Japanese Verbs Zero

In this Japanese Verbs Zero, of our Learn Japanese series, let's learn how to conjugate verbs and put them into their various tenses.

The basics concerning Japanese verbs

There are three types of verb:

1. irregular verbs, of which there are only two.
2. The verbs that end in "u." 
   
3. Those that end in "ru."

To make it easier I will arrange the verb in its various forms

There are various forms of the verb, which will express its tense, as in past, present and future. We will start off with the plain form.

• This is the form you use when you are talking to friends, close family, children, etc.
• It is also the dictionary form and denotes the present tense, as used with adverbs of time, like often, usually, etc.
• It also indicates the future tense, so you need to look at the context of the sentence. 

1. Next we will find the stem of each verb. Once we find this stem, all we have to do is attach an ending to reflect whether we are using the verb in its past, present, future or whatever.
   
2. Then we will put it in the "-masu" form. This is the polite form, which we have been using in the dialogues.
3. Finally, you can see what it looks like in real Japanese.

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+masu" form   Kanji/Kana

Kuru                   ki             kimasu           来ます

Suru                   shi           shimasu           します

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                    mi            mimasu          見ます

Taberu               tabe           tabemasu        食べます

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                kachi           kachimasu       勝ちます

Yomu                 yomi           yomimasu       読みます

Modoru             modori         modorimasu     戻ります

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular. However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

Here are a few examples:

私 =  I =　わたし　毎週の = every week's　= まいしゅうの　土曜日 = Saturday =　どようび

野球をする = to play baseball =　やきゅうをする　明日 = tomorrow =　あした　

毎日 = everyday =　まいにち　自転車　= bicycle = じてんしゃ　乗る = to ride =　のる

カナ = Kana (a girl's name)　しばしば = often 　すし = sushi　彼　= he = かれ

普通 = usually =　ふつう　バス = bus　

I play baseball every Saturday.                            私は毎週の土曜日野球をします。

I will play baseball tomorrow.                   　        私は明日野球をします。

I ride my bicycle every day.　                                私は毎日自転車を乗ります。

I will ride my bicycle tomorrow.                         　私は明日自転車を乗ります。

Kana often eats sushi.                                            カナはしばしばすしを食べます。

Kana is going to eat sushi tomorrow.　               カナは明日すしを食べます。

He usually waits for the bus.　                              彼は普通バスを待ちます。

He will wait for the bus tomorrow.                    　彼は明日バスを待ちます。

Did you notice how the verb didn't change, even though the tense changed?

Don't forget that you can also drop the subjects, like I, he, etc., if they are understood by both parties.

Instead of the ...masu form you can also substitute the plain form in all the above and below. For example, instead of:

  私は明日野球をします。Plain form: 私は明日野球をする。

Just remember, only use it when talking to friends. Don't use it when talking to your boss.

               　       

Now let's look at how you say you "don't or won't do something."

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+masen" form         Kanji/Kana

Konai                   ki               kimasen             来ません

Shinai                  shi              shimasen            しません

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Minai                    mi                mimasen            見ません

Tabenai               tabe               tabemasen         食べません

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katanai                kachi             kachimasen         勝ちません

Yomanai                 yomi           yomimasen          読みません

Modoranai             modori         modorimasen       戻りません

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular. However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

Here are a few examples:

I don't play baseball every Saturday.                         私は毎週の土曜日野球をしません。

I will not play baseball tomorrow.                   　        私は明日野球をしません。

I don't ride my bicycle every day.　                             私は毎日自転車を乗りません。

I will not ride my bicycle tomorrow.                         　私は明日自転車を乗りません。

Kana does not often eat sushi.                                    カナはしばしばすしを食べません。

Kana is not going to eat sushi tomorrow.　               カナは明日すしを食べません。

He usually doesn't wait for the bus.　                         彼は普通バスを待ちません。

He will not wait for the bus tomorrow.                    　彼は明日バスを待ちません。

Let's now see how you say that you are doing or something is happening now.

Just use the present continuous tense, as you would in English.

For this, use the "...te" form of the verb plus iru, the " be" verb.

Taberu becomes tabete, then add iru, or its polite form, imasu.

This becomes tabete imasu, which means "eating."

Plain Form   "...te iru" form   "+imasu" form      Kanji/Kana

Kuru         Kite iru                Kite imasu          来ています

Suru          shite iru              shite imasu         しています

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru           mite iru               mite imasu         見ています

Taberu       tabete iru            tabete imasu       食べています

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu         katte iru             katte imasu         勝っています

Yomu         yonde iru            yonde imasu        読んでいます

Modoru      modotte iru         modotte imasu     戻っています

Here are a few examples:

I am playing baseball.                                   私は野球をしています。

I am riding my bicycle.　                                私は自転車を乗っています。

Kana is  eating sushi.                                       カナはすしを食べています。

He is waiting for the bus.　                             彼はバスを待っています。

To say that you or somebody "are not doing something"

Again, just use the present continuous negative tense, as you would in English.

For this, use the "...te" form of the verb plus inai, the negative form of the " be" verb.

Taberu becomes tabete, then add inai, or its polite form, imasen.

This becomes tabete imasen, which means "not eating."

Plain Form   "...te inai" form   "+imasen" form      Kanji/Kana

Kuru         Kite inai                Kite imasen          来ていません

Suru          shite inai              shite imasen         していません

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru           mite inai               mite imasen         見ていません

Taberu       tabete inai            tabete imasen       食べていません

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu         katte inai             katte imasen         勝っていません

Yomu         yonde inai            yonde imasen        読んでいません

Modoru      modotte inai         modotte imasen     戻っていません

Here are a few examples:

I am not playing baseball.                                   私は野球をしていません。

I am not riding my bicycle.　                                私は自転車を乗っていません。

Kana is  not eating sushi.                                       カナはすしを食べていません。

He is not waiting for the bus.　                             彼はバスを待っていません。

To say that you or somebody "have been doing something"

Do the same thing, only put iru, the "to be" verb, in the past.

Taberu becomes tabete, then add ita, or its polite form, imashita.

This becomes tabete imashita, which means "have been eating."

Plain Form   "...te ita" form   "+imashita" form      Kanji/Kana

Kuru         Kite ita                Kite imashita          来ていました

Suru          shite ita              shite imashita         していました

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru           mite ita               mite imashita         見ていました

Taberu       tabete ita            tabete imashita       食べていました

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu         katte ita             katte imashita         勝っていました

Yomu         yonde ita            yonde imashita        読んでいました

Modoru      modotte ita         modotte imashita     戻っていました

Here are a few examples:

I have been playing baseball.                                  私は野球をしていました。

I have been riding my bicycle.　                              私は自転車を乗っていました。

Kana has been  eating sushi.                                    カナはすしを食べていました。

He has been waiting for the bus.　                          彼はバスを待っていました。

To say that you or somebody "have not been doing something"

Do the same thing, only put iru, the "to be" verb in the negative past.

Taberu becomes tabete, then add inakatta, or its polite form, imasen deshita.

This becomes tabete imasen deshita, which means "haven't been eating."

Plain Form  "...te inakatta" form  "+imasen deshita" form  Kanji/Kana

Kuru   Kite inakatta       Kite imasen deshita      来ていませんでした

Suru   shite inakatta      shite imasen deshita      していませんでした

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru    mite inakatta       mite imasen deshita        見ていませんでした

Taberu  tabete inakatta   tabete imasen deshita   食べていませんでした

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu  katte inakatta    katte imasen deshita        勝っていませんでした

Yomu   yonde inakatta   yonde imasen deshiat      読んでいませんでした

Modoru  modotte inakatta modotte imasen deshita戻っていませんでした

Here are a few examples:

I have not been playing baseball.        私は野球をしていませんでした。

I have not been riding a bicycle.　 私は自転車を乗っていませんでした。

Kana has not been eating sushi.     カナはすしを食べていませんでした。

He has not been waiting for the bus.  彼はバスを待っていませんでした。

Now, let's check out the simple past

For this, use the "...ta" form of the verb. Just add it on to the stem.

Taberu becomes tabeta, or its polite form, verb stem + mashita.

This becomes tabemashita, which means "ate."

Plain Form   Plain Past      Stem+mashita         Kanji/Kana

Kuru         Kita                Kimashita          来ました

Suru          shita              shimashita         しました

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru           mita               mimashita         見ました

Taberu       tabeta            tabemashita       食べました

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu         katta             kachimashita         勝ちました

Yomu         yonda            yomimashita        読みました

Modoru      modotta         modorimashita     戻りました

Here are a few examples:

I played baseball.                                        私は野球をしました。

I rode my bicycle.　                                     私は自転車を乗りました。

Kana ate sushi.                                            カナはすしを食べました。

He waited for the bus.　                             彼はバスを待ちました。

Finally, let's check out the simple past in its negative form

For this, use the "...nai" form of the verb and knock off the "i."

Taberu becomes tabenai, then knock off the "i," which becomes tabena. Then add katta, which becomes tabenakatta.

For its polite form, add deshita to its simple past.

This becomes tabemasen deshita, which means " did not eat."

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+masen deshita" form         Kanji/Kana

Konakatta     ki              kimasen deshita             来ませんでした

Shinakatta    shi             shimasen deshita            しませんでした

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Minakatta      mi              mimasen deshita            見ませんでした

Tabenakatta  tabe            tabemasen deshita        食べませんでした

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katanakatta  kachi           kachimasen deshita        勝ちませんでした

Yomanakatta   yomi         yomimasen deshita          読みませんでした

Modoranakatta  modori     modorimasen deshita       戻りませんでした

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular. However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

Here are a few examples:

I did not play baseball.                            私は野球をしませんでした。

I did not ride a bicycle.　                         私は自転車を乗りませんでした。

Kana did not eat sushi.                             カナはすしを食べませんでした。

He did not wait for the bus.　                  彼はバスを待ちませんでした。

Now let's do some practice!

Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

The only way to remember all this in Japanese Verbs Zero is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 18 Japanese phrases.
2. Write an example of each in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
3. Do the same with the Japanese kanji.
   

Back to the Japanese words page