Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions

This is a list of Japanese verb and adjective conjugations. Almost all of these are regular, but the conjugations of the very 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 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 (, shinu; to die) is the only one ending in nu.

Present and future

In Japanese, events in the present and future share the same tensesometimes called the "non-past tense"and the distinction between them is communicated in other ways (for example, through the context, or via words that convey the time). The non-past form of a verb is the same as its dictionary formit is used as the headword, or lemmaand no conjugation needs to be done. For example: () (watashi wa) kaimono o suru: "(I) shop", or "(I) will shop". () (watashi wa) ashita benky suru: "Tomorrow, (I) will study". (Japanese pronouns usually are omitted when it is clear about whom the speaker is talking.) In most cases, the base form of the non-past tense cannot be used to indicate one's current state, 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.

Past tense
The basic pattern is the -ta (or -da) ending, but various phonetic changes are made, depending on the verb's last syllable.
Type of verb Past Irregular verbs suru (do) kuru (come) iku (go) tou (ask) shita kita itta tta kou (request) kta Examples Past

irassharu (polite) irasshatta [1] irashita masu stem - -mashita ikimasu (go) Regular verbs u ku gu su tsu nu - -tta - -ita - -ida - -shita - -tta - -nda tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) tsukatta yaita oyoida shimeshita matta shinda ikimashita

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions

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yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) yonda yonda hashitta

bu mu ru (consonant stem)

- -nda - -nda - -tta

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -ita, - -eta

kigaeru (change clothes) kigaeta Adjectives

i adjective na adjective

- -katta - -datta

- yasui (cheap) kantan (easy)

- yasukatta kantan datta

Usage Usage of the past tense follows the same pattern as the present/future tense. For example, nihon ni iku (I am going to go to Japan) becomes nihon ni itta (I went to Japan).

Negative
The basic pattern is u becomes anai (informal).
Type Negative Irregular verbs suru (do) shinai ( sanai) konai nai de wa nai ja nai - -masen ikimasu (go) Regular verbs u ku gu su tsu nu bu mu ru (consonant stem) - -wanai - -kanai - -ganai - -sanai - -tanai - -nanai - -banai - -manai - -ranai tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) tsukawanai yakanai oyoganai shimesanai matanai shinanai yobanai yomanai hashiranai ikimasen benky suru (study) aisuru (love) benky shinai aisanai Examples Negative

kuru (come) aru (be, exist) da

masu stem

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -inai, - -enai kigaeru (change clothes) kigaenai Adjectives i adjectives na adjectives - -kunai - -de wa nai - -ja nai itai (painful) kantan (simple) itakunai kantan de wa nai kantan ja nai

The nai ending conjugates in two ways.

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions 1. As an i adjective. For example the past tense of tabenai is tabenakatta and the te form is tabenakute. 2. There is a special te form made by adding de. For example, tabenaide. This is used, for example, in tabenaide kudasai: "Please don't eat (this)".

i form
The i form, or ren'ykei, is very regular, and in almost all cases it is formed by replacing the u with i (and making any necessary phonetic changes: su to shi, and tsu to chi).
Type i form Irregular verbs suru (do) kuru ru (polite verbs) da shi ki - -i de ari Regular verbs u ku gu su tsu nu bu mu ru (consonant stem) - -i - -ki - -gi - -shi - -chi - -ni - -bi - -mi - -ri tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) tsukai yaki oyogi shimeshi machi shini yobi yomi hashiri gozaru gozai benky suru benky shi Examples i form

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -i, - -e kigaeru (change clothes) kigae

The rule for polite verbs ending in ru applies to the consonant-stem honorific verbs irassharu, ossharu, kudasaru, gozaru, and 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 - -masu ending: iku ikimasu, tsukau tsukaimasu. To express a wish when followed by the ending tai: tabetai: "I want to eat it", ikitai: "I want to go". (The tai ending conjugates as an i adjective.) To express a strong negative intention when followed by - -wa shinai: iki wa shinai yo, anna tokoro "no way I'm going someplace like that". To form a command when followed by - -nasai: kore o tabenasai: "eat this", asoko e ikinasai: "go over there". - -na: massugu kaerina "go straight home": nakayoku asobina "play nice". (Used with children, etc.)

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions To express that something is easy or hard when followed by - -yasui or - -nikui: shitashimiyasui: "easy to befriend": wakarinikui: "hard to understand". To express excessiveness when followed by the verb - -sugiru: 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 - -nagara, the verb becomes an adverb that means doing something while doing something else. arukinagara hon o yonda: "I read a book as I walked." When followed by the verb - -yagaru in yakuza 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: koroshiyagaru: "to have the <expletive> gall to kill <sbdy>" [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 ni: tabe ni ikimashita: "I went there to eat". In formal honorifics such as 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 taberu (to eat) can prefix mono to form tabemono (food). Similarly with nomu (to drink) and kau (to buy). The i form of kakeru (to bet) is a word on its own: kake, which means "a bet". hanasu (to separate) can be suffixed to the i form of kiru (to cut) to form 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 past to -e. Adjectives behave slightly differently.
Type Becomes Irregular verbs suru (do) kuru (come) iku (go) tou (ask) shite kite itte tte kou (request) kte aisuru (to love) aishite Examples Te form

irassharu (polite) irasshatte irashite - -masu stem - -mashite akemasu (open) Regular verbs u ku gu su tsu nu - -tte - -ite - -ide - -shite - -tte - -nde tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) tsukatte yaite oyoide shimeshite matte shinde akemashite

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions

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yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) yonde yonde hashitte

bu mu ru

- -nde - -nde - -tte

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -ite, - -ete

kigaeru (change clothes) kigaete

Adjectives i adjective na adjective - -kute - -de - yasui (cheap) kantan (simple) - yasukute kantan de

Usage As a simple command: Tabete: "Eat." Yonde: "Read." In requests with kure and kudasai. : "Please read the book." With the verbs : iru: It means "to be doing". For example: matte iru: "I am waiting". This is also used in some situations where the English equivalent does not use "to be doing". For example: shitte iru: "I know", motte iru: "I have", koko ni sunde iru: "I live here". Colloquially, in this form the "i" often disappears, so matte iru becomes matteru and shitte iru becomes shitteru. oku: It means "to do in advance". obent o tsukutte oita: "I've made a boxed lunch (for later)". Colloquially, in this form the "e" often disappears, so tsukutte oita becomes tsukuttoita. aru: This forms a kind of passive when used with a transitive verb. koko ni moji ga kaite aru: "There are some characters written here". It shows that something was left in a certain state. Contrast to "kaite iru", "I am writing", which applies to the person doing the writing rather than what is written. 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: katazukete shimatta: "I have finished tidying". It can also suggest a regrettable situation: watashi no kagi ga kiete shimatta: "My keys have disappeared". The form te shimau is shortened to the very very commonly used and casual chimau or chau with the same consonant doubling as the te form. For example, "I forgot my mobile phone!": "keitai wasurechatta!" "" The de shimau form is shortened to jau or jimau in colloquial speech. miru: It means "to try doing". iku: Can express continuous action or a change of state in the future. 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: yakkyoku e itte, kusuri o kau: "(I am going to) go to the pharmacy and buy medicine." ano hito wa shinsetsu de, atama ga yokute, wakariyasui: "That person is kind, smart, and easy to understand." - yasukute ii ne: "It's good that it's cheap." (lit. "Being cheap, it is good.") With particles in formations such as

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions te wa ikenai: "You must not ...". For example, tabete wa ikenai: "You must not eat this". (Other words of prohibition, such as dame, can be substituted for ikenai.) te mo ii: "You may do/It's ok if you do". For example, tabete mo ii: "You may eat it". te mo kamawanai: "You may do/I don't mind if you do" te hoshii: "I want you to do (for me)" te sumimasen: "Sorry for making you go through all this trouble"

Potential
The general pattern is u becomes eru.
Type Potential Irregular verbs suru dekiru ( serareru) ( seru) benky suru sassuru (guess) aisuru (love) benky dekiru sasserareru aiseru Examples Potential

kuru aru

korareru koreru ariuru, arieru Regular verbs

u ku gu su tsu nu bu mu ru (consonant stem)

- -eru - -keru - -geru - -seru - -teru - -neru - -beru - -meru - -reru

tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run)

tsukaeru yakeru oyogeru shimeseru materu shineru yoberu yomeru hashireru

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -irareru, -erareru - -ireru, - -ereru

kigaeru (change clothes) kigaerareru kigaereru

Usage The potential is used to express that one has the ability to do something. Direct objects are marked with the particle ga instead of o. For example 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 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, 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?": 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

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions apple is edible. So, to seek permission, a more polite form is used, such as the te mo ii or more casual "te ii"" usage of the te form, resulting in something literally more like "Is eating this apple OK?" Kono ringo o tabete mo ii desu ka? or Kono ringo o tabete ii?. The potential ru ending conjugates as a vowel stem verb.

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 Irregular verbs suru (do) kuru (come) saseru kosaseru Regular verbs u ku gu su tsu nu bu mu ru (consonant stem) - -waseru - -kaseru - -gaseru - -saseru - -taseru - -naseru - -baseru - -maseru - -raseru tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) tsukawaseru yakaseru oyogaseru shimesaseru mataseru shinaseru yobaseru yomaseru hashiraseru kigaesaseru kanben suru kanben saseru Examples Causative

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -isaseru, - -esaseru kigaeru Adjectives and negatives i adjectives na adjectives - -ku saseru - -ni saseru samui (cold) shizuka (quiet)

samuku saseru shizuka ni saseru

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. Usage The causative is used for: Making someone do something: shukudai o saseru: "(I) make (him) do homework". Letting someone do something: soto de asobaseru: "(I) let (him) play outside". With explicit actors: sensei ga kodomo ni benky o saseta: "The teacher made the children study." The honorific forms sasete morau or sasete itadaku using the verbs morau or its humble equivalent itadaku.

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions

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: ryshin ni benky saserareru: "(I) am made to study by (my) parents". Because words such as mataserareru are considered to be difficult to pronounce, frequently in colloquial speech, the middle part of the causative passive would contract. That is, mataserareru (I was made to wait), would become matasareru. Another example such as "(I) was made to buy (something)" would formally be kawaserareta from the verb kau, but colloquially, it is frequently contracted to kawasareta. This abbreviation is not used for Ichidan verbs ('ru' verbs), nor for the irregular suru and kuru.

Conditional eba form (provisional)

The eba conditional form is characterized by the final -u becoming -eba for all verbs (with the semi-exception of -tsu verbs becoming -teba).
Type Conditional Irregular verbs suru kuru da (copula) sureba kureba de areba Regular verbs u ku gu su tsu nu bu mu ru (consonant stem) - -eba - -keba - -geba - -seba - -teba - -neba - -beba - -meba - -reba tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) tsukaeba yakeba oyogeba shimeseba mateba shineba yobeba yomeba hashireba kanben suru kanben sureba Examples Conditional

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -ireba, - -ereba kigaeru (change clothes) kigaereba Adjectives and negatives i adjectives na adjectives nai (negative) - -kereba - -de areba - -nakereba samui kantan ikanai samukereba kantan de areba ikanakereba

na adjectives and nouns are usually used with the nara conditional, instead of with de areba. The nakereba form used for the negative form can be colloquially contracted to nakya or nakucha. Thus ikanakereba can become ikanakya. Usage The eba conditional form is used in conditionals. For example: nani sureba ii ka: "What should I do?" (lit. "It would be good if I did what?")

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions wakareba ii: "As long as you understand" (lit. "If you understand, it is good.") jikan ga areba, kaimono wo shiy: "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 is formed from the past tense 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 conditional eba form. However, it can also be used to mean more like "if and when", and it is typically preferred over the eba form when this meaning is more accurate. For example: nihon ni ittara, kamera wo kaitai: "If 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: !"#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 Irregular verbs suru $ shiro seyo ( se) koi - -i irassharu nasaru irasshai nasai kanben suru aisuru (love) $ kanben shiro kanben seyo aise Imperative

kuru ru (polite verbs)

kureru masu stem

kure - -mase irasshaimasu (come, go) irasshaimase

da (copula)

de are Regular verbs

u ku gu su tsu nu

- -e - -ke - -ge - -se - -te -ne

tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die)

tsukae yake oyoge shimese mate shine

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions

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yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) yobe yome hashire $ kigaero kigaeyo

bu mu ru (consonant stem)

- -be -me - -re

iru, eru (vowel stem) -$ -iro, - -iyo kigaeru (change clothes) -$ -ero, - -eyo

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 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).

Passive
The general pattern for the passive voice is u becomes areru.
Type Passive Irregular verbs suru kuru (come) sareru korareru Regular verbs u ku gu su tsu nu bu mu ru (consonant stem) - -wareru - -kareru - -gareru - -sareru - -tareru - -nareru -bareru - -mareru - -rareru tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) tsukawareru yakareru oyogareru shimesareru matareru shinareru yobareru yomareru hashirareru benky suru (study) benky sareru Examples Passive

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -irareru, - -erareru kigaeru (change clothes) kigaerareru

The ru ending of the passives becomes the new verb ending. This conjugates as a vowel stem verb. Thus past, te, or polite forms can all be added to the verb. The copula, da, does not form a passive. For the masu form, the masu is added to the passive of the plain verb. Usage The passive is used as a passive: %&'() 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, and

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions as a form of honorific.

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Volitional
Type Volitional Irregular verbs suru (do) shiy ( s) koy $ dar -* -mash ikimasu (go, polite) Regular verbs u ku gu su tsu nu bu mu ru (consonant stem) - - - -k - -g - -s - -t - -n -+ -b - -m -$ -r tsukau (use) yaku (grill) oyogu (swim) shimesu (show) matsu (wait) shinu (die) yobu (call) yomu (read) hashiru (run) tsuka yak oyog shimes mat shin + yob yom $ hashir * ikimash benky suru (study) aisuru (love) benky shiy ais Examples Volitional

kuru (come) da (copula) masu stem

iru, eru (vowel stem) - -iy, - -ey kigaeru (change clothes) kigaey Adjectives and negatives i adjective na adjectives nai (negative) -$ -kar -$ -dar -$ -nakar , chikai (near) - suki (liked) . mienai (invisible) ,$ chikakar -$ suki dar .$ mienakar

Usage In general, the volitional form expresses intention, such as in these cases: In volitional ("let's" or "I shall") statements: benky shiy: "Let's study" or "I shall study". To ask volitional ("shall we") questions: ik ka: "Shall (we) go?" To express what one is thinking of doing, via / omou: / ka to omou: "(I) am thinking of buying (it)". In the form shiy to suru: be about to or be trying to. 01 Inu ga hoey to shite iru: "The dog is about to bark."

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions

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See also
Japanese consonant and vowel verbs

External links
Step-by-step lessons on learning various usages [2] Japanese Verb Conjugator [3], online tool giving all forms for any verb

References
[1] Herr, John (http:/ / web. as. ua. edu/ nihongo/ verb_table_roomaji. htm) Nihongo Web. University of Alabama. Retrieved May 19, 2010. [2] http:/ / www. timwerx. net/ language/ jpverbs/ index. htm [3] http:/ / www. japaneseverbconjugator. com/

Article Sources and Contributors

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Article Sources and Contributors

Japanese verb conjugations and adjective declensions Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=384720420 Contributors: AdiJapan, Anarch21, Andycjp, BiT, Blackrabbit, Bse3, Bueller 007, Chortos-2, Cloneofsnake, DannyWilde, DocWatson42, Dolda2000, Dookama, FilipeS, FinalZero, Furl, Furrykef, Gaijin74, Hayson1991, Hippietrail, Holizz, Istaro, Jaypunkrawk, Kaustuv, LeeWilson, Leucius, Mackan, Matt Fitzpatrick, Matt Kovacs, Moberg, Moonriddengirl, Mr Frosty, Nbarth, Nesnad, Nhk9, Oda Mari, Peachypoh, RJCraig, Rhine Elmao, Rickterp, Rjwilmsi, Seldumonde, Springbreak04, Swift, Timwi, Tristan Schmelcher, Tschmelcher, Wereon, Wikky Horse, Woohookitty, 149 anonymous edits

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