There are many ways to change the form of a verb to give it a new function. This page looks at only a few very useful forms.
This page will look at how to form & use verbs. A lot can be done with verbs. You simply take the beginning (root) of the verb, chop off the rest, and add on set endings and presto! You have a new way to use the verb!
Getting used to using the various verb form endings correctly takes time, but if you listen to native speech and take heed to your *many* mistakes, you should be able to get a feel for what should go where. This page is a brief survey of what can be added to verb roots.
A Prelude…
BEFORE THE LESSON YOU NEED TO KNOW…
- About the 3 groups of verbs: CLICK HERE TO REVIEW
- That Godzilla’s real name is Cynthia — just kidding…
始めましょう！ Let’s begin…
With each form, there are various ways of changing or adding to the verb to create various meanings. We will look at a few under each form’s section. And yes, there are more, but these forms should be very useful:
- DICTIONARY FORM — so called because that is what you find in the dictionary! (simple, not-so-formal present)
- ます FORM — ends in ます (somewhat formal present)
- た FORM — ends in た (simple, not-so-formal past)
- LET’S-DO-THIS FORM — ends in ましょう／～おう
- CAN-DO-IT FORM — the form that shows ability to do the verb
★ THE VERB ROOT (the part that doesn’t change) IS IN RED ★
Let’s first look at the dictionary form. If you memorize verbs in this form (as they are written in the dictionary) you can then change them to whatever form is necessary.
1. DICTIONARY FORM
The dictionary form always ends in an う-row sound. This form is also called the present (or non-past) informal form.
| VERB GROUP 1 Ends in an う sound. The last syllable could be う・る・つ・ぶ・す・む・ぬ・く・ぐ |
書く — to write 遊ぶ — to play |
| VERB GROUP 2 Ends in る |
見る — to see 食べる — to eat |
| IRREGULAR VERBS | する — to do 来る — to come |
IF YOU KNOW THE DICTIONARY FORM, YOU CAN MAKE OTHER USAGES:
1) CAN DO [dictionary form + ことができる／ことができます]
食べることができる。 — (I) can eat.
漢字を書くことができる。 — I can write kanji.
2) INTEND TO; PLAN TO… [dictionary form + つもり（です）]
アメリカへ行くつもりです。 — I plan to go to America.
Notice the root of 書く is 書(か)—but keep in mind the hidden k-consonant that starts the final syllable く. For Group 1 verbs, that consonant stays put while the vowel changes to make other forms (く→き、ぶ→び…). Get to know the roots very well, as all forms are made by taking the root + something.
2. ます FORM
Remember how the ending syllable of Group 1 verbs changes? Here it is! The ます form always ends in ます. This form is the present (or non-past) formal form.
| VERB GROUP 1 Change the final う-row syllable to its い-row version (く→き、ぶ→び、す→し…) then add ます |
書きます — write 遊びます — play |
| VERB GROUP 2 Simply add ます to the root |
見ます — see 食べます — eat |
| IRREGULAR VERBS The good news is there are only 2 |
します — do (from する) 来ます — come (the reading changes from く to き) |
All 3 groups use the following endings. Example: 食べる (to eat)
- 食べます — eat; non-past (present or future)
- 食べました — ate; past
- 食べません — not eat; negative non-past (present or future)
- 食べませんでした — didn’t eat; negative past
- 食べましょう — let’s eat; a “let’s” suggestion or command — also see VERB FORM #4 below
3. た FORM
Ends in た (simple, not-so-formal past). The endings are a little harder to guess, but they will end in either た or だ.
| VERB GROUP 1 The Group 1 verbs will take some time to get used to |
書いた — wrote 遊んだ — played |
| VERB GROUP 2 Fairly simple: just add た to the root |
見た — saw 食べた — ate |
| IRREGULAR VERBS | した — did 来た — came |
IF YOU KNOW THE た FORM, YOU CAN MAKE OTHER USAGES:
1) JUST DID THAT [た form + ばかり]
食べたばかり — (I) just ate.
2) HAVE YOU EVER… [た form + ことがある／ことがあります]
富士山を見たことがありますか？ — Have you ever seen Mt. Fuji?
3) IF… [た form + ら]
ケーキを食べたら、太る。 — If (I) eat cake, I will get fat.
4. LET’S… FORM
Take the ます form, and replace the ます with ましょう.
| VERB GROUP 1 | 書きましょう — Let’s write 遊びましょう — Let’s play |
| VERB GROUP 2 | 見ましょう — Let’s see 食べましょう — Let’s eat |
| IRREGULAR VERBS | しましょう — Let’s (do)… 来る — to come [You wouldn’t ever say “Let’s come to…” 🙂] |
来た、見た、勝った。 — “I came, I saw, I conquered!”
5. CAN-DO-IT FORM (the potential form)
You already saw one way to say “can do” above: dictionary form + ことができる. Each verb also has a shorter potential form:
| VERB GROUP 1 Change the final う-row syllable to its え-row version (く→け、ぶ→べ…) then add る |
書ける — can write 遊べる — can play |
| VERB GROUP 2 Drop る and add られる |
見られる — can see 食べられる — can eat |
| IRREGULAR VERBS | できる — can do 来られる — can come |
In casual speech you will often hear Group 2 potentials without the ら: 食べれる、見れる. This is called ら抜き言葉 (“ら-dropped words”) — very common, but the られる forms are the standard ones to learn first.
