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This document provides an overview of Japanese verbs for beginner students. It explains that most Japanese verbs end in "u" and introduces the three main types of verbs: yodan, ichidan, and irregular. Examples of common yodan and ichidan verbs are provided along with their English meanings and sample sentences. The document notes that this lesson focuses on simple verb forms and future lessons will cover more polite verb forms.

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isuru Perera
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80 views

Untitled

This document provides an overview of Japanese verbs for beginner students. It explains that most Japanese verbs end in "u" and introduces the three main types of verbs: yodan, ichidan, and irregular. Examples of common yodan and ichidan verbs are provided along with their English meanings and sample sentences. The document notes that this lesson focuses on simple verb forms and future lessons will cover more polite verb forms.

Uploaded by

isuru Perera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tim Sensei's Corner - Japanese Verbs - Lesson 1 http://ww8.tiki.ne.jp/~tmath/language/jpverbs/lesson1.

htm

Please begin by remembering that all Japanese verbs end


in u, but to be more precise, it's the last syllable of the plain
form that ends in u. Let's take the verb aruku, which means
"to walk," for example: it ends in ku, not u. Keeping this in
mind will make further study much easier.

There are 3 types of verbs in Japanese: yodan, ichidan, and


irregular.1 First we will look at only some simple yodan
verbs, which can end in u, ku, gu, su, tsu, nu, bu, mu, or ru:

kau (to buy)


aruku (to walk)
isogu (to hurry)
kasu (to lend)
matsu (to wait)
shinu (to die)
asobu (to play)
yomu (to read)
kaeru (to return)

Now let's try some in sentences:

Mama wa mise de banana o kau. (Mom buys/will buy


bananas at the store.)
Jim wa manga o yomu. (Jim will read a comic book.)
Ojii-san wa sugu kaeru. (Grandpa will return soon.)

Ichidan verbs all end in either eru or iru. Some frequently


used ones are:

taberu (to eat)


kimeru (to decide)
miru (to look, watch)
kariru (to borrow)

Here are a couple of example sentences:

Watashi wa ringo o taberu. (I'll eat an apple.)


Naomi wa terebi o miru. (Naomi will watch TV.)

This is very simple Japanese, and also very juvenile or


"familiar." Only kids or people speaking with family or
friends would use this plain form. Before actually trying out
the language you need to learn the Base 2 forms and the
polite endings that go with them. We will start learning

1 of 2 9/11/2012 8:47 PM
Tim Sensei's Corner - Japanese Verbs - Lesson 1 http://ww8.tiki.ne.jp/~tmath/language/jpverbs/lesson1.htm

about those in Lesson 2.

Word Check

Verbs:

kau: to buy
aruku: to walk
isogu: to hurry
kasu: to lend
matsu: to wait
shinu: to die
asobu: to play
yomu: to read
kaeru: to return
taberu: to eat
kimeru: to decide
miru: to look, watch
kariru: to borrow

Others:

mise: a store
manga: comic book
ojii-san: grandfather
sugu: soon
watashi: I
ringo: apple
terebi: TV2

Notes

1. Yodan verbs are also called godan or "type 1" verbs,


depending on the source.

Interestingly, the Japanese learn their own language in a


completely different way, and do not use the terms yodan or
ichidan when teaching or learning verbs. Asking your
native-speaking Japanese friends about these will not help:
they have never heard of them, unless it was from another
foreigner. The yodan/godan/ichidan method of verb
instruction only remains today as one method to teach
Japanese verb forms to non-native speakers.

2. Terebi is wasei eigo, or "Japanized English," and comes


from television.

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