Conjugating Japanese Verbs Easily

Learning a new language can be a rewarding yet challenging journey, and when it comes to Japanese, one of the most intricate aspects is verb conjugation. Unlike English, Japanese verbs do not conjugate according to the subject but change form to indicate tense, mood, and politeness. This can be daunting for beginners, but with a structured approach, you can master Japanese verb conjugation with relative ease.

Understanding the Basics of Japanese Verbs

Before diving into conjugation, it’s essential to understand the nature of Japanese verbs. Japanese verbs are classified into three categories:

1. Godan (五段) Verbs: Also known as “u-verbs,” these verbs end in a consonant followed by the vowel “u.” For example: 書く (kaku – to write), 話す (hanasu – to speak).

2. Ichidan (一段) Verbs: Also known as “ru-verbs,” these verbs typically end in “iru” or “eru.” For example: 食べる (taberu – to eat), 見る (miru – to see).

3. Irregular Verbs: There are only two primary irregular verbs in Japanese: する (suru – to do) and 来る (kuru – to come).

Verb Stems

To conjugate Japanese verbs, you first need to identify the verb stem. For Godan verbs, this involves changing the final “u” vowel to its corresponding stem vowel (a, i, u, e, o). For Ichidan verbs, you simply drop the “ru” ending to find the stem.

For example:
– 書く (kaku) – Stem: 書 (ka)
– 食べる (taberu) – Stem: 食べ (tabe)

Conjugating to Different Forms

Japanese verbs can be conjugated into various forms to indicate tense, mood, and politeness. Here, we will cover the most common conjugations.

Present/Future Tense

In Japanese, the present and future tenses share the same form. For polite speech, you add “ます” (masu) to the verb stem.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書きます (kakimasu)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話します (hanashimasu)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べます (tabemasu)
– 見る (miru) – 見ます (mimasu)

Past Tense

To express the past tense, you change the ending to “ました” (mashita) for polite speech.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書きました (kakimashita)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話しました (hanashimashita)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べました (tabemashita)
– 見る (miru) – 見ました (mimashita)

Negative Form

To negate a verb, you change the ending to “ません” (masen) for polite speech.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書きません (kakimasen)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話しません (hanashimasen)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べません (tabemasen)
– 見る (miru) – 見ません (mimasen)

Past Negative Form

For the past negative form, you change the ending to “ませんでした” (masen deshita).

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書きませんでした (kakimasen deshita)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話しませんでした (hanashimasen deshita)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べませんでした (tabemasen deshita)
– 見る (miru) – 見ませんでした (mimasen deshita)

Te-form

The Te-form is one of the most versatile forms in Japanese. It is used in a variety of grammatical constructions, including making requests, forming the progressive tense, and connecting clauses. The formation of the Te-form varies between verb types.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書いて (kaite)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話して (hanashite)
– 泳ぐ (oyogu) – 泳いで (oyoide)
– 飲む (nomu) – 飲んで (nonde)
– 死ぬ (shinu) – 死んで (shinde)
– 遊ぶ (asobu) – 遊んで (asonde)
– 待つ (matsu) – 待って (matte)
– 帰る (kaeru) – 帰って (kaette)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べて (tabete)
– 見る (miru) – 見て (mite)

Irregular Verbs:
– する (suru) – して (shite)
– 来る (kuru) – 来て (kite)

Using the Te-form

The Te-form is incredibly useful. Here are a few common usages:

Requests:
– 書いてください (kaite kudasai) – Please write.
– 食べてください (tabete kudasai) – Please eat.

Progressive Tense:
– 書いています (kaite imasu) – I am writing.
– 食べています (tabete imasu) – I am eating.

Connecting Clauses:
– 朝ご飯を食べて、学校に行きます (Asagohan o tabete, gakkō ni ikimasu) – I eat breakfast and then go to school.

Imperative Form

The imperative form is used to give commands. In polite speech, it is more common to use the Te-form with “kudasai” for requests, as it is less direct and more respectful.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書け (kake)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話せ (hanase)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べろ (tabero)
– 見る (miru) – 見ろ (miro)

Irregular Verbs:
– する (suru) – しろ (shiro)
– 来る (kuru) – 来い (koi)

Using the Imperative Form

While the imperative form can sound harsh, it is appropriate in certain situations, such as giving instructions or in emergency contexts.

– 書け！(Kake!) – Write!
– 食べろ！(Tabero!) – Eat!

Volitional Form

The volitional form is used to suggest or propose actions, similar to saying “let’s” in English.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書こう (kakou)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話そう (hanasou)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べよう (tabeyou)
– 見る (miru) – 見よう (miyou)

Irregular Verbs:
– する (suru) – しよう (shiyou)
– 来る (kuru) – 来よう (koyou)

Using the Volitional Form

The volitional form is often used in casual conversation among friends and family.

– 行こう！(Ikou!) – Let’s go!
– 食べよう！(Tabeyou!) – Let’s eat!

Conditional Form

The conditional form is used to express “if” statements. It is formed by adding “ば” (ba) to the verb stem.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書けば (kakeba)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話せば (hanaseba)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べれば (tabereba)
– 見る (miru) – 見れば (mireba)

Irregular Verbs:
– する (suru) – すれば (sureba)
– 来る (kuru) – 来れば (kureba)

Using the Conditional Form

Conditional sentences are common in Japanese for expressing hypothetical situations or giving advice.

– 勉強すれば、合格します。(Benkyou sureba, goukaku shimasu.) – If you study, you will pass.
– 食べれば、元気になります。(Tabereba, genki ni narimasu.) – If you eat, you will feel better.

Potential Form

The potential form indicates the ability to do something. For Godan verbs, you change the final “u” to “e” and add “る” (ru). For Ichidan verbs, you add “られる” (rareru) to the stem.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書ける (kakeru)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話せる (hanaseru)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べられる (taberareru)
– 見る (miru) – 見られる (mirareru)

Irregular Verbs:
– する (suru) – できる (dekiru)
– 来る (kuru) – 来られる (korareru)

Using the Potential Form

This form is useful for expressing capability or possibility.

– 漢字が書ける (Kanji ga kakeru) – I can write kanji.
– 日本語が話せる (Nihongo ga hanaseru) – I can speak Japanese.

Causative Form

The causative form indicates that someone is making someone else do something. For Godan verbs, you change the final “u” to “a” and add “せる” (seru). For Ichidan verbs, you add “させる” (saseru) to the stem.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書かせる (kakaseru)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話させる (hanasaseru)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べさせる (tabesaseru)
– 見る (miru) – 見させる (misaseru)

Irregular Verbs:
– する (suru) – させる (saseru)
– 来る (kuru) – 来させる (kosaseru)

Using the Causative Form

This form is used to describe situations where someone is made to do something.

– 先生は学生に宿題をさせる (Sensei wa gakusei ni shukudai o saseru) – The teacher makes the students do homework.
– 母は私に野菜を食べさせる (Haha wa watashi ni yasai o tabesaseru) – My mother makes me eat vegetables.

Causative-Passive Form

The causative-passive form is used to indicate that someone is made to do something by someone else. It combines the causative and passive forms. For Godan verbs, you change the final “u” to “a,” add “せられる” (serareru) or “される” (sareru). For Ichidan verbs, you add “させられる” (saserareru) to the stem.

Godan Verbs:
– 書く (kaku) – 書かせられる (kakaserareru) / 書かされる (kakasareru)
– 話す (hanasu) – 話させられる (hanasaserareru)

Ichidan Verbs:
– 食べる (taberu) – 食べさせられる (tabesaserareru)
– 見る (miru) – 見させられる (misaserareru)

Irregular Verbs:
– する (suru) – させられる (saserareru)
– 来る (kuru) – 来させられる (kosaserareru)

Using the Causative-Passive Form

This form is useful for expressing situations where someone is compelled to do something against their will.

– 彼は先生に宿題をさせられる (Kare wa sensei ni shukudai o saserareru) – He is made to do homework by the teacher.
– 私は母に野菜を食べさせられる (Watashi wa haha ni yasai o tabesaserareru) – I am made to eat vegetables by my mother.

Practical Tips for Mastering Japanese Verb Conjugation

1. Practice Regularly: Consistent practice is key. Use flashcards, apps, or textbooks to drill different verb forms.

2. Immerse Yourself: Surround yourself with Japanese as much as possible. Watch Japanese TV shows, listen to Japanese music, and try to read simple texts.

3. Use Mnemonics: Create memory aids to help remember conjugation rules. For example, for the Te-form of Godan verbs ending in “mu,” think of the phrase “mu becomes nde.”

4. Speak and Write: Practice speaking and writing in Japanese regularly. Try to use new verb forms in sentences to reinforce your learning.

5. Get Feedback: Engage with native speakers or language exchange partners. They can provide valuable feedback and help you correct mistakes.

6. Be Patient: Language learning is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories along the way.

By breaking down Japanese verb conjugation into manageable parts and practicing regularly, you can conquer this challenging aspect of the language. Remember, persistence and consistency are your best allies in mastering Japanese verbs. Happy learning!