Japanese verb conjugation
This is a list of Japanese verb conjugations. Almost all of these are regular, but there are a few Japanese irregular verbs, and the conjugations of the few irregular verbs are also listed. Japanese verb conjugation is the same for all subjects, first person ("I", "we"), second person ("you") and third person ("he/she/it" and "they"), singular and plural. The present plain form (the dictionary form) of all verbs ends in u. In modern Japanese, there are no verbs that end in fu, pu, or yu, no verbs ending in zu other than certain する forms (such as 禁ず kin-zu), and 死ぬ (しぬ, shinu; to die) is the only one ending in nu in the dictionary form.
This article describes a set of conjugation rules widely used in order to teach Japanese as a foreign language. However, Japanese linguists have been proposing various grammatical theories for over a hundred years and there is still no consensus about the conjugations. Japanese people learn the more traditional "school grammar" in their schools, which explains the same grammatical phenomena in a different way with different terminology (see the corresponding Japanese article).
Summary of verb conjugations
Verb conjugates are often grouped into consonant-stems (五段動詞, godandōshi)(V5) (type I) and vowel-stems (一段動詞, ichidandōshi, いる, iru and える eru forms)(V1)(type II). The plain form of a type I verb has an う u sound (u, tsu, ru, ku, gu, nu, bu, mu, su), the ～ます -masu form has an い i sound (i, chi, ri, ki, gi, ni, bi, mi, shi), and the negative form has an あ a sound (wa, ta, ra, ka, ga, na, ba, ma, sa). The potential form has an え e sound (e, te, re, ke, ge, ne, be, me, se) and the volitional form has an おう ō sound (ō, tō, rō, kō, gō, nō, bō, mō, sō).
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Table key
The conjugation tables below will include the EDICT word class abbreviations[2] to disambiguate classes with similar word endings. See Japanese consonant and vowel verbs for more information about verb groups and their conjugations.
| Abbreviation | Explanation |
|---|---|
| adj-i | adjective (keiyoushi) |
| adj-na | adjectival nouns or quasi-adjectives (keiyou-doushi) |
| adj-t | 'taru' adjective |
| adv-to | adverb taking the 'to' particle |
| aux | auxiliary |
| aux-v | auxiliary verb |
| aux-adj | auxiliary adjective |
| v1 | Ichidan verb |
| v5 | Godan verb (not completely classified) |
| v5aru | Godan verb - -aru special class |
| v5b | Godan verb with 'bu' ending |
| v5g | Godan verb with 'gu' ending |
| v5k | Godan verb with 'ku' ending |
| v5k-s | Godan verb - Iku/Yuku special class |
| v5m | Godan verb with 'mu' ending |
| v5n | Godan verb with 'nu' ending |
| v5r | Godan verb with 'ru' ending |
| v5r-i | Godan verb with 'ru' ending (irregular verb) |
| v5s | Godan verb with 'su' ending |
| v5t | Godan verb with 'tsu' ending |
| v5u | Godan verb with 'u' ending |
| v5u-s | Godan verb with 'u' ending (special class) |
| vk | Kuru verb - special class |
| vs | noun or participle which takes the aux. verb suru |
Imperfective
In Japanese, the basic verb form is an imperfective aspect. It is broadly equivalent to the present and future tenses of English, and is sometimes called the "non-past tense". The imperfective form of a verb is the same as its dictionary form—it is used as the headword, or lemma—and no conjugation needs to be done. For example, using the verb する ("do"):
- (私は)買い物する (watashi wa) kaimono suru: "(I) shop", or "(I) will shop". (Japanese pronouns are usually omitted when it is clear about whom the speaker is talking.)
- (私は)明日勉強する (watashi wa) ashita benkyō suru: "Tomorrow, (I) will study".
In most cases, the base form of the imperfective aspect cannot be used to make a progressive statement, such as in the English sentence "I am shopping". Rather, it can only be used to express habit or other actions that are expected to continue into the future, such as in "I shop". To convey the former, the te form with iru must be used.
Patterns for adjectives in an imperfective setting are:
| Type of word | Pattern | Example | as a sentence | with noun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| adj-i | -い -i | -い -i/-いです -i (desu), -い -i | 安い yasui (cheap) | 安い/安いです yasui (desu) (it is cheap) | 安い品物 yasui shinamono (cheap goods) |
| adj-na | - | -だ -da/-です -desu, -な -na | 簡単 kantan (simple) | 簡単だ/です kantan da/desu (it is simple) | 簡単な事 kantan na koto (simple thing) |
| adj-t | - | -たる -taru | 暗澹 antan (dark) | 暗澹たる時期 antan-taru jiki (dark period) | |
| adv-to | - | -と -to | 陶然 tōzen (entranced) | 陶然としている人 tōzen to shite iru hito (entranced person) | |
Perfective
The perfective aspect, on the other hand, has a specific suffix. The basic pattern is the -ta (or -da) ending, but various phonetic changes are made, depending on the verb's last syllable. These phonetic changes are known as 音便 onbin "euphony", and the resulting form as 音便形 onbinkei "euphonic form" – see Euphonic changes (音便 onbin). The perfective is broadly equivalent to the English past tense, and is often called the past tense in treatments of Japanese grammar, but it is not restricted to any single tense.
| Type of word | Perfective | Examples | Perfective | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adj-na (casual) | だ da (copula) | だった datta | (Conjugates in conjunction with adj-i, see below) | |
| adj-na (formal) | です desu (copula, polite) | でした deshita | ||
| -ます -masu (polite suffix) | -ました -mashita | 行きます ikimasu (go [polite]) | 行きました ikimashita | |
| vs | する suru (do) | した shita | 運転する unten suru (drive) | 運転した unten shita |
| vk | 来る kuru (come) | 来た kita | 持って来る motte kuru (bring) | 持って来た motte kita |
| v5u | -う -u | -った -tta | 使う tsukau (use) | 使った tsukatta |
| v5u-s | -う -u (See Usage) | -うた -uta, -ota | 問う tou (ask) | 問うた tōta |
| v5k | -く -ku | -いた -ita | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼いた yaita |
| v5k-s | -く -ku | -った -tta | 行く iku, yuku (go) | 行った itta |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -いだ -ida | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳いだ oyoida |
| v5s | -す -su | -した -shita | 示す shimesu (show) | 示した shimeshita |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -った -tta | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待った matta |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -んだ -nda | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死んだ shinda |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -んだ -nda | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼んだ yonda |
| v5m | -む -mu | -んだ -nda | 読む yomu (read) | 読んだ yonda |
| v5r | -る -ru | -った -tta | 走る hashiru (run) | 走った hashitta |
| v5r-i | -る -ru | -った -tta | ある aru (be, exist) | あった atta |
| v5aru | -る -ru | -った -tta | いらっしゃる irassharu (be, go [honorific]) | いらっしゃった irasshatta いらした irashita[3] |
| v1 | -る -ru | -た -ta | 見る miru (see) 食べる taberu (eat) |
見た mita 食べた tabeta |
| adj-i | -い -i | -かった -katta | 安い yasui (cheap) 安いです (polite) |
安かった yasukatta 安かったです (polite) |
| adj-na | -な -na | -だった -datta | 簡単 kantan na/da (easy) | 簡単だった kantan datta |
N.B.: A verb not ending in -iru or -eru in its Latin transcription is not an ichidan verb, and it follows that it is then either godan or irregular.
Usage
- Non-exhaustive list of actions (like AやB is used for non-exhaustive lists of objects): 本を読んだり、テレビを見たりした hon o yondari, terebi o mitari shita (I read a book, watched TV, etc.)
Note that the perfective conjugation for verbs ending in -う more commonly follows the v5u-s pattern listed above for speakers of Western Japanese. The う in the perfective ending -うた may be pronounced either as an u or as an o depending on the preceding vowel, according to regular Japanese phonological rules. Consequently, in Kansai, one may hear forms such as つかう tsukau → つこうた tsukōta, or いう iu → いうた iuta.[4]
Usage of the perfective aspect follows the same pattern as the imperfective aspect. For example, 日本に行く nihon ni iku (I go to Japan) becomes 日本に行った nihon ni itta (I went to Japan).
Negative
The basic pattern is: u becomes anai (informal).
| Type | Negative | Examples | Negative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aux | だ da (copula) | ではない de wa nai じゃない ja nai (colloquial) |
(Deviates with adj-i) | |
| aux | です desu (copula, polite) | ではありません de wa arimasen じゃありません ja arimasen (colloquial) | ||
| vs | する suru (do) | しない shinai (さない sanai) |
勉強する benkyō suru (study) 愛する aisuru (love) |
勉強しない benkyō shinai 愛さない aisanai |
| vk | 来る kuru (come) | 来ない konai | ||
| -ます -masu (polite suffix) | -ません -masen | 行きます ikimasu (go) | 行きません ikimasen | |
| v5u(-s) | -う -u | -わない -wanai | 使う tsukau (use) | 使わない tsukawanai |
| v5k(-s) | -く -ku | -かない -kanai | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼かない yakanai |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -がない -ganai | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳がない oyoganai |
| v5s | -す -su | -さない -sanai | 示す shimesu (show) | 示さない shimesanai |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -たない -tanai | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待たない matanai |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -なない -nanai | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死なない shinanai |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -ばない -banai | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼ばない yobanai |
| v5m | -む -mu | -まない -manai | 読む yomu (read) | 読まない yomanai |
| v5r | -る -ru | -らない -ranai | 走る hashiru (run) | 走らない hashiranai |
| v5r-i | -る -ru | * | ある aru (be, exist) | ない nai |
| v5aru | -る -ru | -らない -ranai | 下さる kudasaru (give) | 下さらない kudasaranai |
| v1 | -る -ru | -ない -nai | 見る miru (see) 食べる taberu (eat) |
見ない minai 食べない tabenai |
| adj-i | -い -i | -くない -ku nai | 痛い itai (painful) | 痛くない itaku nai |
| adj-na | -な -na | -ではない -de wa nai -じゃない -ja nai |
簡単 kantan (simple) | 簡単ではない kantan de wa nai 簡単じゃない kantan ja nai |
The ない nai ending conjugates in two ways.
- As an i adjective. For example, the past tense of 食べない tabenai is 食べなかった tabenakatta and the te form is 食べなくて tabenakute.
- There is a special te/naide form made by adding で de which yields ないで naide – this can be replaced with ず zu in formal usage.
- Requesting someone to cease/desist: 食べないで下さい tabenaide kudasai "Please don't eat (this)"
- Joining a subordinate clause: 食べないで、寝た。 tabenaide, neta "Without eating, I went to bed."
i form
The i form, or 連用形 ren'yōkei, is very regular, and in almost all cases it is formed by replacing the u with i. Phonetically, this changes す su to し shi, and つ tsu to ち chi.
| Type | i form | Examples | i form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aux | だ da, です desu | であり de ari | ||
| vs | する suru (do) | し shi | 勉強する benkyō suru | 勉強し benkyō shi |
| vk | 来る kuru (come) | き ki | ||
| v5u(-s) | -う -u | -い -i | 使う tsukau (use) | 使い tsukai |
| v5k(-s) | -く -ku | -き -ki | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼き yaki |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -ぎ -gi | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳ぎ oyogi |
| v5s | -す -su | -し -shi | 示す shimesu (show) | 示し shimeshi |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -ち -chi | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待ち machi |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -に -ni | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死に shini |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -び -bi | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼び yobi |
| v5m | -む -mu | -み -mi | 読む yomu (read) | 読み yomi |
| v5r | -る -ru | -り -ri | 走る hashiru (run) | 走り hashiri |
| v5r-i | -る -ru | -り -ri | ある aru (be, exist) | あり ari |
| v5aru | -る -ru | -い -i | 下さる kudasaru (give) | 下さい kudasai |
| v1 | -る -ru | – | 見る miru (see) 食べる taberu (eat) |
見 mi 食べ tabe |
Usage
The i form has many uses, typically as a prefix. These include:
- To form polite verbs when followed by the -ます -masu ending: 行く iku → 行きます ikimasu, 使う tsukau → 使います tsukaimasu.
- To express a wish when followed by the ending -たい -tai: 食べたい tabetai: "I want to eat it", 行きたい ikitai: "I want to go". (The -tai ending conjugates as an -い -i adjective.)
- To express a strong negative intention when followed by -はしない -wa shinai: 行きはしないよあんな所 iki wa shinai yo, anna tokoro "no way I'm going someplace like that".
- To express mutuality when a transative verb is followed by -合う, which means "to match": 打ち解け合う uchitokeau: "to open up to each other", 誓い合う chikaiau: "to promise each other".
- To form a command when followed by
- -なさい -nasai: これを食べなさい kore o tabenasai: "eat this", あそこへ行きなさい asoko e ikinasai: "go over there".
- -な -na (abbreviation of -なさい -nasai): 真っすぐ帰りな massugu kaerina "go straight home": 仲良く遊びな nakayoku asobina "play nice". (Used with children, etc.)
- To express that something is easy or hard when followed by -易い -yasui or -難い -nikui: したしみ易い shitashimiyasui: "easy to befriend": 分かり難い wakarinikui: "hard to understand".
- To express excessiveness when followed by the verb -過ぎる -sugiru: 飲み過ぎる nomisugiru: "to drink too much". (sugiru can also be used with the stems of adjectives.)
- To express doing something in conjunction with something else. When followed by the suffix -ながら -nagara, the verb becomes an adverb that means doing something while doing something else.
- 歩きながら本を読んだ arukinagara hon o yonda: "I read a book as I walked."
- When followed by the verb -やがる -yagaru in harsher colloquial speech to express affronted contempt (a conjugation of opposite polarity to the honorifics) showing disrespect in the form of hatred combined with haughty/macho disdain for the doer/subject of the action/verb: 殺しやがる koroshiyagaru: "to have the <expletive> gall to kill ___" (e.g. without my permission).
The i form also has some uses on its own, such as:
- To express purpose, with に ni: 食べに行きました tabe ni ikimashita: "I went there to eat". This is called the infinitive of purpose.
- In formal honorifics such as お使い下さい o tsukai kudasai: "Please use this".
- In conjunctions in formal writing.
For some verbs, the i form also forms part of related words in ways that are not governed by any general rules. For example:
- The i form of 食べる taberu (to eat) can prefix 物 mono to form 食べ物 tabemono (food). Similarly with 飲む nomu (to drink) and 買う kau (to buy).
- The i form of 賭ける kakeru (to bet) is a word on its own: 賭け kake, which means "a bet".
- 離す hanasu (to separate) can be suffixed to the i form of kiru (to cut) to form 切り離す kirihanasu (to cut off).
- In most cases, の or こと are used to nominalize a verb, but the i form is also capable of that. There are verbs for which this more natural, predominantly composite verbs, such as those suffixed by the abovementioned -合う.
te form
The te form of a Japanese verb (sometimes called the "participle", the "gerund", or the "gerundive form") is used when the verb has some kind of connection to the following words. This originally came from the combination of the "i" form described above plus the particle "te". For all verbs, it is formed by changing the -a of the perfective aspect form to -e. Adjectives behave slightly differently.
| Type | Becomes | Examples | Te form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aux | だ da (copula) | で de | ||
| vs | する suru (do) | して shite | 愛する aisuru (to love) | 愛して aishite |
| vk | 来る kuru (come) | 来て kite | ||
| -ます -masu (polite suffix) | -まして -mashite | 開けます akemasu (open) | 開けまして akemashite | |
| v5u | -う -u | -って -tte | 使う tsukau (use) | 使って tsukatte |
| v5u-s | -う -u | -うて -ute | 問う tou (ask) | 問うて tōte |
| v5k | -く -ku | -いて -ite | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼いて yaite |
| v5k-s | 行く iku (go) | 行って itte | 行く iku (go) | 行って itte |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -いで -ide | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳いで oyoide |
| v5s | -す -su | -して -shite | 示す shimesu (show) | 示して shimeshite |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -って -tte | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待って matte |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -んで -nde | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死んで shinde |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -んで -nde | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼んで yonde |
| v5m | -む -mu | -んで -nde | 読む yomu (read) | 読んで yonde |
| v5r | -る -ru | -って -tte | 走る hashiru (run) | 走って hashitte |
| v5r-i | -る -ru | -って -tte | ある aru (be, exist) | あって atte |
| v5aru | -る -ru | -って -tte | いらっしゃる irassharu (be in honorific speech) | いらっしゃって irasshatte いらして irashite |
| v1 | -る -ru | -て -te | 見る miru (see) 食べる taberu (eat) |
見て mite 食べて tabete |
| adj-i | -い -i | -くて -kute | 安い yasui (cheap) | 安くて yasukute |
| adj-na | -な -na | -で -de | 簡単な kantan na (simple) | 簡単で kantan de |
Usage
- In general, the te form indicates that the verb is operating in conjunction with another verb, which may be left out for various reasons and to various effects.
- In requests with くれる kureru and 下さい kudasai. These words may be left off in casual speech, which is usually the reason a sentence ends with a te form. This version of the te form also serves as a light command that is more socially proper than the true imperative.
- 本を読んでください Hon o yonde kudasai: "Please read the book."
- 殺してくれ Koroshite kure: "Please kill me."
- 食べて Tabete: "(Please) Eat."
- 読んで Yonde: "(Please) Read."
- The te form is used for a reproach or rebuke, to communicate anger or exasperation on the speaker's part.
- A sentence that ends with the te form may be meant to draw attention, either serving the purpose of an exclamation mark or to indicate the speaker isn't done and may want the listener to have a moment to process, may want the listener to give permission to continue, or may want the listener to infer the rest. The latter case is equivalent to ending a sentence in English with "so..."
- The te form combined with the dictionary form of "to give" means that there is a favour involved and can be best understood as "doing the favor of". If the te form + "to give" isn't used, the implication is that there's no gratitude.
- -てくれる -te kureru: Used when somebody does you (or the person from whose perspective is spoken of) a favour.
- -てくれてありがとう -te kurete arigatou: "Thank you for (doing the favour of) (for me)". For example, ”見てくれてありがとう” mite kurete arigatou: "Thank you for (doing the favour of) watching (for me)".
- -て下さる -te kudasaru: Used when a superior does you (or the person from whose perspective is spoken of) a favour
- -てあげる -te ageru: Used when you (or the person from whose perspective is spoken of) do someone a favour.
- -てもらう -te morau: Used when somebody does you (or the person from whose perspective is spoken of) a favour that you have initiated. For instance, an order being delivered is a favour (delivery) that directly came about due to an action of the speaker (order). This can be translated with "get them to do (the favour of) (for me)" or "make them do (the favour of) (for me)"
- To combine clauses or adjectives, as if by the English conjunction "and". It might also serve an explanatory function, in which case it's more akin to "because" or "in order to". Note that, just as with English, the order of the clauses may be reversed to create emphasis, in which case the sentence will end on the te form instead of having it in the middle.
- 薬局へ行って薬を買う yakkyoku e itte, kusuri o kau: "(I am going to) go to the pharmacy and buy medicine."
- 薬を買う薬局へ行って kusuri o kau, yakkyoku e itte: "To buy medicine, (I am going to) go to the pharmacy."
- あの人は親切で頭が良くて分かり易い ano hito wa shinsetsu de, atama ga yokute, wakariyasui: "That person is kind, smart, and easy to understand."
- 安くていいね yasukute ii ne: "It's good that it's cheap." (lit. "Being cheap, it is good.")
- With the verbs :
- いる iru: Forms a progressive or continuous tense. For example:
- 待っている matte iru: "I am waiting"
- 知っている shitte iru: "I know" (lit. "I keep knowing")
- 持っている motte iru: "I have" (lit. "I continue to have")
- ここに住んでいる koko ni sunde iru: "I live here" (lit. "I am living here")
- 寝ている Nete iru: "They are sleeping" / "They keep sleeping" / "They are asleep"
- Colloquially, in this form, the "i" often disappears (also in the past tense), so 待っている matte iru becomes 待ってる matteru and 知っている shitte iru becomes 知ってる shitteru.
- おる oru: Can express a continuing situation. It is the humble form of いる iru.
- おく oku: To indicate an action in advance of something else. お弁当を作っておいた obentō o tsukutte oita: "I have made a boxed lunch (for later)". Colloquially, in this form, the "e" often disappears, so 作っておいた tsukutte oita becomes 作っといた tsukuttoita.
- ある aru: This shows that something was left in a certain state, generally one of completion. More implicit than te + oku, there's a meaning to te + aru that the action was done in preparation of something else. Combined with a transitive verb, the combination gets a passive meaning: ここに文字が書いてある koko ni moji ga kaite aru: "There are some characters written here". Contrast to 書いている "kaite iru", "I am writing", which applies to the person doing the writing rather than what is written.
- しまう shimau: This implies something is completed or done, usually unintentionally or accidentally or unexpectedly and sometimes expressing that the action is contrary to right or correct action: 片付けてしまった katazukete shimatta: "I have finished tidying". It can also suggest a regrettable situation: 私の鍵が消えてしまった watashi no kagi ga kiete shimatta: "My keys have disappeared".
- The form -てしまう -te shimau is shortened to the very commonly used and casual -ちまう -chimau or -ちゃう -chau with the same consonant doubling as the te form. For example, "I forgot my mobile phone!": "keitai wasurechatta!" "携帯忘れちゃった！" The -de shimau form is shortened to -じゃう -jau or -じまう -jimau in colloquial speech.
- みる miru: It means "to try doing". Understand it as "see if I can do".
- 見せる miseru: It means "to definitely do". Understand it as "show that I do".
- いく iku: Can express continuous action or a change of state in the future.
- くる kuru: Can express continuous action or a change of state in the past.
- いる iru: Forms a progressive or continuous tense. For example:
- With particles in formations such as:
- -てはいけない -te wa ikenai: "You must not ...". For example, 食べてはいけない tabete wa ikenai: "You must not eat this". (Other words of prohibition, such as だめ dame, can be substituted for ikenai.)
- -てもいい -te mo ii: "You may do/It's ok if you do". For example, 食べてもいい tabete mo ii: "You may eat it".
- -てもかまわない -te mo kamawanai: "You may do/I don't mind if you do"
- -て欲しい -te hoshii: "I want you to do (for me)"
- -てすみません -te sumimasen: "Sorry for making you go through the trouble of"
- -てよかった -te yokatta: "Thank goodness that"
Potential
The general pattern is: u becomes eru.
| Type | Potential | Examples | Potential | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs | する suru | 出来る dekiru (せられる serareru) |
勉強する benkyō suru 察する sassuru (guess) |
勉強出来る benkyō dekiru 察せられる sasserareru |
| vk | 来る kuru | 来られる korareru
来れる koreru |
||
| v5u(-s) | -う -u | -える -eru | 使う tsukau (use) | 使える tsukaeru |
| v5k(-s) | -く -ku | -ける -keru | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼ける yakeru |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -げる -geru | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳げる oyogeru |
| v5s | -す -su | -せる -seru | 示す shimesu (show) | 示せる shimeseru |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -てる -teru | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待てる materu |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -ねる -neru | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死ねる shineru |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -べる -beru | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼べる yoberu |
| v5m | -む -mu | -める -meru | 読む yomu (read) | 読める yomeru |
| v5r | -る -ru | -れる -reru | 走る hashiru (run) | 走れる hashireru |
| v5r-i | ある aru | あり得る ari eru/uru | ||
| v5aru | -る -ru | -り得る -ri eru/uru | 下さる kudasaru (give) | 下さり得る kudasari eru/uru |
| v1 | -る -ru | -られる -rareru | 見る miru 食べる taberu |
見られる mirareru 食べられる taberareru |
| v1 | -る -ru | -れる -reru[5] (colloquial form, so-called ら抜き言葉 ra-nuki kotoba) |
見る miru 食べる taberu |
見れる mireru 食べれる tabereru |
Usage
The potential is used to express that one has the ability to do something. Since this is a passive form, what would be a direct object in English is marked with the particle が ga instead of を o. For example, 日本語が読める nihongo ga yomeru: "I can read Japanese" (lit. "Japanese can be read").
It is also used to request some action from someone, in the exact sense of the English "Can you ... ?" For example, 「コーヒー買える？」 kōhī kaeru?: "Can (you) buy (some) coffee?" However, sometimes in English "Will you...?" and "Can you ... ?" is used interchangeably to make requests. Though it is possible in Japanese, 「コーヒー買う？」 kōhī kau?, it is very casual and might also mean simply "Are you buying/Will you buy coffee?" in a very dry factual sense.
Unlike in English, the potential is not often used to express permission (as in the sentence "Can I eat this apple?") as it is almost always understood to mean "Do I have the ability to eat this apple?": 「このりんごが食べられる？」 kono ringo ga taberareru?. And since the -reru form is more often used in speech than the more standard passive potential form -rareru, and subjects are often implied in Japanese, it may implicitly be asking (in this case) if the apple is edible. So, to seek permission, a more polite form is used, such as the -てもいい -te mo ii or more casual -ていい "-te ii"" usage of the -て -te form, resulting in something literally more like "Is eating this apple OK?" 「このりんごを食べてもいいですか？」 Kono ringo o tabete mo ii desu ka? or 「このりんごを食べていい？」 Kono ringo o tabete ii?.
The potential -ru ending conjugates as a vowel stem verb.
Consonants and vowels conjugate differently; see Japanese consonant and vowel conjugation.
There is no potential equivalent for です; other constructions for expressing may-be situations are used:
- Using かもしれない expression. For verbs: 「明日降るかもしれない」 ashita furu kamo shirenai "It may rain tomorrow.", i-adj: 「旅行は高いかもしれない」 ryokou wa takai kamo shirenai "The journey is perhaps expensive.", na-adj: 「大切かもしれない」 taisetsu kamo shirenai "(This thing is) probably important."
- Using adverbs. 「恐らく降る」 osoraku furu "It probably will rain", 「たぶん降る」 tabun furu "Perhaps it will rain"
- (A rather strange and archaic-literary-sounding possibility is by transforming です to である and then constructing the potential, であり得る.)
Passive
The general pattern for the passive voice is: -u becomes -areru.
| Type | Passive | Examples | Passive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs | する suru | される sareru | 愛する ai suru (love) | 愛される ai sareru |
| vk | 来る kuru (come) | 来られる korareru | ||
| v5u(-s) | -う -u | -われる -wareru | 使う tsukau (use) | 使われる tsukawareru |
| v5k(-s) | -く -ku | -かれる -kareru | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼かれる yakareru |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -がれる -gareru | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳がれる oyogareru |
| v5s | -す -su | -される -sareru | 示す shimesu (show) | 示される shimesareru |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -たれる -tareru | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待たれる matareru |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -なれる -nareru | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死なれる shinareru |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -ばれる -bareru | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼ばれる yobareru |
| v5m | -む -mu | -まれる -mareru | 読む yomu (read) | 読まれる yomareru |
| v5r | -る -ru | -られる -rareru | 走る hashiru (run) | 走られる hashirareru |
| v1 | -る -ru | -られる -rareru | 見る miru 食べる taberu |
見られる mirareru 食べられる taberareru |
- The -る -ru ending of the passives becomes the new verb ending. This conjugates as a vowel stem verb. Thus past, -て -te, or polite forms can all be added to the verb.
- The copula, だ da, does not form a passive.
- For the -ます masu form, the -ます -masu is added to the passive of the plain verb.
Usage
The passive is used:
- as a passive: このテレビは東芝によって作られた kono terebi wa Toshiba ni yotte tsukurareta: "This TV was made by Toshiba."
- as a suffering passive, indicating that a regrettable thing was done to someone: 私は友達にビールを飲まれた watashi wa tomodachi ni biiru o nomareta: "I had (my) beer drunk by a friend" (and I am not happy about it).
- as a form of respectful language: どちらへ行かれますか dochira e ikaremasu ka: "Where are you going?"
Causative
The causative forms are characterized by the final u becoming aseru for consonant stem verbs, and ru becoming saseru for vowel stem verbs.
| Type | Causative | Examples | Causative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs | する suru (do) | させる saseru | 勉強する benkyō suru (study) | 勉強させる benkyō saseru |
| vk | 来る kuru (come) | 来させる kosaseru | ||
| v5u(-s) | -う -u | -わせる -waseru | 使う tsukau (use) | 使わせる tsukawaseru |
| v5k(-s) | -く -ku | -かせる -kaseru | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼かせる yakaseru |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -がせる -gaseru | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳がせる oyogaseru |
| v5s | -す -su | -させる -saseru | 示す shimesu (show) | 示させる shimesaseru |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -たせる -taseru | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待たせる mataseru |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -なせる -naseru | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死なせる shinaseru |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -ばせる -baseru | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼ばせる yobaseru |
| v5m | -む -mu | -ませる -maseru | 読む yomu (read) | 読ませる yomaseru |
| v5r(-i) | -る -ru | -らせる -raseru | 走る hashiru (run) | 走らせる hashiraseru |
| v5aru | -る -ru | causative not used in honorific speech | ||
| v1 | -る -ru | -させる -saseru | 見る miru 食べる taberu |
見させる misaseru 食べさせる tabesaseru |
- The -ru ending of the causative form becomes the new verb ending. This conjugates as a vowel stem verb.
- Negatives are not normally made into causatives. Instead, a negative ending is added to the causative of the verb. Thus, for example, Tabesasenai: "Do not let eat".
- Adjectives are made causative by using the adverb form plus saseru.
- A shortened causative form exists where the final -u becoming -asu for consonant stem verbs, and -ru becoming -sasu for vowel stem verbs.
Usage
The causative is used for:
- Making someone do something: 宿題をさせる shukudai o saseru: "(I) make (him) do homework".
- Letting someone do something: 外で遊ばせる soto de asobaseru: "(I) let (him) play outside".
- With explicit actors: 先生が子供に勉強をさせた sensei ga kodomo ni benkyō o saseta: "The teacher made the children study."
- The honorific forms させて貰う sasete morau or させて頂く sasete itadaku using the verbs 貰う morau or its humble equivalent 頂く itadaku.
Causative passive
The causative passive form is obtained by first conjugating in the causative form and then conjugating the result in the passive form.
Usage
As its rule suggests, the causative passive is used to express causation passively: 両親に勉強させられる ryōshin ni benkyō saserareru: "(I) am made to study by (my) parents".
Because words such as 待たせられる mataserareru are considered to be difficult to pronounce, frequently in colloquial speech, the middle part of the causative passive would contract. That is, 待たせられる mataserareru (I was made to wait), would become 待たされる matasareru. Another example such as "(I) was made to buy (something)" would formally be 買わせられた kawaserareta from the verb 買う kau, but colloquially, it is frequently contracted to 買わされた kawasareta. This abbreviation is not used for vowel-stem verbs, nor for the irregular する suru and くる kuru.
Provisional conditional eba form
The eba provisional conditional form is characterized by the final -u becoming -eba for all verbs (with the semi-exception of -tsu verbs becoming -teba).
| Type | Conditional | Examples | Conditional | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aux | だ da (copula) | であれば de areba | ||
| vs | する suru | すれば sureba | 勉強する benkyō suru (study) | 勉強すれば benkyō sureba |
| vk | 来る kuru | くれば kureba | ||
| v5u(-s) | -う -u | -えば -eba | 使う tsukau (use) | 使えば tsukaeba |
| v5k(-s) | -く -ku | -けば -keba | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼けば yakeba |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -げば -geba | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳げば oyogeba |
| v5s | -す -su | -せば -seba | 示す shimesu (show) | 示せば shimeseba |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -てば -teba | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待てば mateba |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -ねば -neba | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死ねば shineba |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -べば -beba | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼べば yobeba |
| v5m | -む -mu | -めば -meba | 読む yomu (read) | 読めば yomeba |
| v5r | -る -ru | -れば -reba | 走る hashiru (run) | 走れば hashireba |
| v5r-i | -る -ru | -れば -reba | ある aru (be, exist) | あれば areba |
| v1 | -る -ru | -れば -reba | 見る miru 食べる taberu |
見れば mireba 食べれば tabereba |
| adj-i | -い -i | -ければ -kereba | 寒い samui | 寒ければ samukereba |
| adj-na | -な -na | -であれば -de areba | 簡単 kantan | 簡単であれば kantan de areba |
| v5 (negative) | ない nai (negative) | -なければ -nakereba | 行かない ikanai | 行かなければ ikanakereba |
- na adjectives and nouns are usually used with the なら nara conditional, instead of with であれば de areba.
- The なければ nakereba form used for the negative form can be colloquially contracted to なきゃ nakya or なくちゃ nakucha (this has roots in なくては). Thus 行かなければ ikanakereba can become 行かなきゃ ikanakya.
Usage
The -eba provisional conditional form is used:
- In conditionals where the emphasis rests more on the condition than the result. For example: 何をすればいいか nani o sureba ii ka - "What should I do?" (lit. "It would be good if I did what?") ; 分かればいい wakareba ii - "As long as you understand" (lit. "If you understand, it is good.") ; 時間があれば買い物をしよう jikan ga areba, kaimono wo shiyō - "If there's time, let's go shopping."
- Expressing obligations: The expression なければならない nakereba naranai (or in a more formal manner なければなりません nakereba narimasen), where なる naru is the verb “to become”, means literally “if you don’t…, it’s no good” or in other words “you must” or “you have to”. The negative “don’t have to …” is expressed with なくてもいい - nakute mo ii. For example: 自己紹介は日本語でなければなりません Jiko shoukai wa Nihongo de nakereba narimasen ("Your self-introduction must be in Japanese.")
The nakereba negative conditional form means "if not X" or also "unless X". It is obtained by replacing the final -i of the plain negative form with -kereba. (tabenakereba: "if I don't eat" or "unless I eat")
The conditional is also called the "provisional form" in some grammars, because the implied condition is "provided that X happens" (mireba shiru: "provided that you see, you'll know" = "if you see, you'll know").
Conditional ra form
The conditional ra form (also called the past conditional) is formed from the past tense (TA form) by simply adding ra. ba can be further added to that, which makes it more formal.
Usage
The conditional ra form can be used in the same way as the provisional eba form. However, it implies more certainty about the condition, and therefore places more emphasis on the result than the condition. It can be used to mean more like "if and when", and is typically preferred over the eba form when this meaning is more accurate. For example:
- 日本に行ったら、カメラを買いたい。nihon ni ittara, kamera wo kaitai: "If (when) I go to Japan, then (when that has happened) I want to buy a camera."
The conditional ra form can also be used when the main clause is in the past tense. In such situations, it means "when", and carries the additional implication that the result was unexpected. For example:
- 喫茶店に行ったら、鈴木さんに出会った。kissaten ni ittara, Suzuki-san ni deatta: "When I went to the cafe, I came across Suzuki."
Imperative
Most of the imperative forms are characterized by the final u becoming e.
| Type | Becomes | Examples | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aux | だ da (copula) | であれ de are | ||
| vs | する suru | しろ shiro せよ seyo |
勉強する benkyō suru (study) 愛する aisuru (love) |
勉強しろ benkyō shiro 勉強せよ benkyō seyo |
| vk | 来る kuru | 来い koi | ||
| -ます -masu (polite suffix) | -ませ -mase | いらっしゃいます irasshaimasu (come, go) | いらっしゃいませ irasshaimase | |
| v5u(-s) | -う -u | -え -e | 使う tsukau (use) | 使え tsukae |
| v5k(-e) | -く -ku | -け -ke | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼け yake |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -げ -ge | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳げ oyoge |
| v5s | -す -su | -せ -se | 示す shimesu (show) | 示せ shimese |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -て -te | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待て mate |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -ね -ne | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死ね shine |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -べ -be | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼べ yobe |
| v5m | -む -mu | -め -me | 読む yomu (read) | 読め yome |
| v5r | -る -ru | -れ -re | 走る hashiru (run) | 走れ hashire |
| v5r-i | -る -ru | -れ -re | ある aru (be, exist) | あれ are |
| v5aru | -る -ru | -い -i | いらっしゃる irassharu なさる nasaru |
いらっしゃい irasshai なさい nasai |
| v1 | -いる -iru, -える -eru | -いろ -iro, -いよ -iyo -えろ -ero, -えよ -eyo |
着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えろ kigaero 着替えよ kigaeyo |
- The v5aru rule for polite verbs ending in -ru applies to the consonant-stem honorific verbs irassharu, ossharu, kudasaru, gozaru, and nasaru, whose imperative forms are the same as their irregular i forms.
Usage
The imperative and prohibitional forms are used
- in orders, such as in the military, or to inferiors, or to very intimate friends or family depending on the nature of the relationship (e.g., among very close male friends), or to pets, or in textbook exercises — highly risky for use by learners until cultural nuances have been well and truly mastered. The te form and the i form are preferable in most cases.
- in set phrases such as nani shiro: "no matter what".
- in reported speech, where a polite request may be reported using a plain imperative: kashite kudasai (direct) kase to iwareta (he told me to lend it to him).
- on traffic signs or mandatory action labels such as tomare: "STOP".
- in motivational speech, especially when it is perceived as directed at a collective, rather than individual, listener (e.g., 「頑張れ！」 ganbare!, "Do your best!"). As with the first usage, this can come off as brusque and rude if used inappropriately
Volitional, presumptive, or hortative
| Type | Volitional | Examples | Volitional | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aux | だ da (copula) | だろう darō | ||
| aux | です desu (polite copula) | でしょう deshō | ||
| vs | する suru (do) | しよう shiyō (そう sō) |
勉強する benkyō suru (study) 愛する aisuru (love) |
勉強しよう benkyō shiyō 愛そう aisō |
| vk | 来る kuru (come) | 来よう koyō | ||
| -ます -masu (polite suffix) | -ましょう -mashō | 行きます ikimasu (go, polite) | 行きましょう ikimashō | |
| v5u(-s) | -う -u | -おう -ō | 使う tsukau (use) | 使おう tsukaō |
| v5k(-s) | -く -ku | -こう -kō | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼こう yakō |
| v5g | -ぐ -gu | -ごう -gō | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳ごう oyogō |
| v5s | -す -su | -そう -sō | 示す shimesu (show) | 示そう shimesō |
| v5t | -つ -tsu | -とう -tō | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待とう matō |
| v5n | -ぬ -nu | -のう -nō | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死のう shinō |
| v5b | -ぶ -bu | -ぼう -bō | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼ぼう yobō |
| v5m | -む -mu | -もう -mō | 読む yomu (read) | 読もう yomō |
| v5r | -る -ru | -ろう -rō | 走る hashiru (run) | 走ろう hashirō |
| v5r-i | -る -ru | -ろう -rō | ある aru (be, exist) | あろう arō |
| v1 | -る -ru | -よう -yō | 着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えよう kigaeyō |
| adj-i | -い -i | -かろう -karō | 近い chikai (near) | 近かろう chikakarō |
| adj-na | -な -na | -だろう -darō | 好き suki (like) | 好きだろう suki darō |
| v5 (negative) | ない nai (negative) | -なかろう -nakarō | 見えない mienai (invisible) | 見えなかろう mienakarō |
Usage
In general, the volitional form expresses intention, such as in these cases:
- In volitional ("let's" or "I shall") statements: 勉強しよう benkyō shiyō: "Let's study" or "I shall study".
- To ask volitional ("shall we") questions: 行こうか ikō ka: "Shall (we) go?"
- To express a conjecture with deshō: 明日晴れるでしょう ashita hareru deshō: "Tomorrow will probably be sunny."
- To express what one is thinking of doing, via 思う omou: 買おうと思う kaō to omou: "(I) am thinking of buying (it)".
- In the form しようとする shiyō to suru: be about to or be trying to. 犬が吠えようとしている Inu ga hoeyō to shite iru: "The dog is about to bark."
References
- Rita Lampkin (14 May 2010). Japanese Verbs & Essentials of Grammar, Third Edition. McGraw-Hill Education. pp. 14–40. ISBN 978-0-07-171363-4.
- EDICT abbreviation list: http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/jmdict_dtd_h.html
- Herr, John Archived 2010-05-22 at the Wayback Machine Nihongo Web. University of Alabama. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
-
"'問う'の過去形って何ですか - その他(学問＆教育) - 教えて！goo" [What is the past tense of "tou"? - Other (Lit. & Edu.) - Tell Me! goo] (in Japanese). 2002-06-18. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
しかし、hyeonさんのご指摘どおり、方言では現存しています。大阪では、「買った→買うた（こうた）」、「合った→合うた（おうた）」、「言った→言うた（いうた）」、「揃った→揃うた（そろうた）」、「構った→構うた（かもうた）」。など、ワ行五段活用動詞＋「た」の組み合わせだと、ウ音便化します。
- Eri BANNO et al. Genki—An Integrated Course In Elementary Japanese, volume 2. The Japan Times, 1999, p. 10
External links
 |
The Wikibook Japanese has a page on the topic of: Verb conjugation table |
- Japanese Verb Conjugator, online tool giving all forms for any verb
- Japanese Verb Conjugator, online tool with romaji, kana, and kanji output
- JLearn.net, an online Japanese dictionary that accepts conjugated terms and returns the root verb