Lesson 1
The Plain Form

Please remember 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 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: TV ²

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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