Japanese Verbs

Top 50 Most Common Japanese Verbs You Should Learn Today

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

Japanese Verbs

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!

Do you want to learn more Japanese? Find a tutor and book a private class! Our expert staff will get in touch within 24 hours!

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