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Basic Verb Form.png

Basic verb forms (基本的な動詞の形式)

Unlike English verbs, Japanese verbs do not change their forms based on person, gender, or number, but they change their forms based on the formality of speech (plain or polite), polarity (affirmative or negative), and tense (non-past or past).

Plain forms are used in a plain/informal speech context. Polite forms are used in a neutral/polite speech context. Polite forms are longer than plain forms, and they end in ます masu, です desu, and their variations. Japanese has two major tenses: past and non-past. The past tense is also referred to as the perfect tense. It refers to actions that took place in the past or that have been completed. The non-past tense is also referred to as the present tense or imperfect. The non-past tense refers to future actions, habitual actions, and actions that have not started yet.

Dictionary form (辞書形式)

The dictionary form is the shortest verb form that can end a sentence. It is actually the plain non-past affirmative form, but it is called the “dictionary” form because it is the verb form used for listing verbs in dictionaries. A dictionary form ends in the vowel u. For example, the dictionary form of the Japanese verb for to drink is 飲む nomu, which means will drink, drink, or drinks, depending on the context.

Masu form (ます　フォーム)

The masu form is the polite version of the dictionary form. It is actually the polite non-past affirmative form. For example, the masu form of the Japanese verb for to drink is 飲みます nomimasu, which means will drink, drink, or drinks, depending on the context.

Nai form ( ない　フォーム)

The nai form is the negative counterpart of the dictionary form or, more precisely, the plain non-past negative form. The nai forms all end in ない nai. For example, the nai form of the Japanese verb for to drink is 飲まない nomanai, which means will not drink, do not drink, or does not drink, depending on the context.

Stem form (ステム　フォーム)

The stem form is the shortest pronounceable verb form, but it cannot end a sentence. Its primary function is to serve as the stem of a complex word, being combined with a variety of suffixes, including the polite suffix ます masu, discussed earlier. The stem form always ends in the vowel i or e. For example, the stem forms of 飲む nomu (to drink) and 話す hanasu (to speak) are 飲み nomi and 話し hanashi, respectively. See how they are combined with the polite suffix ます masu:

  • 飲みます nomi-masu (will drink, drink, or drinks)

  • 話します hanashi-masu (will speak, speak, or speaks)

The stem form is often referred to as the “pre-masu” form because it is the form used before the masu form. Stem forms and pre-masu forms diverge only for some verbs, such as くださる kudasaru (to give) and いらっしゃる irassharu (to exist).

Ru verbs and u verbs (ru動詞とu動詞)

There are two classes of regular verbs: ru verbs and u verbs. They are also called ru-dropping verbs and u-dropping verbs because the first step of verb conjugation involves dropping the ru and u from their dictionary forms. By removing ru or u, you are revealing the barest form of a verb, which is called the “root.” The root of a ru verb always ends in the vowel e or i. The root of a u verb always ends in one of the nine consonants s, k, g, m, n, b, r, t, or w.

The dictionary form of a ru verb ends in eru or iru, and the rest of the forms can be made by removing the final ru and adding something (if needed). For example, 食べる taberu (to eat) is a ru verb. Its masu form can be created simply by dropping the final ru and adding masu (食べます - tabemasu). Its nai form is created by dropping the final ru and adding nai (食べない - tabenai). Its stem form can be created simply by dropping the final ru.

By contrast, u verbs are the verbs whose dictionary form ends in su, ku, gu, mu, nu, bu, (w)u (where w is not audible), ru, or tsu, and the rest of the forms can be made by dropping the final u and adding something. For example,  飲む nomu (to drink) is a u verb. Its masu form can be created by dropping the final u and adding imasu (飲みます nom-imasu). Its nai form can be created by dropping the final u and adding anai (飲まない nom-anai). Its stem form can be created by dropping the final u and adding i (飲み nom-i).

If a verb’s dictionary form does not end in eru or iru, it is definitely a u verb. So, you can safely conclude that the following verbs are all u verbs:

  • 書く kaku (write)                   u verb 

  • 読む yomu (read)                  u verb

  • 売る uru (sell)                          u verb

  • とる toru (take)                      u verb

  • なる naru (become)             u verb

On the other hand, if a verb ends in eru or iru, it can be either a ru verb or a u verb because some u verbs end in eru or iru. For example, the following verbs all end in either eru or iru, but some of them are ru verbs and others are u verbs, and they conjugate differently:

  • たべる taberu (eat) ru verb                          たべない tabenai                   たべます tabemasu

  • かえる kaeru (change) ru verb                   かえない kaenai                     かえます kaemasu

  • かえる kaeru (return) u verb                       かえらない kaeranai             かえります kaerimasu

  • みる miru (watch) ru verb                            みない minai                             みます mimasu

  • はしる hashiru (run) u verb                         はしらない hashiranai         はしります hashirimasu

  • いる iru (exist) ru verb                                    いない inai                                 います imasu

  • いる iru (need) u verb                                    いらない iranai                        いります irimasu

  • 寝る neru (sleep) u verb                               寝ない nenai                            寝ます nemasu

 

It is helpful to know that most eru/iru-ending verbs are ru verbs. So, you can just memorise a handful of frequently used eru/iru-ending u verbs, such as the following:

U verbs that end with eru:

  • 教える oshieru (teach)

  • しゃべる shaberu (chat)

  • 寝る neru (sleep)

  • 忘れる wasureru (forget) 

  • 出る deru (exit)

  • 照る teru (shine)

U verbs that end with iru:

  • 信じる shinjiru (believe)

  • 起きる okiru (wake up)

  • 知る shiru (get to know)

  • 生きる ikiru (live)

  • 走る hashiru (run)

  • 参る mairu (go, honorific)

Irregular verbs (不規則動詞)

There are two major irregular verbs: くる kuru (to come) and する suru (to do). Their masu form, nai form, and stem form are as follows:

  • くる kuru (come)    きます kimasu         こない konai    き ki

  • する suru (do)          します shimasu       しない shinai   し shi

Several u verbs have a slight irregularity with one of their forms. For example, the verb ある aru patterns like a u verb, except that its negative form is ない nai:

  • ある aru (exist)        あります arimasu    ない nai              あり ari

Conjugation patterns ( 活用パターン)

The following table lists representative ru verbs, u verbs, and the two primary irregular verbs in dictionary form, masu form, nai form, and stem form:

To conjugate a verb, check the ending syllable and the class of the verb, and follow the pattern of one of the verbs in the previous table. Pay attention to the w sound that surprisingly appears in the nai form of a u verb whose dictionary form ends in an independent syllable う u. The root of such a verb ends in w, which is audible only when followed by the vowel a.

Te form  て フォーム

The te form ends in て te or で de. For example, the te form of たべる taberu (eat) is たべて tabete, and the te form of のむ nomu (drink) is のんで nonde. When listing actions in the same sentence, use the te form for all verbs except the last one. That is, the te form means do/did … and. For this reason, the te form is also called “continuing form.” So, たべて tabete means eat and… Accordingly, the te form cannot end a sentence; it must be followed by another verb or by an auxiliary adjective for the sentence to be complete. For example:

  • 食べて飲みます。Tabete nomimasu. I will eat and drink.

  • 食べて飲みました。Tabete nomimashita. I ate and drank.

  • 食べてください。Tabete kudasai. Please eat it.

  • 食べてほしいです。Tabete hoshii desu. I want you to eat it.

  • 飲んでしまいました。 Nonde shimaimashita! I drank it up!

 

To create the te form from a dictionary form, follow these rules: 

  • For ru verbs, drop the final るru and add て te.

  • For u verbs that end in すsu, change the final syllable to して shite.

  • For u verbs that end in くku, change the final syllable to いて ite; for u verbs that end in ぐ gu, change the final syllable to いで ide.

  • For u verbs that end in う(w)u, る ru, or つ tsu, change these final syllables to って tte.

  • For u verbs that end in む mu, ぬ nu, or ぶ bu, change these final syllables to んで nde.

  • Keep in mind that the verb いく iku is slightly irregular, and its te form is いって itte.

  • The te forms of the irregular verbs する suru and くる kuru are して shite and きて kite.

The following table shows examples of these rules:

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You can create the negative te form of a verb by replacing nai in its nai form with nakute (e.g., tabenakute) or by adding de to its nai form (e.g., tabenai de). Which negative te form to use depends on the context.

Ta form (た　フォーム  )

The ta form is the short name of the plain past affirmative form. It ends in either ta or da. For example, the ta form of たべる taberu (to eat) is たべた tabeta (ate). You can make a ta form very easily if you know how to make a te form. Simply change the final vowel e in the te form to an a. For example, the te form of かく kaku (to write) is かいて kaite (write and), and its ta form is かいた kaita (wrote). Similarly, the te form of よむ yomu (to read) is よんで yonde (read and), and its ta form is よんだ yonda (read).

Nakatta form (なかった フォーム  )

To create the negative counterpart of a ta form, which is the plain past negative form, replaceない nai in the nai form with なかった nakatta. For example, the nai form of the verb のむ nomu is のまない nomanai, and the plain past negative form is のまなかった nomanakatta.

Conjugating verbs in the plain form (動詞を平文で活用する)

The four forms—dictionary form, nai form, ta form, and nakatta form are all the “plain” forms. Plain forms are the shortest verb forms that can end a sentence. They can be used in an informal context to complete sentences. The following table shows the four plain forms of the verb のむ nomu (to drink):

Tables & Flowchart (1080 x 1100 px) (2).png

Plain forms are also used in some grammatical structures, even in polite contexts.

Conjugating verbs in the polite form (動詞を丁寧な形で活用する)

The polite suffix can be used in both non-past and past forms as well as in both affirmative and negative forms, while maintaining the same stem form of the verb. The following table summarises the polite forms of the verb のむ nomu (to drink):

Tables & Flowchart (1080 x 1100 px) (3).png

Unless you need to emphasize or clarify, you don’t need to say 私の watashi no (my) before a kinship term in the plain form because it is obvious.

Progressive form (進行　フォーム)

To express ongoing actions, use the te form followed by the auxiliary verb いる iru (exist). For example, 飲んでいる nonde iru or 飲んでいます nonde imasu means I am drinking. On the other hand, 飲んでいた nonde ita or 飲んでいました nonde imashita means I was drinking. This construction can also express one’s habitual or regular activities.

Potential form (潜在的　フォーム)

To express one’s ability and potential, conjugate a verb into the potential form. For ru verbs, drop the final ru from the dictionary form and add rareru. For example, the potential form of the verb たべる taberu (to eat) is たべられる taberareru (to be able to eat). (Note that more and more Japanese add just reru instead of rareru today, saying たべれる tabereru instead of たべられる taberareru.) For u verbs, drop the final u and add eru. For example, the potential form of the verb のむ nomu (drink) is のめる nomeru (to be able to drink). The potential form of the verb くる kuru (come) is こられる korareru (to be able to come). To express the potential form of the verb する suru (do), use the verb できる dekiru (to be able to do).

To conjugate a verb in the potential form, look at the following table and follow the pattern of the verb in the same class and with the same ending:

Tables & Flowchart (1080 x 1100 px) (5).png

The potential verbs can be conjugated like ru verbs. The direct object particle を o is usually replaced with the particle が ga when the verb is in the potential form. For example:

  • 寿司が食べられます。Sushi ga taberaremasu. I can eat sushi.

  • 日本語が話せます。Nihongo ga hanasemasu. He can speak Japanese.

If the verb is できる dekiru (to be able to do), you must replace を o with が ga. For example:

  • スポーツができます。Supōtsu ga dekimasu. I can play sports.

An alternative way of expressing one’s potential is to use ことができる koto ga dekiru (to be able to do), for example.

Conjugating the copular verb です desu

Use です desu to express to be or to be equal to to show the identity or the state of things and people. The following table shows how it is used after a noun, such as 猫 neko (cat), in both plain and polite speech styles:

Tables & Flowchart (1080 x 1100 px) (6).png

*In the negative forms in this table, じゃ ja is the contracted form of では de wa. You use it in a formal situation or in writing, like the following:

  • 猫ではありません。Neko de wa arimasen. Isn’t a cat / Aren’t cats. (polite)

  • 猫ではない。Neko de wa nai. Isn’t a cat / Aren’t cats. (plain)

  • 猫ではありませんでした。Neko de wa arimasen deshita. Wasn’t a cat / Weren’t cats. (polite past)

  • 猫ではなかった。Neko de wa nakatta. Wasn’t a cat / Weren’t cats. (plain past)

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