Three Groups of Verbs #

Japanese verbs are grouped into three sets: る-verbs, う-verbs, and irregular verbs.

る-verbs #

る-verbs are made up of a base which ends with either e or i plus the suffix る.

All る-verbs therefore end in eru or iru.

Examples:

食べる (たべ + る)

寝る (ね + る)

起きる (おき + る)

見る (み + る)

う-verbs #

う-verbs are made up of consonant-final base plus う ie. 飲む (nom + u).

Note that 帰る is not a る-verb as the r sound in it comes from the base and not from the suffix.

Examples: 飲む (nom + u)

読む (yom + u)

話す (hanas + u)

聞く (kik + u)

行く (ik + u)

帰る (kaer + u)

Irregular verbs #

There are two irregular verbs, する and くる.

Present Tense Conjugation #

る-verbs #

To conjugate る-verbs, simply replace る with ます (affirmative) or ません (negative).

For example:

う-verbs #

To conjugate う-verbs, simply replace う with います (affirmative) or いません (negative).

For example:

The を, で, に, and へ Particles #

を (Direct Object) #

The を particle indicates direct objects, the kinds of things that are directly involved in, or affected by, the event being talked about.

Examples

水 を 飲みます (I drink water)

音楽 を 聞きます (I listen to music)

テレビ を 見みます (I watch television)

で (Place of Action) #

The で particle indicates where the event described by the verb takes place.

Examples

図書館 で 本 を 読みます (I will ready books in the library)

うち で 昼ご飯 を 食べます (I will eat lunch at home)

The に Particle #

The に particle has many meanings, but only the ff. two (2) will be provided for now:

に (Goal of Movement) #

For verbs like 行く, 来る, and 帰る.

For example:

今日 図書館 に 帰りません (I will not return to the library today)

うち に 行きます (I will go home)

に (Time) #

To refer to days of the week like on Sunday and numerical time expressions like at 10:35 and in September.

For example:

土曜日 に フイリピン に 行きます (I will go to the Philippines on Saturday).

十時 に 寝ます (I will go to sleep at 10 o' clock)

This cannot be used for time expressions in three (3) ways:

1. Relative to the present moment, such as today or tomorrow.
2. Regular intervals, such as every day.
3. The word for when.

明日 行きます (I will go tomorrow)

毎日 テレビ を 見ます (I watch television everyday)

何時 行きますか (When will you go?)

へ (Goal of Movement) #

The へ particle can be used to replace に when referring to movement goals.

Note that this particle is pronounced as e

今日 図書館 へ 帰りません (I will not return to the library today)

うち へ 行きます (I will go home)