ULTIMATE JAPANESE VERB

CONJUGATION GUIDE
OBJECTIVES:
1. Understand Japanese verb conjugation.
2. Categorize verbs into Groups 1, 2, and 3.
3. Apply conjugation rules for regular verbs.
4. Use conjugation patterns for causative,
passive, potential, and volitional forms.
5. Apply rules for irregular verbs.
6. Practice verb conjugation in various
contexts.
7. Construct sentences using different
patterns.
8. Apply knowledge to real-world scenarios.
9. Identify patterns for irregular verbs.
10. Engage in review for consolidation.
WHAT DOES CONJUGATION
MEAN?
Conjugation in Japanese is described as the variation of the form of a certain part of speech—
such as verbs—which is influenced by certain elements.
These include: voice, mood, tense, and politeness level.
In Japanese, there are four parts of speech which have conjugation:
動詞 (dōshi) — Verb
助動詞 (jodōshi) — Auxiliary Verb
形容詞 (keiyōshi) — Adjective
形容動詞 (keiyōdōshi) — Adjective Verb
In this article, we’ll just be focusing on Japanese verb conjugations so we can explain in better
detail.
2 – WHAT AFFECTS
CONJUGATION?
As we mentioned above, the voice, mood, tense, and politeness level are identified by the form

of Japanese verb conjugation used.
 Voice
 There are two types of voice: 能動態 (nōdōtai), or “active voice,” and 受動態 (judōtai), or
“passive voice.”
 The basic form of a verb is usually the active voice, where the subject performs the action.

私は日記を書く。
Watashi wa nikki o kaku.
“I write a journal.”
 In Japanese, the passive voice is mainly used when the action is performed on the subject, or
受け身 (ukemi). However, it’s also used for other cases, such as:

可能 (kanō) — to denote ability

自発 (jihatsu) — spontaneous
使役 (shieki) — causative
尊敬 (sonkei) — respectful language
2 – WHAT AFFECTS
CONJUGATION?
 The Japanese passive voice is expressed in either れる (reru) or られる (rareru), which are
auxiliary verbs used together with other verbs.
 -Passive action:
先生によく叱 - られる。
Sensei ni yoku shika-rareru.
“I’m often scolded by the teacher.”
 -Ability:
たくさん食べ - られる
Takusan tabe-rareru.
“I can eat a lot.”
 -Spontaneous:
毎年あの災害が思い出さ - れる。
Maitoshi ano saigai ga omoidasa-reru.
“That disaster is remembered every year.”
 -Respectful:
講師が話さ - れる。
Kōshi ga hanasa-reru.
“A lecturer is talking.” [In a respectful manner]
2 – WHAT AFFECTS
CONJUGATION?
Active: Watashi wa nikki o kaku. (“I write a journal.”)
 Passive: Nikki wa watashi ni yori kakareru. (“The journal is written by me.”)
 Mood
 There are different types of moods that are identified in the conjugation forms.
Grammatical mood refers to the attitude of the speaker toward the action of
the verb. For example, it indicates whether that person is giving an order,
making an assumption, giving a suggestion, etc.
 Example:
 Dictionary form : 食べる (taberu) “to eat”
 Verb stem: 食べ - (tabe-)
2 – WHAT AFFECTS
CONJUGATION?
Mood / Usage Conjugation Kanji

Negative Form Tabenai (Not eat/ Don’t eat) 食べない

Attributive Form taberu(toki) (To eat (when..) 食べる（とき）

Tabereba (If (one) eats / When

Conditional Form
(one) eats) 食べれば

Imperative Form Tabero (Eat / (You) eat!) 食べろ

Volitional Form ( “Let’s-“) Tabeyō (Let’s eat) 食べよう

 Tense
 Japanese verb conjugation by tense is actually very simple when compared to English and
romance languages such as French, Spanish, and Italian.
 There are just two main tenses for the Japanese verb forms: present and past tense. The form
of the present tense is used for future and habitual action, and therefore there is no particular
future tense.
 The past tense always ends with た。 (–ta).
 Japanese verb conjugation (Present Tense):

私は今出かける。
Watashi wa ima dekakeru.
“I go out now.”

私は来週出かける。
Watashi wa raishū dekakeru.
Literal translation: “I go out next week,” or “I will go out next week.”
 Japanese verb conjugation (Past Tense):

私は出かけた。
Watashi wa dekaketa.
“I went out.”
 Level of Politeness
 In Japanese conjugation, politeness level is another factor to consider. Verbs in the dictionary form are casual
and informal, while verbs in the formal form end with ます (-masu), as do verbs in the ordinary polite form
丁寧語 (Teineigo). In addition to verb conjugation, the Japanese language (especially verbs) has three types
of 敬語 (keigo), or “honorific language,” which affect the Japanese conjugation forms. They also show
different levels of respect:
 丁寧語 (teineigo) — polite
 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) — respectful
 謙譲語 (kenjōgo) — humble / modest
 They’re used to express social distance and intimacy, as well as disparity or similarity in rank. For more
details on Japanese 敬語 (keigo), please visit Japanese Honorifics.
 It’s necessary for adults to be able to use 敬語 (keigo) properly in formal situations in Japan. However, you
can use at least the formal/polite form without being rude.
HERE’S A JAPANESE CONJUGATION TABLE
FOR 言う (IU), OR “TO SAY,” BY
POLITENESS LEVEL.
Form Reading Kanji
Dictionary / Informal i-u 言 -う

Formal / Teineigo / Polite ii-masu 言い - ます

Sonkeigo / Respectful ossharu おっしゃる

Kenjōgo / Humble mōsu 申す

Appropriate use of 敬語 (keigo) is a must in the Japanese business world.

2. JAPANESE VERB
CONJUGATION GROUPS
  Sonkeigo / Respectful:
Certainly! Let's provide examples for each of the  Verb: 言う (iu) - to say
forms and readings in Japanese verb conjugation:  Example Sentence: 社長は良いことをおっしゃい
 Dictionary Form / Informal: ます。
 Verb: 言う (iu) - to say  Shachou wa ii koto o osshaimasu.

 Example Sentence: 彼は良いことを言った。  Translation: The president says something good

(respectful).
 Kare wa ii koto o itta.
 Translation: He said something good.  Kenjōgo / Humble:
 Verb: 言う (iu) - to say
 Formal / Teineigo / Polite:
 Example Sentence: 申し上げることはありません。
 Verb: 言う (iu) - to say
 Moushiageru koto wa arimasen.
 Example Sentence: 先生は良いことを言います。
 Translation: There is nothing I would like to say
 Sensei wa ii koto o iimasu.
(humble).
 Translation: The teacher says something good.
2. JAPANESE VERB
CONJUGATION GROUPS
Japanese verbs always end with u or ru, and verbs are categorized into three
groups:
Class 1: U-verb
Class 2 : Ru-verb
Class 3: Irregular verb

 Japanese verbs consist of two parts: a verb base (“stem”) and a suffix.
 A stem doesn’t change and a suffix conjugates according to the voice, mood, tense, and forms
(casual vs. polite, and plain vs. negative).
1 – CLASS 1: U-VERBS
U-verbs always end with –u. However, please note that this refers to the last vowel being u when it’s
written in reading form.
Therefore, U-verbs can end with Hiragana う (u), く (ku), す (su), つ（ tsu), ぬ (nu), む (mu), and
sometimes る (ru).

Examples of U-verbs

English Reading Kanji Hiragana

“listen” / “hear” kiku 聞く きく

“wait” matsu 待つ まつ

“write” kaku 書く かく

“go” iku 行く いく
 2 – CLASS 2: RU-VERBS
Ru-verbs always end with –ru which is Hiragana る . Some verbs that end with る (ru) are categorized as U-verbs,
such as 取る (toru), meaning “take,” but they’re just a few exceptions that you’ll easily start to recognize.

Examples of Ru-verbs

English Reading Kanji Hiragana

“eat” taberu 食べる 食べる

“wake up” /
“get up”
okiru 起きる おきる

“sleep” neru 寝る ねる

“teach” oshieru 教える おしえる

3 – CLASS 3: IRREGULAR VERBS
 Surprise! There are only two irregular Japanese verbs, which are 来る (kuru), meaning “come,” and する (suru),
meaning “do.”

 Unlike U-verbs and Ru-verbs, the stem of the irregular verbs change according to the conjugation forms.

 The Japanese verb する (suru), meaning “do,” is one of the most frequently used verbs. It’s also very handy
because it can often turn a noun into a verb when it’s added after a noun. Here’s how Japanese irregular verb
conjugation works for this word:

 回転 (kaiten) ＋ する (suru) = “to rotate” / “to spin around”

 [“rotation” / “spin”] [“do”]
 出席 (shusseki) ＋ する (suru) = “to attend”
 [“attendance”] [“do”]
 謝罪 (shazai) ＋ する (suru) = “to apologize”
 [“apology”] [“do”]
 運動 (undō) “exercise” + する (suru) “to do” = Undō-suru (“to exercise”)
3. Conjugation Patterns
In the Japanese verb conjugation system, a suffix (which is often an auxiliary verb) plays an Important
role in conjugation, together with the main verb.

1 – CLASS 1: U-VERB CONJUGATION

U-VERBS CONJUGATE AS IN THIS EXAMPLE:

DICTIONARY FORM: はなす・話す (HANASU) “TO TALK” / “TO SPEAK”

VERB STEM: はな - (HANA-)
THE VERB 話す (HANASU), WHICH MEANS “TO TALK” OR “TO SPEAK,”
HAS THE STEM はな (HANA) AND THE SUFFIX す (SU).
In Japanese conjugation, suffixes conjugate and change like in the example below, according to the
forms.

Form Informal Formal

はな - す はな - します
Present to speak
hana-su hana-shimasu

Negative-present don't speak はな - さない はな - しません

hana-sanai hana-shimasen

Past spoke はな - した はな - しました

hana-shita hana-shimashita

Negative-past didn't speak はな - さなかった はな - しませんでした

hana-sanakatta hana-shimasen deshita

Volitional Let's speak はな - そう はな - しましょう

hana-sō hana-shimashō

Passive (I/you/he/she) am/is/are spoken to はな - される はな - されます

hana-sareru hana-saremasu

Causative (I/you/he/she) make(s) speak はな - させる はな - させます

haha-saseru haha-sasemasu

はな - せば
Conditional if (I/you/he/she) speak(s)
hana-seba

Imperative Speak! はな - せ はな - しなさい

hana-se haha-shinasai
 Example Sentences
 私は彼と話しませんでした。
Watashi wa kare to hana-shimasen deshita.
“I didn’t talk with him.” [past / formal / polite]
 彼らと一緒に話そう。
Kare-ra to issho ni hana-sō.
“Let’s talk with them.” [volitional / informal]
 本当のことを話せ！
Hontō no koto o hana-se!
“ Tell the truth!” [imperative / informal]
 2 – Class 2: Ru-verb Conjugation
 Ru-verb conjugation is similar to U-verb conjugation,
but slightly different. Please pay attention to the
suffix after the stem.
 Dictionary form: たべる・食べる (taberu) “to eat”
 Verb stem: たべ - (tabe-)
 The verb 食べる (taberu), meaning “to eat,” has the
stem たべ (tabe) and the suffix る (ru).
THE SUFFIX CONJUGATES AND CHANGES AS
FOLLOWS:
Form Informal Formal

Present to eat たべ - る たべ - ます
tabe-ru tabe-masu
Negative-present
たべ - ない たべ - ません
(I/you/he/she) don't eat tabe-nai tabe-masen
Past
たべ - た たべ - ました
(I/you/he/she) ate tabe-ta tabe-mashita
Negative-past
たべ - なかった たべ - ませんでした
(I/you/he/she) didn't eat tabe-nakatta tabe-masen deshita

Volitional Let's eat たべ - よう たべ - ましょう

tabe-yō tabe-mashō
Passive たべ - られる たべ - られます
(I/you/he/she) am/is/are eaten tabe-rareru tabe-raremasu
Causative
(I/you/he/she) make(s) eat たべ - させる たべ - させます
tabe-saseru tabe-sasemasu

Conditional たべ - れば
if (I/you/he/she) eat(s) tabe-reba
Imperative たべ - ろ たべ - なさい
Eat! tabe-ro tabe-nasai
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
 彼女は肉を食べません。
Kanojo wa niku o tabe-masen.
“ She does not eat meat.” [present / formal / polite]
 私は子供達に野菜を食べさせます。
Watashi wa kodomo-tachi ni yasai o tabe-sasemasu.
“I make my children eat vegetables.” [causative / formal]
 これを食べれば良くなるよ！
Kore o tabe-reba yoku naru yo!
“ If you eat this, you’ll get better!” [conditional]
 Watashi wa niku o tabe-masen. = “I don’t eat meat.”
4. CONJUGATION PATTERNS
FOR IRREGULAR VERBS
 Contrary to U-verbs and Ru-verbs, the two irregular verbs 来る (kuru), meaning
“come,” and する (suru), meaning “do,” conjugate even the stems. These two
irregular verbs are frequently used, so let’s simply memorize them!
1. 来る
DICTIONARY FORM: くる・来る (KURU) “TO COME”
VERB STEM: く (KU-) / こ (KO-) / き (KI-)
Form Informal Formal

Present く -る き - ます
ku-ru ki-masu
Negative-present こ - ない き - ません
(I/you/he/she) don't come ko-nai ki-masen
Past き -た き - ました
(I/you/he/she) came ki-ta ki-mashita
Negative-past こ - なかった き - ませんでした
(I/you/he/she) didn't come ko-nakatta ki-masen deshita
Volitional こ - よう き - ましょう
Let's come ko-yō ki-mashō
Passive
(I/you/he/she) am/is/are come (by こ - られる こ - られます
someone/something else) ko-rareru ko-raremasu

Causative こ - させる こ - させます

(I/you/he/she) make(s) come ko-saseru ko-sasemasu
Conditional く - れば
if (I/you/he/she) come(s) ku-reba
Imperative こ -い き - なさい
Come! ko-i ki-nasai
2. する
DICTIONARY FORM: する (SURU) “TO DO”
VERB STEM: す (SU-) / し (SHI-) / さ (SA-)

Form Informal Formal

Present す -る し - ます
su-ru shi-masu
Negative-present し - ない し - ません
(I/you/he/she) don't do shi-nai shi-masen
Past し -た し - ました
(I/you/he/she) did shi-ta shi-mashita
Negative-past し - なかった し - ませんでした
(I/you/he/she) didn't do shi-nakatta shi-masen deshita
Volitional し - よう し - ましょう
Let's do shi-yō shi-mashō
Passive
(I/you/he/she) am/is/are done (by さ - れる さ - れます
someone/something else) sa-reru sa-remasu

Causative さ - せる さ - せます
(I/you/he/she) make(s) do sa-seru sa-semasu
Conditional す - れば
if (I/you/he/she) do(es) su-reba
Imperative し -ろ し - なさい
Do! shi-ro shi-nasai
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
 彼はそんなことしません。
Kare wa sonna koto shi-masen.
“He does not do such things.” [present / formal / polite]
 一緒に勉強しよう。
Issho ni benkyō shi-yō.
“Let’s study together.” [volitional / informal]
* benkyō + suru (studying + do = to study)
 早くしなさい！
Hayaku shi-nasai!
“ Do it quickly!” [imperative / formal / polite]
 5. LET’S PRACTICENOW IT’S TIME FOR A JAPANESE CONJUGATION
QUIZ TO PRACTICE!
TRY TO CONJUGATE EACH VERB IN THE ( ), FOLLOWING THE
INSTRUCTIONS, AND WRITE YOUR ANSWER IN THE BLANK. EVEN IF
YOU DON’T KNOW, TRY TO GUESS AND CHECK THE ANSWERS BELOW!
!
1. Write the verb in the past tense and informal form: 4. Write the verb in the imperative and formal form:

Watashi wa kinō ringo o (taberu) ______ . Kanojo ni (shazai suru) ______!

(“I ate an apple yesterday.”) (“Apologize to her!”)

2. Write the verb in the volitional and formal form: 5. Write the verb in the volitional and formal/polite form:

Watashi-tachi to issho ni (hanasu) ______ . Issho ni (iku) ______.

(“Let’s talk with us.”) (“Let’s go together.”)

3. Write the verb in the negative-present and formal form:

Kyō wa shiken no hi desu ga, dare mo (kuru) ______ .

(“Although today is the exam day, nobody comes.”)
 Sushi o tabeyō! = “Let’s eat Sushi!”
Kyō wa shiken no hi desu ga, dare mo kimasen.
 Let’s check the answers!
(“Although today is the exam day, nobody
1.The past tense and informal form comes.”)
of taberu is tabemashita.
It’s the conjugation pattern of Class 2: Ru-verbs.
4.The imperative and formal form of shazai
Watashi wa kinō ringo o tabemashita. suru is shazai shinasai.
(“I ate an apple yesterday.”) It’s the conjugation pattern of the Class 3
irregular verb する (suru), meaning “to do.”
* shazai (“apology”) + suru (“to do”) = “to
2.The volitional and formal form apologize”
of hanasu is hanashimashō.
It’s the conjugation pattern of Class 1: U-verbs. Kanojo ni shazai shinasai!
(“Apologize to her!”)
Watashi-tachi to issho ni hanashimashō.
(“Let’s talk with us.”)
5.The volitional and formal/polite form
of iku is ikimashō.
3.The negative-present and formal form It’s the conjugation pattern of Class 1: U-verbs.
of kuru is kimasen.
It’s the conjugation pattern of the Class 3 Issho ni ikimashō.