Verb Forms (動詞のフォーム)

When learning verbs, it is essential to understand the types of words and particles they require and the restrictions they impose. Below are some kinds of Japanese verbs that you should be aware of.

する suru verbs

する suru is a verb that means to do, but it can be used with a variety of words. For example:

明日、勉強します。 Ashita, benkyou shimasu. I will study tomorrow.
今、電話してもいいですか？ Ima, denwa shite mo ii desu ka? Can I make a phone call now?
毎日運動するようにしています。Mainichi undou suru you ni shiteimasu. I try to exercise every day.
電話をしませんでした。Denwa o shimasen deshita. I didn’t make a phone call.
買い物に行って、それから料理をします。Kaimono ni itte, sorekara ryouri o shimasu. I’ll go shopping, and then cook.
日本語の練習をもっとしたいです。Nihongo no renshuu o motto shitai desu. I want to practice Japanese more.

However, する suru also directly follows a noun that has a verb-like meaning. For example, it can follow Chinese compounds or words borrowed from English. In many cases, the particle を o can optionally intervene between these words and する suru:

掃除（を）する sōji (o) suru (to clean)
勉強（を）する benkyō (o) suru (to study)
コピー（を）する kopī (o) suru (to make a copy)
メモする memo suru (to take a note)
チェックインする chekkuin suru (to check in)

The intervening を o is not allowed if there is another instance of を o that marks a direct object. So, in the following examples, sentences (a) to (c) are grammatical, but (d) is not:

よく勉強します。Yoku benkyō shimasu. I study very hard.
よく勉強をします。Yoku benkyō o shimasu. I study very hard.
よく科学を勉強します。Yoku kagaku o benkyō shimasu. I study science very hard.
✗よく日本語を勉強をします。Yoku nihongo o benkyō o shimasu. (Ungrammatical)

Existential verbs ある aru and いる iru

The verbs ある aru and いる iru literally mean to exist. To express the existence of inanimate items, use ある aru. To express the existence of animate items such as people and animals, useいる iru. The particle が ga marks the items that exist, and the particle に ni marks the location. However, one of them should be conveyed as the old shared information, marked by the topic particle は wa, so the other can be conveyed as the new information. This makes the sentence clear and natural. If you want to express the location of an item as new information, place the noun for the item at the beginning of the sentence and mark it with the topic particle は wa, and then place the location noun and mark it with the particle に ni. If you want to convey the existence of an item as new information, then place the location noun at the beginning of the sentence and mark it with the topic particle は wa, and then place the noun for the item and mark it with the particle が ga. For example:

本は机の上にあります。Hon wa tsukue no ue ni arimasu. The book is on the desk.

(The location of the book is the new information.)

先生は教室にいます。Sensei wa kyoushitsu ni imasu. The teacher is in the classroom.

(The location of the teacher is the new information.)

この建物には警察官がいます。Kono tatemono ni wa keisatsukan ga imasu. There is a police officer in this building.

(The existence of the police officer is the new information.)

警察官はあそこにいます。 Keisatsukan wa asoko ni imasu. The police officer is over there.

(The location over there is the new information.)

Precise locations of things are expressed using relative location terms. For example, 上 ue is a relative location term that is actually a noun that means upper/top (area). Significantly, the reference item precedes the relative location term to clarify the location, as in 机の上 tsukue no ue (the upper/top area of the desk). It is used in a sentence as shown in this example:

辞書は机の上にあります。Jisho wa tsukue no ue ni arimasu. The dictionary is on the desk.

The following table lists some of the essential relative location terms:

Tables & Flowchart (1080 x 1100 px) (7).png

Tables & Flowchart (1080 x 1100 px) (8).png

You can also use the verb ある aru to express your plans, duties, events, incidents, and experiences. For example:

今日は会議があります。Kyō wa kaigi ga arimasu. I have a meeting today.

来週は東京でイベントがあります。Raishū wa Tōkyō de ibento ga arimasu. There is an event in Tokyo next week.

昨日、公園で事故がありました。Kinō, kōen de jiko ga arimashita. There was an accident in the park yesterday.

アメリカに行ったことがあります。Amerika ni itta koto ga arimasu. I have been to the U.S.

The locations of events and incidents are marked by the particle で de. You express your experience by using a verb in the ta form and ことがあります koto ga arimasu.

The verb いる iru can also express human relationships. For example:

弟がいます。Otouto ga imasu. I have a younger brother.
部屋に先生がいます。Heya ni sensei ga imasu. There is a teacher in the room.

The verbs ある aru and いる iru can also function as auxiliary verbs that follow another verb in the te form.

Transitive and intransitive verbs

A transitive verb is a verb that can take a direct object. A verb that cannot take a direct object is called an intransitive verb. In Japanese, if a verb can have a noun marked by the particle を o, it is a transitive verb. The particle を o is the direct object marker. The following sentences use transitive verbs. See the direct object marked by を o in each of them.

鞄に本を入れる。Kaban ni hon o ireru. I put a book in the bag.
机を動かす。Tsukue o ugokasu. I move the desk.
パソコンを壊した。Pasokon o kowashita. I broke the computer.

By contrast, the following sentences contain intransitive verbs:

妹は毎日スーパーに行きます。Imouto wa mainichi suupaa ni ikimasu. My younger sister goes to the supermarket every day.
人々はよくカフェに行きます。Hitobito wa yoku kafe ni ikimasu. People often go to the cafe.

Transitive and intransitive pairs (他動詞と自動詞のペア)

In English, some pairs of verbs (e.g., to raise and to rise) have similar meanings and sound similar, but they differ in whether the relevant item serves as the direct object or as the subject. For example, consider I will raise the flag vs. The flag will rise. The flag is the direct object of the verb to raise, but it is the subject of the verb to rise. Therefore, to raise is a transitive verb, and to rise is an intransitive verb. There are many such pairs in the Japanese language. For example, こわす kowasu is a transitive verb (to break), and こわれる kowareru is an intransitive verb (to break). The item broken is marked by the direct object particle を o when the verb is こわす kowasu, but it is marked by the subject particle が ga when the verb is こわれる kowareru.

母は妹のノートパソコンを壊しました。Haha wa imōto no nōtopasokon o kowashimashita. My mother broke my sister’s laptop.
妹のノートパソコンが壊れました。Imōto no nōtopasokon ga kowaremashita. My sister’s laptop broke down.

The following are only a few of the many transitive and intransitive pairs in Japanese:

Tables & Flowchart (1080 x 1100 px) (18).png

Inherently potential verbs (本質的に潜在的な動詞)

Some verbs, such as 見える mieru (to see), 聞こえる kikoeru (to hear), 分かる wakaru (to understand), and できる dekiru (can do), inherently include “potential” meaning and express the state that is available (possible) for the speaker. The understood direct objects of these verbs are marked by the particle が ga rather than the particle を o. For example:

新しいゲームができます。Atarashii geemu ga dekimasu. I can play a new game.
子どもの声が聞こえます。Kodomo no koe ga kikoemasu. I can hear children’s voices.
英語が分かりますか Eigo ga wakarimasu ka? Do you understand English?

These verbs cannot be used with the potential suffix (rareru or eru) because they already include the potential meaning. 見える mieru and 聞こえる kikoeru have a slightly different nuance from 見られる mirareru and 聞こえる kikoeru, which are the potential forms of 見る miru (watch) and 聞くkiku (listen). Whereas 見える mieru and聞こえる kikoeru express what is spontaneously available for the speaker, 見られる mirareru and聞ける kikeru express what the speaker can consciously do, if he wants to do it. For example:

映画館で新しい映画が見られます。Eigakan de atarashii eiga ga miraremasu. You can watch new movies at the cinema.
英語の授業で先生の話がよく聞けます。Eigo no jugyō de sensei no hanashi ga yoku kikemasu. In English class, I can listen to the teacher well.

Verbs of giving and receiving

You express giving and receiving by using three verbs in Japanese: あげる ageru (to give), くれる kureru (to give), and もらう morau (to receive). They have honorific counterparts: 差し上げる sashiageru, 下さる kudasaru, and 頂くitadaku, respectively. Which one of these verbs you use depends on who the giver and the receiver are and what their relationship is. Here, the concept of in-group and out-group plays a crucial role. Your family is always your in-group concept, whereas the others are usually vital members. However, if you feel very close to your friend, they can be your in-group member. Similarly, in a business context, the members within your company can be considered your in-group members, whereas your clients are your out-group members. In fact, the giver and the receiver are often omitted in conversations because the choice of verbs can clarify who is the giver and who is the receiver.

The verb くれる kureru means to give, but the receiver of the item must be the speaker, or it must be the speaker’s in-group member when the giver is his out-group member. If the giver is a member of the speaker’s in-group, the receiver must be the speaker himself or his in-group member, who is closer to the speaker than the giver. That is, the verb くれる kureru indicates that the giving takes place in an inward direction. However, in a question sentence, the second suggests that the son can be the receiver. For example:

田中さんは私に雑誌をくれました。Tanaka-san wa watashi ni zasshi o kuremashita. Mr. Tanaka gave me a magazine.
静香さんは弟に電話をくれました。Shizuka-san wa otōto ni denwa o kuremashita. Ms. Shizuka gave my little brother a phone.
兄は母に花瓶をくれました。Ani wa haha ni kabin o kuremashita. My older brother gave my mother a vase.

In all other contexts, あげる ageru is used. For example:

静香さんに本をあげます。あなたに雑誌をあげます。Shizuka-san ni hon o agemasu. Anata ni zasshi o agemasu. I’ll give Shizuka a book. I’ll give you a magazine.
ミラさんは山田さんに電話をあげました。。あなたは山田さんに何をあげましたか Mira-san wa Yamada-san ni denwa o agemashita.Anata Wa Yamada-san ni nani o agemashita ka? Mira gave Yamada a phone. What did you give to Yamada?

In a formal context, use honorific counterparts of these verbs. Use 下さる kudasaru instead of くれる kureru when the giver is higher in social status than the receiver. Use 差し上げる sashiageru instead of あげる ageru when the receiver is higher in status than the giver. A variety of factors, including age and occupational position, can determine the relative social status. Remember the slight irregularity in the conjugated form of 下さる kudasaru: its stem form is 下さりkudasari, but its final syllable り ri changes to い i when followed by polite suffixes such asます masu and ました mashita. For example:

. 先生が私に日本語の本をくださいました. 私は先生にバラを差し上げました。Sensei ga watashi ni nihongo no hon o kudasaimashita.Watashi wa sensei ni bara o sashiagemashita. The teacher gave me a Japanese book. I gave a rose to the teacher.

When you are talking about giving to animals or plants, you can use やる yaru instead ofあげる ageru. You can also use やる yaru when you speak of giving something to your child or younger sibling. For example:

犬に餌をやりました。Inu ni esa o yarimashita. I gave food to the dog.
姉からプレゼントをもらいました。Ane kara purezento o moraimashita. I received a present from my older sister.

The verb もらう morau means to receive. The receiver appears as the subject of the sentence and is marked by the particle が ga, if not by the topic marker は wa. The giver is marked by the particle からkara or にni when the verb is もらうmorau. For example:

私は友だちにお金をもらいました。Watashi wa tomodachi ni okane o moraimashita. I received money from my friend.
妹は先生からノートをもらいました。Imōto wa sensei kara nōto o moraimashita. My younger sister received a notebook from the teacher.

Remember that the receiver must be closer to the speaker than to the giver. So, for example, if you want to say The elderly woman received flowers from my mother, you should not say:

おばあさんは母に花をもらいました。Obāsan wa haha ni hana o moraimashita.

Instead, say:

母はおばあさんに花をあげました。Haha wa obaasan ni hana o agemashita. My mother gave flowers to the elderly woman.

You replace もらう morau with 頂くitadaku when the giver is someone to whom you wish to show respect. For example:

私は部長にカレンダーを頂きました。Watashi wa buchō ni karendā o itadakimashita. I received a calendar from the department manager.

The verbs of giving and receiving—あげる ageru (to give), くれる kureru (to give), and もらう morau (to receive)—their honorific counterparts—差し上げる sashiageru, 下さる kudasaru, and頂く itadaku—and the verb やる yaru (to give) can also function as auxiliary verbs, following another verb in the te form to show who was helping whom implicitly. For example, if your friend helped with homework and it was for you, say:

友だちが宿題を手伝ってくれた。Tomodachi ga shukudai o tetsudatte kureta. My friend helped me with my homework.