The 3 Japanese Verb Groups: How to Conjugate Verbs
Welcome to Chapter 3! We're now going to focus on verbs, the "engine" of the sentence. To properly use Japanese verbs—to change their tense or form—you must first know which of the three groups they belong to.
Every single Japanese verb falls into one of these three groups. Learning to identify a verb's group is the key that will unlock all future conjugations. Let's get started!
Group 1: Godan Verbs (u-verbs)
This is the largest group of verbs. For now, think of them as verbs whose dictionary form **does not** end in a `-iru` or `-eru` sound.
Common Examples:
- 飲む (nomu) - to drink
- 書く (kaku) - to write
- 話す (hanasu) - to speak
- 待つ (matsu) - to wait
- 買う (kau) - to buy
Important Exceptions!
Some verbs end in `-iru` or `-eru` but are still Group 1! These are traps for learners, so it's best to memorize the common ones.
- 入る (hairu) - to enter
- 走る (hashiru) - to run
- 知る (shiru) - to know
- 帰る (kaeru) - to return
Group 2: Ichidan Verbs (ru-verbs)
This group is simpler. These verbs' dictionary forms **always** end in either an -iru or -eru sound.
Common Examples:
- 食べる (taberu) - to eat
- 見る (miru) - to see
- 寝る (neru) - to sleep
- 起きる (okiru) - to wake up
- 教える (oshieru) - to teach
The best part about ru-verbs is that they are very easy to conjugate: you just drop the final る (ru) and add an ending. We'll practice this in the next lesson.
Group 3: Irregular Verbs
This is the easiest group because there are only two verbs in it! You just have to memorize them.
- する (suru) - to do
- 来る (kuru) - to come
The verb する (suru) is especially useful because it can be combined with many nouns to create new verbs, like 勉強する (benkyō suru - to study) or 運転する (unten suru - to drive).
How to Tell the Groups Apart: A Quick Guide
- First, ask: Is the verb する (suru) or 来る (kuru)? If yes, it's Group 3.
- If not, look at the ending. Does it end in -iru or
-eru?
- If no (e.g., 飲む nomu, 書く kaku), it's Group 1.
- If yes (e.g., 食べる taberu, 見る miru), it's PROBABLY Group 2... unless it's one of the exceptions like 帰る (kaeru), which is Group 1.
Mastering these groups is the foundation for everything you'll learn about verbs from now on. In the next lesson, we'll use this knowledge to learn the two most basic verb forms.