Japanese Verbs: Conjugation and Three Groups
Japanese verbs are divided into three groups: 1st (godan, like のむ nomu — to drink), 2nd (ichidan, like たべる taberu — to eat) and two irregular — する (suru — to do) and くる (kuru — to come). They conjugate by ending, not by person: one form works for 'I', 'you' and 'they'. In Japanese Zen, verbs are covered in the grammar reference and quizzes.
A Russian verb changes for each person: 'I go, you go, he goes'. Japanese is unperturbed — 行く is the same for everyone who goes. What changes is not the person, but tense, politeness and mood. Remember the three conjugation groups — and any verb becomes predictable.
How many verb groups are there in Japanese?
Three. The group determines how the verb changes its ending in all forms, so identifying it is the first skill.
| Group | How to identify | Example | Polite ます-form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (godan) | not ending in -ru, or -ru after a/u/o | のむ (to drink) | のみます |
| 2nd (ichidan) | -ru after i/e | たべる (to eat) | たべます |
| Irregular | there are only two | する / くる | します / きます |
How are the main forms formed?
- Dictionary form (ending in -u) — how the verb appears in the dictionary: たべる, のむ.
- Polite ます-form — for neutral speech: たべます, のみます.
- て-form — connective, for requests and continuous action: たべて, のんで.
- Past (た-form): たべた, のんだ.
- Negative: たべない, のまない.
How to determine the verb group
Look at the ending of the dictionary form: if it ends in -iru or -eru with a preceding vowel, it's usually the second group (食べる); others ending in -u are the first group (飲む). The third group consists of two verbs: する and 来る, and their forms are simply memorized.
Test yourself with a quiz
Mini-quiz: identify the group and form of the verb.
Common mistakes with verbs
- Confusing the 2nd group with the 1st: -ru can be misleading (look at the vowel before it).
- Conjugating verbs by person as in Russian — this is not necessary.
- Forgetting that the verb always comes at the end of the sentence.
- Learning forms as a list rather than through real examples with other words.
How many verbs do you need for basic conversation
Thirty to forty verbs cover almost all everyday situations: eat, drink, go, do, watch, speak, buy. They are practiced in different forms rather than expanding the list — this gives you speech faster than a hundred verbs in dictionary form.
FAQ
- How to determine the group of a Japanese verb?
- Look at the ending of the dictionary form. -ru after the sounds 'i' or 'e' — usually the 2nd group (ichidan). Others ending in -u, as well as -ru after 'a/u/o' — the 1st group (godan). The exceptions する and くる are irregular.
- Do Japanese verbs change by person?
- No. One form works for 'I', 'you', 'he' and 'they'. The verb changes by tense, politeness and mood, but not by person or number.
- How many verbs do you need to know to get started?
- For the N5 level, 80–100 basic verbs are enough (eat, drink, go, do, see, etc.). That's sufficient for simple everyday phrases.
- What is the て-form and what is it for?
- It's the connective form of the verb: needed for requests (〜てください), continuous action (〜ている) and linking actions. Its formation depends on the group — this is a separate important topic.
Updated: 2026-06-25