Grammar

Japanese Verb Conjugation: Complete Guide

動N5–N3

Japanese verb conjugation follows predictable rules based on three verb groups. Master the groups first — then every form unlocks systematically.

The three verb groups

Group 1 (五段動詞 / う-verbs): end in a consonant + u sound. Group 2 (一段動詞 / る-verbs): end in る preceded by an え or い row vowel. Group 3 (irregular): only する and くる.

書く (Group 1)かくto write — consonant stem: か+く

食べる (Group 2)たべるto eat — い-row vowel before る

する / くる (Group 3)する / くるto do / to come — irregular

Key forms summary

Plain present, polite present, plain past, polite past, plain negative, te-form, potential, passive, causative — each follows its own suffix rule per group.

書く → 書きます → 書いた → 書いて → 書ける → 書かれる → 書かせるかく → かきます → かいた → かいて → かける → かかれる → かかせるwrite → writes (polite) → wrote → having written → can write → be written → make write

Common mistakes

Wrong

Classifying 見る, 起きる as Group 1

Right

見る and 起きる are Group 2 (る-verbs)

る-verbs end in る WITH an い or え row vowel directly before it. み in 見る is い-row, き in 起きる is い-row. Common confusion: 帰る (かえる) looks like る-verb but is Group 1 because か is あ-row.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I tell Group 1 and Group 2 verbs apart?

Rule: if the syllable before る is in the い-row (い,き,し,ち,に,ひ,み,り) or え-row (え,け,せ,て,ね,へ,め,れ), it is almost certainly a Group 2 verb. If not, it is Group 1. Exceptions (Group 1 despite looking like Group 2): 帰る、走る、切る、知る.