Don't Speak Japanese?

Free beginners' Japanese course

Free beginners' Japanese course Japanese grammar for beginners Free Japanese exercises Japanese vocabulary for beginners Free Japanese listenings Japanese dialogs with transcripts
  • Home
  • Grammar
  • Exercises
  • Vocabulary
  • Listenings
  • Dialogues
  • Articles
  • Sitemap
You are here: Home / Japanese Grammar 106 – Godan Verbs

Japanese Grammar 106 – Godan Verbs

Japanese verbs do not have singular/plural and don’t change the conjugation depending on the person they refer to.
They are divided into 3 main groups: godan verbs, ichidan verbs and ‘suru’/’kuru’ verbs (irregular).


The most common ones are the ‘godan verbs’.
In this group the positive base (dictionary form) ends in ­u, ­ku, ­gu, ­su, ­tsu, ­nu, ­bu, ­mu, ­ru.
There are 5 main bases for each verb:

1­. The negative base, used for the colloquial negative form
2­. the indefinite base, used to form the formal, positive sentences with the following endings:
+masu (present)/mashita (past)/tai desu (want to+verb)
3­. the positive base, used for the colloquial form of present and future
4­. the conditional/imperative base, used for the imperative or with the ending ­ru for the potential form (ability), or the ending ­ba for the conditional form
5­. this is not a real base, but is used to form the volitive of the verb

The ‘godan verbs’ change their ending depending on the base used:

Kaku (to write)
kaka negative
kaki indefinite (by adding ­masu you form the present)
kaku positive / colloquial (dictionary form)
kake conditional / imperative
kakō volitive

Examples:

Kare wa tegami o kakanai. (kaka+nai) – He doesn’t write a letter
Kare wa tegami o kakimasu. (kai+masu) – He writes a letter (formal)
Kare wa tegami o kaku – He writes a letter– (colloquial form)
Kare wa tegami o kakeru – He can write a letter
Tegami o kakō – Let’s write a letter

Kau (to buy)

Ka+wa negative
Ka+i indefinite
Ka+u positive / colloquial
Ka+e condizionale / imperative
Ka+ō volitive

Examples:

Karera wa hon o kawanai (kawa+nai) – They don’t buy the book
Karera wa hon o kaimasu (kai+masu) – They buy a book
Karewa wa hon o kau (kau) – They buy a book
Karera wa hon o kaeru (kae+ru) – They can buy a book
Hon o kaō – Let’s buy a book

Tsukuru (to build)

Tusuku+ra negative
Tsuku+ri indefinite
Tsuku+ru positive / colloquial
Tsuku+re conditional / imperative
Tsuku+rō volitive

Examples:

Kare wa tatemono o tsukura nai (tsukura+nai) – He doesn’t build a building
Kare wa tatemono o tsukurimasu.(tsukuri+masu) – He builds a building
Kare wa tatemono o tsukuru.(tsukuru) – He builds a building
Kare wa tatemono o tsukureru.(tsukure+ru) – He can build a building
Tatemono o tsukurō – Let’s build a building

Hanasu (to speak)

Hana+sa negative
Hana+shi indefinite
Hana+su positive / colloquial
Hana+se conditional / imperative
Hana+sō volitive

Examples:

Watashi wa nihongo o hanasanai – I don’t speak Japanese
Watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasu – I speak Japanese
Watashi wa nihongo o hanasu – I speak Japanese
Watashi wa nihongo o hanasemasu – I can speak japanese
Nihongo o hanasō – Let’s speak Japanese

Other ‘godan’ verbs are:

Yomu (to read), Iku (to go), Toru (to take), Iu (to say), Asobu (to play), Nomu (to drink), Oyogu (to swim), Matsu (to wait), ecc…

EXERCISE: 106 Godan Verbs | NEXT: 107 Ichidan Verbs

FREE JAPANESE BEGINNERS’ COURSE

Grammar
101 Personal Pronouns
102 Demonstrative Pronouns
103 Prepositions wa, ga, no, o, mo
104 Prepositions he, ni, de, to, kara, made, ka
105 Existential Verbs
106 Godan Verbs
107 Ichidan Verbs
108 Positive, negative and interrogative sentence
109 Past and Present of verbs
110 Irregular Verbs
111 Verb + Tai Desu

Exercises
101 Personal Pronouns
102 Demonstrative pronouns
103 Prepositions wa, no, o, mo, ga
104 Prepositions he,ni,de,to,kara,made,ka
105 Existential Verbs
106 Godan Verbs
107 Ichidan Verbs
108 Positive, Negative and Interrogative sentence
109 Present and Past of Verbs
110 Irregular Verbs
111 Verb + Tai Desu
Vocabulary
101 Numbers
102 Family
103 Greetings
104 Food and Drinks
105 Times of the Day
106 House
107 City
108 Questions
109 Home Content
110 Jobs
Listening practice
101 Personal Pronouns
102 Demonstrative Pronouns
103 Prepositions wa, no, o, mo
104 Prepositions he, ni, de, to, kara, made, ka
105 Imasu, Arimasu
106 Godan Verbs
107 Ichidan Verbs
108 Positive, Negative and Interrogative sentence
109 Past and Present of Verbs
110 Irregular Verbs
111 Verb + Tai Desu
Dialogues
101 At the Restaurant
102 Tourist Office
103 Phone Call
104 Shopping
105 At the Dentist
106 The Train Station
107 Taxi
108 Hotel
109 Directions
110 Police Station

CONTACT US

info@imparareonline.co.uk

Publisher: Imparareonline Ltd.
Registered in England, no. 8569282
Tregarth, The Gounce,
Perranporth, Cornwall.
TR6 0JW
info@imparareonline.co.uk

Learn other foreign languages for free?

Free Spanish Beginners' Course

Free German Beginners' Course

Free Italian Beginners' Course

Free French Beginners' Course

All Rights Reserved · © Copyright 2015 · Imparareonline Ltd. Registered in England, no.8569282 Tregarth, The Gounce, Perranporth, Cornwall, England TR6 0JW · info@imparareonline.co.uk