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Complete Japanese Verb Conjugation Guide (Doushi)

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Japanese Verb Conjugation

In Japanese, verbs (doushi 動詞どうし) change form—conjugation—by tense, politeness, and meaning. The system looks dense at first, but the patterns are logical and repeatable.

This guide covers how verbs are grouped and how to change them into the forms you will use most.

3 Main Verb Groups

Before you conjugate, you must know which group a verb belongs to. Japanese verbs fall into three large groups.

Group 1: Godan Verbs (五段動詞 - Godan Doushi)

Godan verbs in dictionary form end in a mora with the vowel u: u, tsu, ru, nu, bu, mu, ku, gu, su.

Godan examples:

VerbReadingMeaning
買かうKauTo buy
待まつMatsuTo wait
作つくるTsukuruTo make
死しぬShinuTo die
遊あそぶAsobuTo play
飲のむNomuTo drink
書かくKakuTo write
泳およぐOyoguTo swim
話はなすHanasuTo speak

Group 2: Ichidan Verbs (一段動詞 - Ichidan Doushi)

Ichidan verbs always end in ru (る), and the sound before ru is i or e.

Ichidan examples:

VerbReadingMeaning
見みるMiruTo see / watch
起おきるOkiruTo wake up
食たべるTaberuTo eat
寝ねるNeruTo sleep

Some verbs look like Group 2 (-iru/-eru) but are actually Group 1 (Godan). Examples: 帰かえる (Kaeru / to return home), 入はいる (Hairu / to enter), 切きる (Kiru / to cut), and 走はしる (Hashiru / to run). Memorize these exceptions.

Group 3: Irregular Verbs (不規則動詞 - Fukisoku Doushi)

Group 3 is small: only two core members, “to do” and “to come.” Their conjugations are irregular, so learn them whole.

  1. 来くる (Kuru) = to come
  2. する (Suru) = to do

Suru often attaches to nouns to form compound verbs. Example:

  • 勉強べんきょう (Benkyou - study) + する = 勉強べんきょうする (to study)

Once the three groups are clear, move to the forms you will use every day.

1. Masu Form (〜ます)

The polite (formal) form. Use it with superiors, people you have just met, or general polite contexts.

Rules:

  • Group 1 (Godan): Change the final ~u sound to ~i, then add ます (masu).
    • 書かく (kaku) → 書かきます (kakimasu)
    • 飲のむ (nomu) → 飲のみます (nomimasu)
  • Group 2 (Ichidan): Drop る (ru), add ます (masu).
    • 食たべる (taberu) → 食たべます (tabemasu)
    • 見みる (miru) → 見みます (mimasu)
  • Group 3 (Irregular): Memorize.
    • 来くる (kuru) → 来きます (kimasu)
    • する (suru) → します (shimasu)

私わたしは毎晩まいばん本ほんを読よみます。 Watashi wa maiban hon o yomimasu. I read a book every night.

2. Nai Form (〜ない)

The casual negative form: “do not / will not…”.

Rules:

  • Group 1 (Godan): Change final ~u to ~a, then add ない (nai).
    • 書かく (kaku) → 書かかない (kakanai)
    • 読よむ (yomu) → 読よまない (yomanai)
    • (Exception: plain u endings like 買かう / kau become wa, not a: 買かわない / kawanai).
  • Group 2 (Ichidan): Drop る (ru), add ない (nai).
    • 食たべる (taberu) → 食たべない (tabenai)
  • Group 3 (Irregular): Memorize.
    • 来くる (kuru) → 来こない (konai)
    • する (suru) → しない (shinai)

今日きょうは学校がっこうへ行いかない。 Kyou wa gakkou e ikanai. Today I will not go to school.

3. Te Form (〜て)

The Te-form is highly versatile: requests, chaining actions, and ongoing activities.

Rules:

  • Group 1 (Godan): Depends on the ending.
    • u, tsu, ru → って (tte). Example: 買かう (kau) → 買かって (katte)
    • mu, bu, nu → んで (nde). Example: 飲のむ (nomu) → 飲のんで (nonde)
    • ku → いて (ite). Example: 書かく (kaku) → 書かいて (kaite). (Exception: 行いく/iku → 行いって / itte)
    • gu → いで (ide). Example: 泳およぐ (oyogu) → 泳およいで (oyoide)
    • su → して (shite). Example: 話はなす (hanasu) → 話はなして (hanashite)
  • Group 2 (Ichidan): Drop る (ru), add て (te).
    • 食たべる (taberu) → 食たべて (tabete)
  • Group 3 (Irregular): Memorize.
    • 来くる (kuru) → 来きて (kite)
    • する (suru) → して (shite)

ちょっと待まってください。 Chotto matte kudasai. Please wait a moment.

Summary Table (Cheat Sheet)

A quick reference—core backbone for everyday conjugation.

Dictionary FormGroupMasu (Polite)Nai (Casual Negative)Te (Linking)
飲のむ (nomu)Godan飲のみます (nomimasu)飲のまない (nomanai)飲のんで (nonde)
買かう (kau)Godan買かいます (kaimasu)買かわない (kawanai)買かって (katte)
書かく (kaku)Godan書かきます (kakimasu)書かかない (kakanai)書かいて (kaite)
話はなす (hanasu)Godan話はなします (hanashimasu)話はなさない (hanasanai)話はなして (hanashite)
食たべる (taberu)Ichidan食たべます (tabemasu)食たべない (tabenai)食たべて (tabete)
見みる (miru)Ichidan見みます (mimasu)見みない (minai)見みて (mite)
来くる (kuru)Irregular来きます (kimasu)来こない (konai)来きて (kite)
する (suru)Irregularします (shimasu)しない (shinai)して (shite)

Conclusion

Verb conjugation sits under most Japanese grammar patterns (JLPT N5 through N1). Keep the three groups in mind, watch for Godan verbs that look like -iru/-eru, and practice until the shifts feel automatic.

If your verb vocabulary is still thin, start with the essential list 100 Everyday Japanese Verbs.

Next Steps

Return to the Japanese grammar hub for core particles, JLPT paths, and daily practice strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many types of verbs are there in Japanese?
Japanese has three verb groups: Godan (Group 1, u-verbs), Ichidan (Group 2, ru-verbs), and Irregular (Group 3, mainly する and 来る). Each group has its own conjugation rules.
What is the Te-form in Japanese?
The Te-form (～て/～で) is one of the most versatile conjugations. It links clauses, forms requests (～てください), marks ongoing actions (～ている), and appears in many other grammar patterns.
How can I memorize Japanese verb conjugations more easily?
Master the rules by group instead of memorizing verb by verb. For Godan, learn the ending-sound patterns. For Ichidan, drop -る and add the ending. Irregular verbs are only two core items.
Which conjugations matter most for beginners?
Masu (polite), Te (linking), and Nai (casual negative) are the three forms to learn first. They show up in almost every everyday conversation.
Do I need to learn every verb form at once?
No. Start with Masu, then Te, Nai, Ta (past), and only later advanced forms such as potential and causative.
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