Japanese verb conjugations
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Japanese
verb
and adjective
conjugations
. Almost all of these are regular, but the conjugations of the very few irregular verb
s 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 plain form of all verbs ends in u. In modern Japanese, there are no verbs, at least in the plain form, ending in zu, fu, pu, or yu, and 死ぬ (しぬ, shinu; to die) is the only one ending in nu.
. 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"):
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.
, 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. The perfective is broadly equivalent to English past tense, and is often called past tense in treatments of Japanese grammar, but it is not restricted to any single tense:
Usage
Note that the perfective conjugation for verbs ending in -う more commonly follows the second 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.
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).
Usage
The i form has many uses, typically as a prefix. These include:
The i form also has some uses on its own, such as:
For some verbs, the i form also forms part of related words in ways that are not governed by any general rules. For example:
Usage
Usage
The potential is used to express that one has the ability to do something. Direct objects are 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".
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？」 koohii 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？」 koohii kau?, it is very casual and might also mean simply "Are you buying/Will you buy coffee?" in 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 correct 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
.
Usage
The causative is used for:
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.
Usage
The eba provisional conditional form is used in conditionals where the emphasis rests more on the condition than the result. For example:
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").
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:
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:
Usage
The imperative form is used
is u becomes areru.
Usage
The passive is used:
Usage
In general, the volitional form expresses intention, such as in these cases:
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
and adjective
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
conjugations
Grammatical conjugation
In linguistics, conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a verb from its principal parts by inflection . Conjugation may be affected by person, number, gender, tense, aspect, mood, voice, or other grammatical categories...
. Almost all of these are regular, but the conjugations of the very few irregular verb
Irregular verb
In contrast to regular verbs, irregular verbs are those verbs that fall outside the standard patterns of conjugation in the languages in which they occur. The idea of an irregular verb is important in second language acquisition, where the verb paradigms of a foreign language are learned...
s are also listed. Japanese verb conjugation is the same for all subjects, first person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
("I", "we"), second person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
("you") and third person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
("he/she/it" and "they"), singular and plural. The plain form of all verbs ends in u. In modern Japanese, there are no verbs, at least in the plain form, ending in zu, fu, pu, or yu, and 死ぬ (しぬ, shinu; to die) is the only one ending in nu.
Imperfective
In Japanese, the basic verb form is an imperfective aspectImperfective aspect
The imperfective is a grammatical aspect used to describe a situation viewed with internal structure, such as ongoing, habitual, repeated, and similar semantic roles, whether that situation occurs in the past, present, or future...
. 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
Headword
A headword, head word, lemma, or sometimes catchword is the word under which a set of related dictionary or encyclopaedia entries appear. The headword is used to locate the entry, and dictates its alphabetical position...
, or lemma—and no conjugation needs to be done. For example, using the verb する ("do"):
- (私は)買い物をする (watashi wa) kaimono o suru: "(I) shop", or "(I) will shop". (Japanese pronounsJapanese pronounsPronouns are used less frequently in the Japanese language than in many other languages, mainly because there is no grammatical requirement to include the subject in a sentence. So, pronouns can seldomly be translated from English to Japanese on a one-on-one basis.The common, English pronouns, such...
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.
Perfective
The perfective aspectPerfective aspect
The perfective aspect , sometimes called the aoristic aspect, is a grammatical aspect used to describe a situation viewed as a simple whole, whether that situation occurs in the past, present, or future. The perfective aspect is equivalent to the aspectual component of past perfective forms...
, 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. The perfective is broadly equivalent to English past tense, and is often called past tense in treatments of Japanese grammar, but it is not restricted to any single tense:
| Type of verb | Perfective | Examples | Perfective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| する suru (do) | した shita | (none others) | |
| 来る kuru (come) | 来た kita | (none others) | |
| 行く iku (go) | 行った itta | (none others) | |
| いらっしゃる irassharu (polite) | いらっしゃった irasshatta いらした irashita |
(none others) | |
| ます masu stem | -ました -mashita | 行きます ikimasu (go) | 行きました ikimashita |
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -った -tta | 使う tsukau (use) | 使った tsukatta |
| う u (See Usage) | -うた -uta, -ota | 問う tou (ask) | 問うた tōta |
| く ku | -いた -ita | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼いた yaita |
| ぐ gu | -いだ -ida | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳いだ oyoida |
| す su | -した -shita | 示す shimesu (show) | 示した shimeshita |
| つ tsu | -った -tta | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待った matta |
| ぬ nu | -んだ -nda | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死んだ shinda |
| ぶ bu | -んだ -nda | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼んだ yonda |
| む mu | -んだ -nda | 読む yomu (read) | 読んだ yonda |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-った -tta | 走る hashiru (run) | 走った hashitta |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-いた -ita, -えた -eta | 着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えた kigaeta |
| Adjectives | |||
| い i adjective Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-かった -katta | 安い yasui (cheap) | 安かった yasukatta |
| な na adjective Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-だった -datta | 簡単 kantan (easy) | 簡単だった kantan datta |
Usage
Note that the perfective conjugation for verbs ending in -う more commonly follows the second 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
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
, one may hear forms such as つかう tsukau → つこうた tsukōta, or いう iu → いうた iuta.
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).
- 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.)
Negative
The basic pattern is u becomes anai (informal).| Type | Negative | Examples | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| 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 |
| 来る kuru (come) | 来ない konai | ||
| ある aru (be, exist) | ない nai | ||
| だ da | ではない de wa nai じゃない ja nai |
||
| ます masu stem | -ません -masen | 行きます ikimasu (go) | 行きません ikimasen |
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -わない -wanai | 使う tsukau (use) | 使わない tsukawanai |
| く ku | -かない -kanai | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼かない yakanai |
| ぐ gu | -がない -ganai | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳がない oyoganai |
| す su | -さない -sanai | 示す shimesu (show) | 示さない shimesanai |
| つ tsu | -たない -tanai | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待たない matanai |
| ぬ nu | -なない -nanai | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死なない shinanai |
| ぶ bu | -ばない -banai | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼ばない yobanai |
| む mu | -まない -manai | 読む yomu (read) | 読まない yomanai |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-らない -ranai | 走る hashiru (run) | 走らない hashiranai |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-いない -inai, -えない -enai | 着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えない kigaenai |
| Adjectives | |||
| i adjectives Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-くない -kunai | 痛い itai (painful) | 痛くない itakunai |
| na adjectives Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-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 form made by adding で de. For example, 食べないで tabenaide. This is used, for example, in 食べないで下さい tabenaide kudasai: "Please don't eat (this)".
i form
The i form, or ren'yōkei, is very regular, and in almost all cases it is formed by replacing the u with i (and making any necessary phonetic changes: す su to し shi, and つ tsu to ち chi).| Type | i form | Examples | i form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| する suru (do) | し shi | 勉強する benkyō suru | 勉強し benkyō shi |
| 来る kuru | き ki | ||
| る ru (polite verbs) | -い -i | ござる gozaru | ござい gozai |
| だ da | であり de ari | ||
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -い -i | 使う tsukau (use) | 使い tsukai |
| く ku | -き -ki | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼き yaki |
| ぐ gu | -ぎ -gi | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳ぎ oyogi |
| す su | -し -shi | 示す shimesu (show) | 示し shimeshi |
| つ tsu | -ち -chi | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待ち machi |
| ぬ nu | -に -ni | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死に shini |
| ぶ bu | -び -bi | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼び yobi |
| む mu | -み -mi | 読む yomu (read) | 読み yomi |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-り -ri | 走る hashiru (run) | 走り hashiri |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-い -i, -え -e | 着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替え kigae |
- The rule for polite verbs ending in る ru applies to the consonant-stem honorific verbs いらっしゃる irassharu, おっしゃる ossharu, くださる kudasaru, ござる gozaru, and なさる nasaru, which have irregular i forms. They are formed by replacing the ru with simply i, instead of ri.
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 adjectiveJapanese adjectivesAccording to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense...
.) - 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 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: 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 adjectivesJapanese adjectivesAccording to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense...
.) - 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 yakuzaYakuza, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
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 thegall to kill " [e.g. --without my permission]. (The te form can be substituted for the i form.)
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 honorificsJapanese honorificsThe Japanese language has many honorifics, parts of speech which show respect, and their use is mandatory in many social situations. Honorifics in Japanese may be used to emphasize social distance or disparity in rank, or to emphasize social intimacy or similarity in rank.The system of 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).
Te form
The te form of a Japanese verb (sometimes called the "participle") is used when the verb has some kind of connection to the following words. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| する suru (do) | して shite | 愛する aisuru (to love) | 愛して aishite |
| 来る kuru (come) | 来て kite | ||
| 行く iku (go) | 行って itte | ||
| 問う tou (ask) | 問うて tōte | 請う kou (request) | 請うて kōte |
| いらっしゃる irassharu (polite) | いらっしゃって irasshatte いらして irashite |
||
| -ます -masu stem | -まして -mashite | 開けます akemasu (open) | 開けまして akemashite |
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -って -tte | 使う tsukau (use) | 使って tsukatte |
| く ku | -いて -ite | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼いて yaite |
| ぐ gu | -いで -ide | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳いで oyoide |
| す su | -して -shite | 示す shimesu (show) | 示して shimeshite |
| つ tsu | -って -tte | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待って matte |
| ぬ nu | -んで -nde | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死んで shinde |
| ぶ bu | -んで -nde | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼んで yonde |
| む mu | -んで -nde | 読む yomu (read) | 読んで yonde |
| る ru | -って -tte | 走る hashiru (run) | 走って hashitte |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-いて -ite, -えて -ete | 着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えて kigaete |
| Adjectives | |||
| い i adjective Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-くて -kute | 安い yasui (cheap) | 安くて yasukute |
| な na adjective Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-で -de | 簡単 kantan (simple) | 簡単で kantan de |
Usage
- As a simple command:
- 食べて Tabete: "Eat."
- 読んで Yonde: "Read."
- In requests with くれ kure and 下さい kudasai.
- 本を読んでください: "Please read the book."
- With the verbs :
- いる iru: It means "to be doing". For example: 待っている matte iru: "I am waiting". This is also used in some situations where the English equivalent does not use "to be doing". For example: 知っている shitte iru: "I know", 持っている motte iru: "I have", ここに住んでいる koko ni sunde iru: "I live here". Colloquially, in this form the "i" often disappears, 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.
- おく oku: It means "to do in advance". お弁当を作っておいた obentō o tsukutte oita: "I've 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 forms a kind of passive when used with a transitive verb. ここに文字が書いてある koko ni moji ga kaite aru: "There are some characters written here". It shows that something was left in a certain state. 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 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".
- 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.
- To combine clauses or adjectives, as if by the English conjunction "and". For example:
- 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."
- 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 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"
Potential
The general pattern is u becomes eru.| Type | Potential | Examples | Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| する suru | できる dekiru (せられる serareru) (せる seru) |
勉強する benkyō suru 察する sassuru (guess) 愛する aisuru (love) |
勉強できる benkyō dekiru 察せられる sasserareru 愛せる aiseru |
| 来る kuru | 来られる korareru 来れる koreru |
||
| ある aru | あり得る ariuru, arieru | ||
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -える -eru | 使う tsukau (use) | 使える tsukaeru |
| く ku | -ける -keru | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼ける yakeru |
| ぐ gu | -げる -geru | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳げる oyogeru |
| す su | -せる -seru | 示す shimesu (show) | 示せる shimeseru |
| つ tsu | -てる -teru | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待てる materu |
| ぬ nu | -ねる -neru | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死ねる shineru |
| ぶ bu | -べる -beru | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼べる yoberu |
| む mu | -める -meru | 読む yomu (read) | 読める yomeru |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-れる -reru | 走る hashiru (run) | 走れる hashireru |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-いられる -irareru, えられる -erareru -いれる -ireru, -えれる -ereru |
着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えられる kigaerareru 着替えれるkigaereru |
Usage
The potential is used to express that one has the ability to do something. Direct objects are 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".
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？」 koohii 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？」 koohii kau?, it is very casual and might also mean simply "Are you buying/Will you buy coffee?" in 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 correct 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
Japanese consonant and vowel verbs
Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru...
.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| する suru (do) | させる saseru | 勘弁する kanben suru | 勘弁させる kanben saseru |
| 来る kuru (come) | 来させる kosaseru | ||
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -わせる -waseru | 使う tsukau (use) | 使わせる tsukawaseru |
| く ku | -かせる -kaseru | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼かせる yakaseru |
| ぐ gu | -がせる -gaseru | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳がせる oyogaseru |
| す su | -させる -saseru | 示す shimesu (show) | 示させる shimesaseru |
| つ tsu | -たせる -taseru | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待たせる mataseru |
| ぬ nu | -なせる -naseru | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死なせる shinaseru |
| ぶ bu | -ばせる -baseru | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼ばせる yobaseru |
| む mu | -ませる -maseru | 読む yomu (read) | 読ませる yomaseru |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-らせる -raseru | 走る hashiru (run) | 走らせる hashiraseru |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-いさせる -isaseru, -えさせる -esaseru | 着替える kigaeru | 着替えさせる kigaesaseru |
| Adjectives and negatives | |||
| い i adjectives Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-くさせる -ku saseru | 寒い samui (cold) | 寒くさせる samuku saseru |
| な na adjectives Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-にさせる -ni saseru | 静か shizuka (quiet) | 静かにさせる shizuka ni saseru |
- The ru ending of the causative form becomes the new verb ending. This conjugates as a vowel stemJapanese consonant and vowel verbsJapanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru...
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".
- AdjectivesJapanese adjectivesAccording to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense...
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| する suru | すれば sureba | 勘弁する kanben suru | 勘弁すれば kanben sureba |
| 来る kuru | くれば kureba | ||
| だ da (copula) | であれば de areba | ||
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -えば -eba | 使う tsukau (use) | 使えば tsukaeba |
| く ku | -けば -keba | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼けば yakeba |
| ぐ gu | -げば -geba | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳げば oyogeba |
| す su | -せば -seba | 示す shimesu (show) | 示せば shimeseba |
| つ tsu | -てば -teba | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待てば mateba |
| ぬ nu | -ねば -neba | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死ねば shineba |
| ぶ bu | -べば -beba | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼べば yobeba |
| む mu | -めば -meba | 読む yomu (read) | 読めば yomeba |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-れば -reba | 走る hashiru (run) | 走れば hashireba |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-いれば -ireba, -えれば -ereba | 着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えれば kigaereba |
| Adjectives and negatives | |||
| い i adjectives Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-ければ -kereba | 寒い samui | 寒ければ samukereba |
| な na adjectives Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-であれば -de areba | 簡単 kantan | 簡単であれば kantan de areba |
| 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. 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:
- 何すればいいか nani 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."
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(deatta) Suzuki."
Imperative
Most of the imperative forms are characterized by the final u becoming e.| Type | Becomes | Examples | Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| する suru | しろ shiro せよ seyo (せ se) |
勘弁する kanben suru 愛する aisuru (love) |
勘弁しろ kanben shiro 勘弁せよ kanben seyo 愛せ aise |
| 来る kuru | 来い koi | ||
| る ru (polite verbs) | -い -i | いらっしゃる irassharu なさる nasaru |
いらっしゃい irasshai なさい nasai |
| くれる kureru | くれ kure | ||
| masu stem | -ませ -mase | いらっしゃいます irasshaimasu (come, go) | いらっしゃいませ irasshaimase |
| だ da (copula) | であれ de are | ||
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -え -e | 使う tsukau (use) | 使え tsukae |
| く ku | -け -ke | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼け yake |
| ぐ gu | -げ -ge | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳げ oyoge |
| す su | -せ -se | 示す shimesu (show) | 示せ shimese |
| つ tsu | -て -te | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待て mate |
| ぬ nu | ね -ne | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死ね shine |
| ぶ bu | -べ -be | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼べ yobe |
| む mu | め -me | 読む yomu (read) | 読め yome |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-れ -re | 走る hashiru (run) | 走れ hashire |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-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 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 form is used
- in orders, such as in the military, or to inferiors, or in textbook exercises,
- in set phraseSet phraseA set phrase or fixed phrase is a phrase whose parts are fixed, even if the phrase could be changed without harming the literal meaning. This is because a set phrase is a culturally accepted phrase. A set phrase does not necessarily have any literal meaning in and of itself. Set phrases may...
s 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).
Passive
The general pattern for the passive voicePassive voice
Passive voice is a grammatical voice common in many of the world's languages. Passive is used in a clause whose subject expresses the theme or patient of the main verb. That is, the subject undergoes an action or has its state changed. A sentence whose theme is marked as grammatical subject is...
is u becomes areru.
| Type | Passive | Examples | Passive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| する suru | される sareru | 勉強する benkyō suru (study) | 勉強される benkyō sareru |
| 来る kuru (come) | 来られる korareru | ||
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -われる -wareru | 使う tsukau (use) | 使われる tsukawareru |
| く ku | -かれる -kareru | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼かれる yakareru |
| ぐ gu | -がれる -gareru | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳がれる oyogareru |
| す su | -される -sareru | 示す shimesu (show) | 示される shimesareru |
| つ tsu | -たれる -tareru | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待たれる matareru |
| ぬ nu | -なれる -nareru | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死なれる shinareru |
| ぶ bu | ばれる -bareru | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼ばれる yobareru |
| む mu | -まれる -mareru | 読む yomu (read) | 読まれる yomareru |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-られる -rareru | 走る hashiru (run) | 走られる hashirareru |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-いられる -irareru, -えられる -erareru | 着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えられる kigaerareru |
- The る ru ending of the passives becomes the new verb ending. This conjugates as a vowel stemJapanese consonant and vowel verbsJapanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru...
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?"
Volitional (Presumptive)
| Type | Volitional | Examples | Volitional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irregular verbs | |||
| 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 |
| 来る kuru (come) | 来よう koyō | ||
| だ da (copula) | だろう darō | ||
| です desu (polite copula) | でしょう deshō | ||
| ます masu stem | -ましょう -mashō | 行きます ikimasu (go, polite) | 行きましょう ikimashō |
| Regular verbs | |||
| う u | -おう -ō | 使う tsukau (use) | 使おう tsukaō |
| く ku | -こう -kō | 焼く yaku (grill) | 焼こう yakō |
| ぐ gu | -ごう -gō | 泳ぐ oyogu (swim) | 泳ごう oyogō |
| す su | -そう -sō | 示す shimesu (show) | 示そう shimesō |
| つ tsu | -とう -tō | 待つ matsu (wait) | 待とう matō |
| ぬ nu | -のう -nō | 死ぬ shinu (die) | 死のう shinō |
| ぶ bu | -ぼう -bō | 呼ぶ yobu (call) | 呼ぼう yobō |
| む mu | -もう -mō | 読む yomu (read) | 読もう yomō |
| る ru (consonant stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-ろう -rō | 走る hashiru (run) | 走ろう hashirō |
| いる iru, える eru (vowel stem Japanese consonant and vowel verbs Japanese has two types of regular verb,#consonant-stem, , Group I, or u verbs, and#vowel-stem, , Group II, or ru verbs.All vowel-stem verbs end in either -eru or -iru... ) |
-いよう -iyō, -えよう -eyō | 着替える kigaeru (change clothes) | 着替えよう kigaeyō |
| Adjectives and negatives | |||
| い i adjective Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-かろう -karō | 近い chikai (near) | 近かろう chikakarō |
| な na adjectives Japanese adjectives According to many analyses, the Japanese language does not have words that function as adjectives in a syntactic sense, i.e. tree diagrams of Japanese sentences can be constructed without employing adjective phrases. However, there are words that function as adjectives in a semantic sense... |
-だろう -darō | 好き suki (liked) | 好きだろう suki darō |
| 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 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."
External links
- Step-by-step lessons on learning various usages
- Japanese Verb Conjugator, online tool giving all forms for any verb
- Aeron Buchanan's Japanese Verb Chart, a concise summary of all Japanese verb conjugations on one sheet of A4