Three verb groups — Group 1 (五段 godan), Group 2 (一段 ichidan), Group 3 (irregular する/来る)
Can identify verb groups
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
書く・食べる・する
to write / to eat / to do
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Japanese verbs fall into three groups, which determine how they conjugate:
| Group | Name | Dictionary form | How to identify | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 五段 (godan/u-verbs) | ends in -u row | ends in う,く,ぐ,す,つ,ぬ,ぶ,む,る* | 書く, 話す, 読む, 飲む, 買う |
| 2 | 一段 (ichidan/ru-verbs) | ends in -iru/-eru | stem + る | 食べる, 見る, 起きる, 寝る |
| 3 | 不規則 (irregular) | する, 来る | memorize | する(do), 来る(come), 勉強する |
Tricky: Some verbs look like Group 2 (-iru/-eru) but are actually Group 1: 帰る(かえる, return), 走る(はしる, run), 知る(しる, know), 切る(きる, cut). Memorize these exceptions!
する compounds: Many nouns become verbs by adding する: 勉強する(study), 料理する(cook), 運動する(exercise).
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesMisidentifying Group 1 verbs as Group 2 (帰る, 走る look like -eru/-iru but are Group 1); Not knowing する compounds
書く・食べる・する
to write / to eat / to do
書く(かく, Group 1: ends in く) / 食べる(たべる, Group 2: stem+る) / する(Group 3: irregular)
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises