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Outline- Role of Verbs
- Classifying verbs into ru-verbs and u-verbs
- Appendix: iru/eru u-verbs
Role of Verbs
We've now learned how to describe nouns in various ways with other nouns and adjectives. This gives us quite a bit of expressive power. However, we still cannot express actions. This is where verbs come in. Verbs, in Japanese, always come at the end of clauses. Since we have not yet learned how to create more than one clause, for now it means that any sentence with a verb must end with the verb. We will now learn the two main categories of verbs, which will allow us to accurately define rules for conjugation. Before learning about verbs, there is one important thing to keep in mind.
A grammatically complete sentence requires a verb only (including state of being).
Or to rephrase, unlike English, the only thing you need to make a grammatically complete sentence is a verb and nothing else! Understanding this fundamental property is essential to understanding Japanese. That's why even the simplest, most basic Japanese sentence cannot be translated into English! All conjugations will start from the dictionary form (as they appear in the dictionary).
A grammatically complete sentence
（１） 食べる。- Eat. (possible translations include: I eat/she eats/they eat)
Classifying verbs into ru-verbs and u-verbs
Almost all verbs in Japanese can be classified into two categories: ru-verb （
一段動詞） and u-verbs （
五段動詞）. The only two verbs that are not considered to be in either category are 「
する」 meaning "to do" and 「
来る」 meaning "to come". Otherwise, the rules for conjugation are almost all the same depending on what class the verb is in. The way to distinguish between these verbs is fairly straightforward.
Remember, every verb has a string of kana called okurigana, which you can modify to conjugate the verb. If you convert the verb to Roman characters (called 「ローマ字」 in Japanese) and it ends in either "iru" or "eru", then it is usually a ru-verb. For example, 「食べる」 is romanized as "taberu" and since it ends in "eru", it is a ru-verb. Another example of a ru-verb is 「起きる」, which romanizes to "okiru". All other verbs that do not end in "iru" or "eru" are u-verbs.
However, there is just one snag here. Notice that all ru-verbs end with 「る」 and u-verbs always end in a / u / vowel sound. This unfortunately includes 「る」 in addition to 「つ」、「す」、「く」、「ぐ」、「む」、「ぶ」、「う」、and 「ぬ」 （「死ぬ」 is the only verb that ends in 「ぬ」）. Even if a verb ends with 「る」, if it does not end in "iru" or "eru", it is always an u-verb. However, there are a number of u-verbs that end in "iru" or "eru" and there is no way to distinguish them from regular ru-verbs apart from memorization. You can refer to the appendix at the end of this lesson for a list of such verbs. You can also refer to Jim Breen's WWWJDIC, if you have any doubts. Ru-verb are denoted as (v1) while u-verbs are denoted as (v5r).
Because of the aural consistency in the rules, with practice, u-verbs will start to "sound" like u-verbs and likewise for ru-verbs. Eventually, you'll be able to categorize new verbs just like that without giving it a second thought. Or at least, that should be the intended goal.
How to classify ru-verbs and u-verbs
- Does not end in iru/eru → u-verb
- Ends in iru/eru → ru-verb with some exceptions
Sample ru-verbs| Verb | ローマ字 |
|---|
| 食べる | taberu | | 着る | kiru | | 信じる | shinjiru | | 寝る | neru | | 起きる | okiru | | 出る | deru | | 掛ける | kakeru | | 捨てる | suteru | | 調べる | shiraberu | | | Sample u-verbs| Verb | ローマ字 |
|---|
| 話す | hanasu | | 聞く | kiku | | 泳ぐ | oyogu | | 遊ぶ | asobu | | 待つ | matu | | 飲む | nomu | | 直る | naoru | | 死ぬ | shinu | | 買う | kau | | | Neither ru-verb nor u-verb| Verb | ローマ字 |
|---|
| する | suru | | くる | kuru | |
Examples
Here are some example sentences using ru-verbs, u-verbs, and exception verbs.
（１） アリスは
食べる。- As for Alice, eat.
（２） ジムが
遊ぶ。- Jim is the one that plays.
（３） ボブも
する。- Bob also do.
（４）
お金が
ある。- There is money. (lit: As for money, it exists.)
（５）
私は
買う。- As for me, buy.
（６）
猫は
いる。- There is cat. (lit: As for cat, it exists.)
Appendix: iru/eru u-verbs
Here is a list of commonly used u-verbs that end in "iru" or "eru". This list is categorized roughly into three levels to help you focus on the verbs you need to learn. This list is
not intended to include every verb under the sun.
iru/eru u-verbs grouped (roughly) by level| Basic | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|
| 要る | 焦る | 嘲る |
| 帰る | 限る | 覆る |
| 切る | 蹴る | 遮る |
| しゃべる | 滑る | 罵る |
| 知る | 握る | 捻る |
| 入る | 練る | 翻る |
| 走る | 参る | 滅入る |
| 減る | 交じる | 蘇る |
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This page has last been revised on 2006/9/17Added small list of exception verbs (2006/9/6)
FAQs
It's fairly complete and does a decent job of explaining grammar concepts in a way anyone can understand. That said, Tae Kim's guide may not be ideal for curious learners who are seeking more in-depth explanations.
Is Dictionary of Basic Japanese grammar worth it? ›
There are in-depth explanations of all the grammar and plenty of example sentences and clarification points for each dictionary entry, plus additional information at the beginning and in the appendices. If you're serious about learning Japanese, this book is a must-have!
Is Japanese grammar confusing? ›
Japanese grammar can be challenging for English speakers to understand for several reasons. One reason is that Japanese has a different sentence structure compared to English. Japanese follows a subject-object-verb word order, while English uses a subject-verb-object word order.
How long does it take to learn basic Japanese grammar? ›
However, many experts believe it takes between 4 to 6 months of dedicated study to reach a beginner level. On the other hand, you can expect to spend at least 3 years studying to become fluent in Japanese with near-native level accuracy.
Is Tae Kim good for learning Japanese? ›
In summary, Tae Kim's grammar book is a good resource for learning Japanese grammar, but for pronunciation practice, you may want to consider complementary resources.
Is English or Japanese grammar harder? ›
The Japanese language is considered one of the most difficult to learn by many English speakers. With three separate writing systems, an opposite sentence structure to English, and a complicated hierarchy of politeness, it's decidedly complex.
Is Japanese grammar harder than Korean grammar? ›
However, many Japanese grammatical structures aren't quite as complex as their Korean counterparts: Aside from the sound N, Japan's writing system consists entirely of blocks of consonant-vowel pairs. Korean's writing system is an alphabet, just like English's, and it has many spelling rules / irregularities.
Is Chinese or Japanese grammar harder? ›
There are distinctive disparities between the two language structures. Japanese grammar generally follows SOV (subject, object, verb) language. In contrast, Chinese grammar follows SVO, similar to English, making learning and speaking Chinese easier than Japanese.
What's the hardest part of learning Japanese? ›
Listening comprehension is one of the hardest abilities to work on when learning Japanese, solely because it requires so much time investment — much more than any other skill here. You may be able to read a sentence, but if you hear the same sentence in audio form, you might have no clue what it means.
How much harder is Japanese than English? ›
In fact, the US Foreign Service Institute considers Japanese to be one of the most difficult languages to learn for an English speaker (along with Arabic, Chinese, and Korean). While it may take an average learner 30 weeks to master French, it will take approximately 88 weeks for Japanese.
The characters represent the exact same sounds (please see the chart above) and all the Japanese sounds can be expressed by a single hiragana, or a combination of two hiragana letters. All Hiragana end with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u). In this respect, Japanese pronunciation is far simpler than English pronunciation.
Can I learn Japanese by myself? ›
This is the real secret to learning Japanese at home successfully. You need to pick up the sound of the language, absorb Japanese customs, and force your brain to switch to thinking in Japanese as fast as you can (at least some of the time). So immerse yourself in Japanese language and culture.
What should I learn first in Japanese grammar? ›
Learn to Read Hiragana
The other two are katakana and kanji, but hiragana is where everything starts. The ability to read hiragana is going to be a prerequisite for most beginner Japanese textbooks and resources. It's the first thing you learn in a traditional classroom.
Can I become fluent in Japanese in a year? ›
Depending the length of your study time every day and how often you can practice alone, such as having speaking practice over Skype, listening to podcasts like JapanesePod101, reading and writing the writing systems, and actively trying to utilize kanji, you can learn intermediate level Japanese within 1-3 years.
What is the best Japanese English dictionary for beginners? ›
Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary: Japanese-English English-Japanese. It is great for beginners who have mastered kana scripts (hiragana and katakana), though the number of words might be a little limited for advanced students.
Should I learn grammar or vocabulary first Japanese? ›
This takes your focus away from the grammar you're trying to learn and makes progression slow and frustrating. Learning (some) kanji and vocabulary first makes learning grammar a lot faster and, more importantly, easier. Think of it this way: you're losing a little time now to save a ton of time later.
Which grammar is easier Korean or Japanese? ›
Our verdict. In this category, Korean is easier. While there are more speech levels in Korean, once you have mastered the conjugation patterns, you just need to learn the rules on how to use the verbs.
Is it better to learn Romanized Japanese? ›
It can be helpful for beginners
Romaji shows up on Japanese road signs and other signage, which can be a lifesaver for panicking tourists with limited knowledge of written Japanese. If you're a beginner, it can sometimes be nice to have the crutch of romaji to lean on.
