Struggling to learn Japanese verbs? Don’t worry, it happens to everyone. But I’ve got good news for you! This blog post will explain everything you need to know about Japanese verbs.
Like any other language, verbs are essential for expressing actions and states in Japanese. They contain the key to grasping the core of everyday conversations. A full understanding of the commonly used verbs will significantly improve your communication abilities and make you a more effective Japanese speaker.
I remember when I first started learning Japanese, verbs were the thing I struggled with the most. They looked so different from what I was used to in English! The way verbs change based on tense, politeness, and even who is doing the action was a little overwhelming at first. I was lucky to find a lot of resources that helped me understand, and once I grasped the patterns and how Japanese verbs work, it became much easier and even fun.
So in today’s blog, I will explain how Japanese verbs work and share the top 50 most common Japanese verbs you should know!
Are you ready to start learning? Let’s go!
Explaining Japanese Verbs
In any language, a verb is an action word, like “run,” “eat,” or “sleep.” In Japanese, verbs are similar, they describe actions. Japanese verbs usually end in one of three basic sounds:
- -u
- -ru
- -tsu
For example:
- Taberu (食べる) – to eat
- Aruku (歩く) – to walk
- Kiku (聞く) – to ask
In Japanese, verbs don’t change based on who is doing the action. For example, “I eat,” “You eat,” and “He eats” all use the same form of the verb: taberu.
Verb Groups
Verbs in Japanese are divided into three main groups, and each group follows a pattern for changing the verb depending on when the action is happening (like past or present).
- Group 1: U-verbs – These verbs end in -u (like aruku). You change the ending depending on tense, like making it past tense.
- Group 2: Ru-verbs – These verbs end in -ru (like taberu). They’re pretty easy to change.
- Group 3: Irregular verbs – These don’t follow the regular patterns, but there are only a few of them. For example, suru (to do) and kuru (to come).
Basic Tenses
In Japanese, verbs change to show when the action happens – past, present, or future.
- Present – This is the basic form of the verb. For example:
- Taberu – (to eat)
- Nomu – (to drink)
- Past – To change the verb to past tense, you typically change the ending. For example:
- Tabemashita – (ate)
- Nomimashita – (drank)
- Negative – If you want to say you did not do something, you change the verb. For example:
- Tabenai – (don’t eat)
- Nomanai – (don’t drink)
- Future – Japanese doesn’t have a special future tense! You use the present tense to talk about the future, like in English: “I will eat” = Tabemasu.
Polite and Casual Forms
Japanese has both polite and casual forms of speech. The polite form is often used in conversations with strangers or people you don’t know well. The casual form is used with close friends or family.
- Polite: You add -masu at the end of the verb. For example:
- Tabemasu – (eat)
- Nomimasu – (drink)
- Casual: You just use the verb without -masu. For example:
- Taberu – (eat)
- Nomu – (drink)
You may also like: Top 100 Basic Japanese Words for Everyday Conversations
50 Most Common Japanese Verbs
Now that you know the basic rules of Japanese verbs, here’s the master list of the top 50 most common ones:
Japanese | Romaji | English | |
1 | いる | Iru | To be (for animate objects) |
2 | ある | Aru | To be (for inanimate objects) |
3 | する | Suru | To do |
4 | くる | Kuru | To come |
5 | いく | Iku | To go |
6 | たべる | Taberu | To eat |
7 | のむ | Nomu | To drink |
8 | 言う | Iu | To say |
9 | 聞く | Kiku | To hear/to listen |
10 | 見る | Miru | To see/to look |
11 | 話す | Hanasu | To talk/to speak |
12 | 知る | To know | To know |
13 | 読む | Yomu | to read |
15 | 書く | Kaku | To write |
16 | 分かる | Wakaru | To understand |
17 | 思う | Omou | To think |
18 | 使う | Tsukau | To use |
19 | 買う | Kau | To buy |
20 | 取る | Toru | To take |
21 | 持つ | Motsu | To hold/to possess |
22 | 始める | Hajimeru | To begin |
23 | 終わる | Owaru | To end |
24 | 作る | Tsukuru | To make/to create |
25 | 勉強する | Benkyou suru | To study |
26 | 戻る | Modoru | To return |
27 | 教える | Oshieru | To teach |
28 | 着く | Tsuku | To arrive |
29 | 出す | Dasu | To take out |
30 | 遊ぶ | Asobu | To play/to hang out |
31 | 開く | Hiraku | To open |
32 | 会う | Au | To meet |
33 | 助ける | Tasukeru | To help |
34 | 感じる | Kanjiru | To feel |
35 | 落ちる | Ochiru | To fall |
36 | 上げる | Ageru | To raise/to give |
37 | 笑う | Warau | To laugh |
38 | 泳ぐ | Oyogu | To swim |
39 | 踊る | Odoru | To dance |
40 | 死ぬ | Shinu | To die |
41 | 勝つ | Katsu | To win |
42 | 歩く | Aruku | To walk |
43 | 飛ぶ | Tobu | To fly/to jump |
44 | 寝る | Neru | To sleep |
45 | 覚える | Oboeru | To remember/to learn |
46 | 走る | Hashiru | To run |
47 | 送る | Okuru | To send |
48 | 集める | Atsumeru | To gather/to collect |
49 | 入れる | Ireru | To put in |
50 | 引く | Hiku | To pull/to draw |
It’s Time To Learn More Japanese!
Once I started understanding how Japanese verbs work, everything clicked into place. It’s all about practicing the patterns and getting comfortable with how verbs change depending on the situation. It may seem tricky at first, but with a little patience and practice, you’ll be using them like a pro. Keep at it, and before you know it, you’ll be confidently expressing yourself in Japanese—one verb at a time!
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