Verb groups
Ichidan, godan and the two irregular verbs.
A verb's group decides how it conjugates. The dictionary form, the one a dictionary lists, always ends in an u sound. It is also the plain present: 書く "write, writes, will write".
| Group | How to spot it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Ichidan (る-verbs) | Ends in -iru or -eru; drop る to conjugate | 食べる taberu, 見る miru, 起きる okiru |
| Godan (う-verbs) | The final kana changes vowel | 書く kaku, 話す hanasu, 飲む nomu |
| Irregular | Only two | する suru, 来る kuru |
Godan verbs
Godan verbs end in one of nine kana. The name means "five rows": the final kana moves through all five vowels as the verb changes.
| Ending | Example |
|---|---|
| う | 買う kau "buy" |
| く | 書く kaku "write" |
| ぐ | 泳ぐ oyogu "swim" |
| す | 話す hanasu "speak" |
| つ | 待つ matsu "wait" |
| ぬ | 死ぬ shinu "die", the only common one |
| ぶ | 遊ぶ asobu "play" |
| む | 飲む nomu "drink" |
| る | 取る toru "take" |
| Vowel | Form of 書く | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| a | 書か | The ない form, passive and causative; verbs in う use わ: 買わない |
| i | 書き | The ます form |
| u | 書く | The dictionary form |
| e | 書け | Potential, the ば conditional, commands |
| o | 書こ | The volitional, with う: 書こう |
Ichidan or godan?
Apart from する and 来る, a verb that doesn't end in -iru or -eru is godan. A verb that does is usually ichidan, but some are godan: 帰る kaeru, 入る hairu, 走る hashiru, 知る shiru, 切る kiru, 要る iru, しゃべる shaberu. A few pairs sound the same and differ only in group:
| Godan | Ichidan |
|---|---|
| 帰る kaeru "go home" | 変える kaeru "change" |
| 切る kiru "cut" | 着る kiru "wear" |
| 要る iru "need" | いる iru "be, exist" |
The ます form shows the group: 帰ります, but 変えます. A word's page shows its group.
- Saki ni kaerimasu.I'll head home first.帰る is godan
- Maiasa rokuji ni okimasu.I get up at six every morning.起きる is ichidan
Irregular verbs
する "do" and 来る "come" are the only fully irregular verbs. する also turns many nouns into verbs: 勉強する benkyō suru "study", 電話する denwa suru "phone". A few other verbs have one odd form: 行く iku has the て form 行って, and ある has the negative ない.
Cards from this guide
7 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Verbs cards.
What sound does a Japanese verb's dictionary form always end in?
An u sound, as in 書く (kaku) or 食べる (taberu).
What two sounds does every ichidan verb (る-verb) end in, as 食べる (taberu, eat) and 見る (miru, see) do?
-eru or -iru.
What happens to the last kana of a godan verb like 書く (kaku, write) when it conjugates?
Its vowel changes: 書か, 書き, 書く, 書け, 書こ.
Which two verbs are the only fully irregular verbs in Japanese?
する (suru, do) and 来る (kuru, come).
What does する (suru) do when it follows a noun like 勉強 (benkyō, study)?
It turns the noun into a verb: 勉強する, 'to study'.
帰る (kaeru, go home): ichidan or godan?
Godan.
How do the ます forms of 切る (kiru, cut) and 着る (kiru, wear) differ?
切ります for 'cut', but 着ます for 'wear'.