7.3. Verbs


7.3.1. Group I and Group II


Japanese verbs are divided into two groups, which have different style of inflection. One group is called the Group I verbs, the -u verbs, the Godan verbs, and the strong verbs. The other is called the Group II verbs, the -ru verbs, the Ichidan verbs, and the weak verbs. I use the terms Group I and Group II here. Other than the two groups, Japanese has two irregular verbs.

All the Japanese verbs end with the vowel /u/ if they are in the present form. Group II verbs always end with either /iru/ or /eru/. The two irregular verbs are (su)(ru) /suru/ and (ku)(ru) /ku'ru/, which have different inflection from each other.

A verb consists of a root and a suffix. The root never changes, but suffixes can change. In English, a verb's root is its present form, and you can make the past form with the suffix -ed, such as learn - learned. You can make the gerund with the suffix -ing, such as learn - learning.

The final /u/ in the present form of a Group I verb is the suffix, and the rest is the root. The root of a Group I verb always ends with a consonant. The final /ru/ in the present form of a Group II verb is the suffix, and the rest is the root. The root of a Group II verb always ends with either /i/ or /e/.

The first /s/ is the root of the irregular verb (su)(ru) /suru/, and the first /k/ is the root of the irregular verb (ku)(ru) /ku'ru/.

This is a table of present form examples:

GroupHiraganaPhonemesRootSuffixMeaning
Group I(ha)(na)(su)/hana'su//hanas//u/speak
(ki)(ku)/kiku//kik/listen to
(o)(yo)(gu)/oyo'gu//oyog/swim
(ta)(tu)/ta'tu//tat/stand up
(u)(ru)/uru//ur/sell
(a)(ra)(u)/arau//araw/ *1wash
(si)(nu)/sinu//sin/die
(to)(bu)/tobu//tob/fly
(yo)(mu)/yo'mu//yom/read
Group II(mi)(ru)/mi'ru//mi//ru/watch
(o)(ti)(ru)/oti'ru//oti/fall
(ne)(ru)/neru//ne/sleep
(ta)(be)(ru)/tabe'ru//tabe/eat
suru(su)(ru)/suru//s//uru/do
kuru(ku)(ru)/ku'ru//k//uru/come

*1: The last /w/ garantees that all Group I verbs have a root which ends with a consonant. Since Japanese doesn't have /wi/, /wu/, /we/, and /wo/, these phonemes become /i/, /u/, /e/, and /o/ respectively. In this case, the root /araw/ and the suffix /u/ make /arau/, not /arawu/. Whenever you use a Group I verb which ends with a vowel and /u/, assume the hidden /w/ before the final /u/. For example, the root of the verb (i)(u) /iu/ (means say) is /iw/, not /i/.


All the Group II verbs end with either /iru/ or /eru/, but verbs which end with these suffixes are not necessarily Group II verbs. Some are Group I verbs, which end with /u/.

Here are examples of Group I verbs with the ending of /iru/ or /eru/:

GroupHiraganaPhonemesRootSuffixMeaning
Group I(si)(ru)/siru//sir//u/know
(ha)(si)(ru)/hasi'ru//hasir/run
(ha)(i)(ru)/ha'iru//hair/enter
(ka)(e)(ru)/ka'eru//kaer/go back, return
(su)(be)(ru)/sube'ru//suber/slide, skate, ski
(si)(small ya)(be)(ru)/syabe'ru//syaber/chat


The verb (su)(ru) /suru/ can combine with a noun to make a verb which is related to the noun.
Here is an example:

Hiragana:(be)(n)(ki)(small yo)(u)
Phonemes:beNkyou
Meaning:study (noun)


Hiragana:(be)(n)(ki)(small yo)(u)(su)(ru)
Phonemes:beNkyousuru
Meaning:study (verb)

7.3.2. Polite forms


Japanese has a plain mode and a polite mode. To make a sentence polite, add the suffix (ma)(su) /ma'su/ to the verb at the end of the sentence. The phoneme /(i)masu/ is a good way to represent how it connects to verbs. If the root of a verb ends with a vowel, add /ma'su/. If the root ends with a consonant, add /imasu/ because Japanese doesn't allow a consonant which is not followed by a vowel. In other words, add /ma'su/ to Group II verbs, and add /imasu/ to Group I verbs, (su)(ru) /suru/, and (ku)(ru) /ku'ru/.

The suffix (ma)(su) /ma'su/ also works like a verb. For example, it has a past form. Its root is /mas/, and /u/ is the suffix for the present form. It has irregular inflection. It cannot be an independent verb, and it must be added to a verb. So it looks like auxiliary verbs in English, which cannot appear without an accompanying verb.

Here are examples of polite forms:

GroupPlain present formPolite present form
HiraganaPhonemesHiraganaPhonemes
Group I(ha)(na)(su)/hana'su/(ha)(na)(si)(ma)(su)/hanasima'su/
(ki)(ku)/kiku/(ki)(ki)(ma)(su)/kikima'su/
(o)(yo)(gu)/oyo'gu/(o)(yo)(gi)(ma)(su)/oyogima'su/
(ta)(tu)/ta'tu/(ta)(ti)(ma)(su)/tatima'su/
(u)(ru)/uru/(u)(ri)(ma)(su)/urima'su/
(a)(ra)(u)/arau/(a)(ra)(i)(ma)(su)/araima'su/
(si)(nu)/sinu/(si)(ni)(ma)(su)/sinima'su/
(to)(bu)/tobu/(to)(bi)(ma)(su)/tobima'su/
(yo)(mu)/yo'mu/(yo)(mi)(ma)(su)/yomima'su/
Group II(mi)(ru)/mi'ru/(mi)(ma)(su)/mima'su/
(o)(ti)(ru)/oti'ru/(o)(ti)(ma)(su)/otima'su/
(ne)(ru)/neru/(ne)(ma)(su)/nema'su/
(ta)(be)(ru)/tabe'ru/(ta)(be)(ma)(su)/tabema'su/
suru(su)(ru)/suru/(si)(ma)(su)/sima'su/
kuru(ku)(ru)/ku'ru/(ki)(ma)(su)/kima'su/

Please remember phonemes sometimes have different pronunciations from what you might expect from the spellings. The verb (ta)(tu) /ta'tu/ has a pronunciation of "tatsu", and its polite form (ta)(ti)(ma)(su) /tatima'su/ has a pronunciation of "tachimasu". You can easily derive /tatima'su/ from /ta'tu/, but it would be difficult to derive "tachimasu" from "tatsu". This is one of the reasons why I use phonemes in my homepage instead of pronunciations.

The polite mode is recommended when you talk or write to a person who is not so close or who is considered to have a higher position than you. The plain mode is better when you talk to close people such as your family and friends, and it is also better when you write ordinary texts that have no specific receiver, such as novels, articles and theses. You cannot use both of the modes at the same time in a document. Once you begin writing, go on with the mode you use for the first sentence. Native Japanese speakers think in the plain mode.

Please be sure that the polite form of a verb doesn't mean doing politely what the verb means. The polite form stands for the speaker's (writer's) politeness.

You will learn relative clauses, but it is not allowed to use (ma)(su) /ma'su/ for verbs in relative clauses. It is only used for the last verb of sentences. I will explain it again later.

If you think the polite mode is hard to use now, go ahead only with the plain mode. But keep in mind using the plain mode for people who are not so close is considered rude. To avoid this problem, say a sentence in the plain form and add magic word (de)(su) /de'su/ at the end of the sentence. It often produces grammatically incorrect sentences, but they will be understandable and still polite. I will explain how to use the word (de)(su) /de'su/ properly in a later chapter.

7.3.3. Past forms


Adding the suffix (ta) /ta/ to a verb makes the past form. The phoneme /(i)ta/ is a good way to represent how it connects to verbs. The meaning of the /(i)/ is the same as that in /(i)masu/. So use /ta/ for Group II verbs, and use /ita/ for Group I verbs, (su)(ru) /suru/, (ku)(ru) /ku'ru/, and the suffix (ma)(su) /ma'su/.

For ease of pronunciation, Group I verbs change the phonemes when they are combined with (ta) /ta/. The last phoneme of the root determines how it changes the phonemes.

The last hiragana
of the present form		The last phoneme
of the root		Past form
Before changedAfter changed
HiraganaPhonemes
(su)/s//...sita/(si)(ta)/...sita/
(no change)
(ku)/k//...kita/(i)(ta)/...ita/
(gu)/g//...gita/(i)(da)/...ida/
(tu)/t//...tita/(small tu)(ta)/...Qta/
(ru)/r//...rita/
(u)/w//...wita/
(nu)/n//...nita/(n)(da)/...Nda/
(bu)/b//...bita/
(mu)/m//...mita/

There is no other hiragana that can be the last one of Group I verbs. Be sure that only Group I verbs change the phonemes.

There is an exception to this table. The verb (i)(ku) /iku/ (means go) has a root which ends with /k/, so you may expect it to have (i)(i)(ta) /iita/ as the past form, but actually its past form is (i)(small tu)(ta) /iQta/.

Here are examples of past forms:

GroupPresent formPast form
HiraganaPhonemesMeaningHiraganaPhonemesMeaning
Group I(ha)(na)(su)/hana'su/speak (ha)(na)(si)(ta)/hana'sita/spoke
(ki)(ku)/kiku/listen to (ki)(i)(ta)/kiita/listened to
(o)(yo)(gu)/oyo'gu/swim (o)(yo)(i)(da)/oyo'ida/swam
(ta)(tu)/ta'tu/stand up (ta)(small tu)(ta)/ta'Qta/stood up
(u)(ru)/uru/sell (u)(small tu)(ta)/uQta/sold
(a)(ra)(u)/arau/wash (a)(ra)(small tu)(ta)/araQta/washed
(si)(nu)/sinu/die (si)(n)(da)/siNda/died
(to)(bu)/tobu/fly (to)(n)(da)/toNda/flew
(yo)(mu)/yo'mu/read (yo)(n)(da)/yo'Nda/read
Group II(mi)(ru)/mi'ru/watch (mi)(ta)/mi'ta/watched
(o)(ti)(ru)/oti'ru/fall (o)(ti)(ta)/o'tita/fell
(ne)(ru)/neru/sleep (ne)(ta)/neta/slept
(ta)(be)(ru)/tabe'ru/eat (ta)(be)(ta)/ta'beta/ate
suru(su)(ru)/suru/do (si)(ta)/sita/did
kuru(ku)(ru)/ku'ru/come (ki)(ta)/ki'ta/came
masu(ma)(su)/ma'su/*1 (ma)(si)(ta)/ma'sita/*1

*1: This is not a verb but a verbal suffix for the polite mode.

When you want to make a polite past form, make a verb polite first, then change it to the past form. For instance, if you want the polite past form of the verb (to)(bu) /tobu/, change it to the polite form (to)(bi)(ma)(su) /tobima'su/, then change it to the past form (to)(bi)(ma)(si)(ta) /tobima'sita/. This is because the politeness suffix (ma)(su) /ma'su/ has a past form but the past suffix (ta) /ta/ cannot have a polite form.


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