The Three Verb Groups
All Japanese verbs belong to one of three groups:
- Godan verbs (五段動詞) - Group 1 / u-verbs
- Ichidan verbs (一段動詞) - Group 2 / ru-verbs
- Irregular verbs (不規則動詞) - Only 2 verbs!
Understanding which group a verb belongs to is essential for conjugation.
Why Groups Matter
Each group conjugates differently:
食べる (eat) - Ichidan
食べます → 食べて → 食べない
書く (write) - Godan
書きます → 書いて → 書かない
Different patterns, same conjugation type.
Group 1: Godan Verbs (五段動詞)
Identification
Godan verbs end in -u sounds in dictionary form:
-u: 買う (kau)
-ku: 書く (kaku)
-gu: 泳ぐ (oyogu)
-su: 話す (hanasu)
-tsu: 待つ (matsu)
-nu: 死ぬ (shinu)
-bu: 遊ぶ (asobu)
-mu: 読む (yomu)
-ru: 帰る (kaeru)
The "Five Steps" (Godan)
Name comes from using five different vowel sounds when conjugating:
書く (kaku) - write
kak-a-nai (a row - negative)
kak-i-masu (i row - polite)
kak-u (u row - dictionary)
kak-e-ba (e row - conditional)
kak-o-u (o row - volitional)
Common Godan Verbs
行く (iku) - go
飲む (nomu) - drink
読む (yomu) - read
書く (kaku) - write
話す (hanasu) - speak
待つ (matsu) - wait
買う (kau) - buy
帰る (kaeru) - return
分かる (wakaru) - understand
作る (tsukuru) - make
Group 2: Ichidan Verbs (一段動詞)
Identification
Ichidan verbs end in -eru or -iru:
-eru verbs:
食べる (taberu) - eat
教える (oshieru) - teach
見せる (miseru) - show
-iru verbs:
見る (miru) - see
起きる (okiru) - wake up
着る (kiru) - wear
The "One Step" (Ichidan)
Name comes from using one vowel stem (e or i):
食べる (taberu) - eat
tabe-nai (remove る, add nai)
tabe-masu (remove る, add masu)
tabe-te (remove る, add te)
Stem never changes, just add endings!
Common Ichidan Verbs
食べる (taberu) - eat
見る (miru) - see/watch
寝る (neru) - sleep
起きる (okiru) - wake up
教える (oshieru) - teach
着る (kiru) - wear
開ける (akeru) - open
閉める (shimeru) - close
出る (deru) - go out
いる (iru) - exist (animate)
Group 3: Irregular Verbs (不規則動詞)
Only two verbs are truly irregular:
する (suru) - to do
します (shimasu)
して (shite)
しない (shinai)
来る (kuru) - to come
来ます (kimasu)
来て (kite)
来ない (konai)
Compound Verbs
Many verbs use する:
勉強する (benkyou suru) - study
料理する (ryouri suru) - cook
電話する (denwa suru) - phone
These all conjugate like する.
The -ru Verb Trap
Problem: Some Godan verbs look like Ichidan verbs!
Godan verbs ending in -ru
帰る (kaeru) - return [Godan]
走る (hashiru) - run [Godan]
知る (shiru) - know [Godan]
切る (kiru) - cut [Godan]
How to Tell the Difference
Check what comes before -ru:
Ichidan (-eru/-iru):
食べる (tab-eru) - vowel + eru ✓
見る (m-iru) - consonant + iru ✓
Godan (other sounds + ru):
帰る (kae-ru) - ae + ru = Godan
走る (hashi-ru) - i + ru BUT: hashi = consonant ending
知る (shi-ru) - i + ru BUT: shi ends in consonant sound
Rule of thumb: If before る is:
- a, o, u + ru → Always Godan
- i, e + ru → Could be either (check dictionary)
Identification Chart
| Ending | Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -u, -ku, -gu, -su, -tsu, -bu, -mu, -nu | Godan | 買う、書く、泳ぐ |
| -eru (most cases) | Ichidan | 食べる、教える |
| -iru (most cases) | Ichidan | 見る、起きる |
| -aru, -oru, -uru | Godan | 帰る、走る、知る |
| する | Irregular | する、勉強する |
| 来る | Irregular | 来る |
Testing a Verb
Try the masu form test:
Ichidan: Drop る, add masu
食べる → 食べます ✓
見る → 見ます ✓
Godan: Change う sound to い, add masu
書く → 書きます ✓
飲む → 飲みます ✓
帰る → 帰ります ✓ (NOT 帰えます)
If it becomes 帰ります, it's Godan!
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Assuming All -ru Verbs are Ichidan
Wrong: 帰る → 帰ます ❌
Right: 帰る → 帰ります ✓ (Godan)
Wrong: 知る → 知ます ❌
Right: 知る → 知ります ✓ (Godan)
Mistake 2: Not Checking the Dictionary
When in doubt, check. Dictionaries mark verb types:
- 五 or v5 = Godan
- 一 or v1 = Ichidan
- vs = する verb
- vk = 来る
Mistake 3: Conjugating Ichidan as Godan
Wrong: 食べる → 食びます ❌
Right: 食べる → 食べます ✓
Wrong: 見る → 見ります ❌
Right: 見る → 見ます ✓
Practice Recognition
Identify the group:
1. 話す → Godan (-su ending)
2. 教える → Ichidan (-eru)
3. する → Irregular
4. 飲む → Godan (-mu ending)
5. 寝る → Ichidan (-eru)
6. 来る → Irregular
7. 帰る → Godan (-aru)
8. 見る → Ichidan (-iru)
9. 買う → Godan (-u ending)
10. 着る → Ichidan (-iru)
Quick Reference
Definitely Godan
-u, -ku, -gu, -su, -tsu, -bu, -mu, -nu endings
Definitely Ichidan
-eru/-iru where e/i is preceded by a vowel sound
食べる (taberu), 起きる (okiru)
Check Dictionary
-aru, -oru, -uru
-iru/-eru after consonant sounds
Irregular
する (suru) and 来る (kuru) only
Key Takeaways
✓ Three groups: Godan, Ichidan, Irregular
✓ Godan uses 5 vowel sounds when conjugating
✓ Ichidan uses 1 stem
✓ Only 2 irregular verbs: する and 来る
✓ Some -ru verbs are Godan (check dictionary)
✓ Group determines conjugation pattern
Master verb groups first - everything else becomes easier!
Next: Dictionary Form (Plain)
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