form: 来た (kita)
Nai-form: 来ない (konai)
Tense System
Japanese only has two tenses: non-past and past.
Non-Past (Present/Future)
私は寿司を食べる
"I eat sushi" / "I will eat sushi"
明日学校に行く
"I will go to school tomorrow"
Context determines present vs future.
Past
私は寿司を食べた
"I ate sushi"
昨日学校に行った
"I went to school yesterday"
Politeness Levels
Plain (Dictionary Form)
食べる - eat
Used with:
- Friends
- Family
- Casual settings
- Before certain particles
Polite (Masu Form)
食べます - eat (polite)
Used with:
- Strangers
- Formal settings
- Business situations
- When in doubt
Honorific/Humble
Special forms for very polite situations (see Keigo).
Transitive vs Intransitive
Japanese distinguishes verb pairs:
Transitive (takes を)
開ける (akeru) - to open (something)
ドアを開ける - open the door
Intransitive (no を)
開く (aku) - to open (by itself)
ドアが開く - the door opens
See: Transitive & Intransitive
Common Verb Patterns
Action + ます
食べます (tabemasu) - eat
飲みます (nomimasu) - drink
行きます (ikimasu) - go
Negation
食べません (tabemasen) - don't eat
食べませんでした (tabemasendeshita) - didn't eat
Past
食べました (tabemashita) - ate
行きました (ikimashita) - went
Verb + Noun Compounds
Suru Verbs
Many nouns + する become verbs:
勉強 (benkyou) - study → 勉強する (benkyou suru) - to study
掃除 (souji) - cleaning → 掃除する (souji suru) - to clean
電話 (denwa) - phone → 電話する (denwa suru) - to phone
Conjugate the する part:
- 勉強します (polite)
- 勉強した (past)
- 勉強しない (negative)
25 Essential Verbs to Learn First
Daily Actions
食べる (taberu) - eat [Group 2]
飲む (nomu) - drink [Group 1]
見る (miru) - see/watch [Group 2]
聞く (kiku) - hear/listen [Group 1]
話す (hanasu) - speak [Group 1]
Movement
行く (iku) - go [Group 1]
来る (kuru) - come [Group 3]
帰る (kaeru) - return home [Group 1]
歩く (aruku) - walk [Group 1]
走る (hashiru) - run [Group 1]
Basic Actions
する (suru) - do [Group 3]
読む (yomu) - read [Group 1]
書く (kaku) - write [Group 1]
買う (kau) - buy [Group 1]
売る (uru) - sell [Group 1]
States
ある (aru) - exist (inanimate) [Group 1]
いる (iru) - exist (animate) [Group 2]
寝る (neru) - sleep [Group 2]
起きる (okiru) - wake up [Group 2]
座る (suwaru) - sit [Group 1]
Understanding
分かる (wakaru) - understand [Group 1]
知る (shiru) - know [Group 1]
思う (omou) - think [Group 1]
考える (kangaeru) - consider [Group 2]
忘れる (wasureru) - forget [Group 2]
Verb Position in Sentences
Verbs always come at the end:
私は毎日日本語を勉強します
watashi wa mainichi nihongo wo benkyou shimasu
I (topic) everyday Japanese (object) study
"I study Japanese every day"
Even with multiple clauses, each verb ends its clause:
朝ごはんを食べて、学校に行きました
Ate breakfast and went to school
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Wrong Group Classification
Wrong: 食べます → 食ます ❌
Right: 食べます ✓
Don't drop べ - it's Group 2 (Ichidan).
Mistake 2: Using Wrong Conjugation Pattern
Wrong: 書けます ❌ (treating as Group 2)
Right: 書きます ✓ (Group 1)
Mistake 3: Forgetting Politeness Match
Mixed: 私は学生ですが、寿司を食べる ❌
Consistent: 私は学生ですが、寿司を食べます ✓
Match politeness throughout sentence.
Mistake 4: Verb Not Last
Wrong: 私は食べる寿司を ❌
Right: 私は寿司を食べる ✓
Quick Reference Table
| Group | Example | Masu | Te-form | Past |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Godan) | 書く | 書きます | 書いて | 書いた |
| 2 (Ichidan) | 食べる | 食べます | 食べて | 食べた |
| 3 (Irregular) | する | します | して | した |
| 3 (Irregular) | 来る | 来ます | 来て | 来た |
Practice Method
- Learn group classification - identify verbs correctly
- Master masu form first - safe, polite default
- Practice common verbs - the 25 above cover daily needs
- Learn te-form - unlocks many grammar patterns
- Add plain forms gradually - for casual speech
Key Takeaways
✓ Three groups: Godan, Ichidan, Irregular
✓ Only two tenses: non-past and past
✓ Same form for all persons (I/you/he/they)
✓ Always sentence-final
✓ Conjugation is regular within each group
✓ Learn group membership first
Understanding verb basics is essential - they form the core of every sentence and unlock all advanced grammar patterns.
Next: Adjective Basics
Deep Dive:
Related: