どうし (Verbs)

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Table of Contents

Types of verbs

~る verbs (ichidan)

Always end with る (although not all verbs ending 「る」 are 〜る verbs) Conjugations usually drop the 「る」

~う verbs (godan)

End in some form of 「う」 sound (「く」, 「む」, even 「る」) Can conjugate differently depending on final mora (example: te-form, かく -> かいて, かう -> かって, よむ -> よんで)

Irregular verbs

する (to do) and 来る (くる) (to come), their behaviour seems somewhat predictable

Transitive vs Intransitive verbs

Transitive verbs are actions being performed on an object ＜ｎ＞を＜ｖ＞ます

Intransitive verbs are performed by a subject ＜ｎ＞が＜ｖ＞ます

おゆを I boil the water (transitive) おゆが The water boils (intrasitive)

Conjugations

TL;DR

Ru verbs drop the ru, u verbs swap the u sound like so:

て-form is it's own beast though

〜ます (polite)

〜る verbs drop the 「る」 For 〜う verbs, the 「う」sound becomes an「い」sound (eg, かう -> かいます)

• Negative: 〜ません
• Past tense: 〜ました
• Negative past tense: 〜ませんでした

negative

For plain form negatives

〜る verbs drop the 「る」 For 〜う verbs, the 「う」sound becomes an「あ」sound (eg, かく -> かかない), with the exception of 「う」 becoming 「わ」(かう -> かわない)

〜ない

ある is a special case, and just becomes ない

• Past tense: 〜なかった

past tense

〜た

〜たい

To want to, い-adjective

て-form

て-form is used for commands (often with ください, 見 (み)てください). It is also used when chaining verbs _持って来て (もってきて) (to bring, _lit: to have and come)

〜ている

Used to represent a verb's continued action.

For transitive verbs, this is an on-going action

For intransitive verbs, this is an on-going state of the verb

〜なさい

Similar to 〜て, but more firm, talking down to someone of a lesser status (or in exam papers)

Uses a ます-form verb stem

「〜う」-> 「〜いなさい」 「〜る」-> 「〜なさい」

conditional "ば-form" （〜れば）

ば-form is a conditional form, usually the result is positive, used like 食べれば、... (If I ate it then,..., similar to 〜なら)

〜なければいけません is a form form meaning I must do [verb] (casually shortened to 〜なきゃ)

The negative form (〜ない -> 〜なければ), is commonly used as a set phrase with 「いけません」, to say one must do something, like 「宿題をしなければいけません」(or I must do my homework)

potential "え-form"

〜る verbs drop the 「る」and get 〜られる For 〜う verbs, the 「う」sound becomes an「え」sound (eg, かう -> かえます)

passive （〜られる）

Passive forms are used when an action is being done to the subject. Used like [target]は[perpatrator]に[action].

The rule is similar to potential form, 〜る verbs drop the 「る」and get 〜られる For 〜う verbs, the 「う」sound becomes an「あ」sound then also gets 〜れる (eg, かう -> かわれる) (Similar to negatives, 「う」becomes「わ」)

ぼくはみんなにわらわれる - everyone laughed a me

Passive ru verbs share the same rule as potential ru verbs (although it's practically the same as u passive verbs too!)

causative （〜させる）

Causitive forms are used when allowed or made to do something. Used like [making]は[made to]に[action].

〜る verbs drop the 「る」and get 〜させる For 〜う verbs, the 「う」sound becomes an「あ」sound then also gets 〜せる (eg, かう -> かわせる) (Similar to negatives, 「う」becomes「わ」)

causative-passive （〜させられる）

Causitive-passive forms are used when made to do something (usually against their will). The passive version of a causitive clause. Used like [made to]は[making]に[action] (the opposite of causitive, similar to passive).

〜る verbs drop the 「る」and get 〜させられる For 〜う verbs, the 「う」sound becomes an「あ」sound then also gets 〜される (eg, かう -> かわされる) 〜す is the exception, they instead get the る ending 〜させられる (Similar to negatives, 「う」becomes「わ」)

volitional

For plain form volitional

〜る verbs drop the 「る」 For 〜う verbs, the 「う」sound becomes an「お」sound and gains an「う」to become 「〜おう」 (eg, かう -> かおう),

〜よう

• masu volitional: 〜ましょう