Essential Japanese Verbs

Functional Pattern List

Verb Stem

stem + aimasu

to do something to each other

stem + dashimasu

to start doing, to begin doing

stem + hajimemasu

to start doing, to begin doing

stem + kata

how to do something; tsukai-kata "how to use", yomi-kata "how to read"

stem + masen ka?

Won't you do? ; This pattern is used to ask a person to do something with you.
In casual speech, the nai form, -nai?, is often used instead of this pattern.
This pattern is also used to give a suggestion to do something.

cf. te form + mashoo ka?

stem + mashoo

Let's do ; Mashoo is one of the volitional forms meaning "Let's do".
This pattern is also used to offer to do something.

stem + mashoo ka?

Shall we do?, Shall I do? ; This pattern is used to ask someone to do something together or to give a suggestion to do, which is similar to masen ka?.
This pattern is also used to offer to do something.

stem + nagara

while doing ; This pattern expresses that two actions are taking place simultaneously.

stem + naoshimasu

to redo, to do again, to do over (again)

stem + nasai

Please do, Do! ; This pattern expresses a direction, an order or a command.

stem + ni ikimasu

to go to do something ; This pattern expresses the purpose of going somewhere.

cf. te form + ikimasu

stem + ni kimasu

to come to do something ; This pattern expresses the purpose of coming somewhere.

cf. te form + kimasu

stem + okuremasu

to be late in doing, to be late for doing

stem + owarimasu

to finish doing

stem + soo desu

it seems ...., it looks.... ; This pattern expresses the speaker's own impression.
This pattern is also used with adjectives as follows.

cf. plain form + soo desu

Verb Stem + soo desu ame ga furi-soo desu
i-Adjective, drop last i + soo desu oishi-soo desu
na-Adjective + soo desu kantan soo desu

stem + soo na

The verb stem + soo can be an adjectival phrase or an adverbial phrase. When this modifies a noun it becomes "soo na + noun", Ame ga furi soo na tenki "the weather which looks like it's going to rain".
When modifying a verb it becomes "soo ni + verb".

stem + soo ni narimasu

almost do, come close to doing something.

stem + sugimasu

to do too much ; This pattern is used with verbs and adjectives in the following ways.

Verb Stem tabe-sugimasu eat too much
i-Adjective, drop last i taka-sugimasu too expensive
na-Adjective kantan-sugimasu too easy

-sugi is used as a noun phrase ; tabe-sugi, nomi-sugi, futori-sugi.

stem + tai desu

I want to do something, I would like to do something
Tai conjugates like an i-adjective.

-tai desu -takunai desu
-takatta desu -takunakatta desu

stem + tai-n desu ga / tai-n desu kedo

I would like to do (but, and, so); This pattern is used to give a reason before asking for permission or some information, or making a request in order to soften your statement.

stem + tagarimasu

he / she wants to do something ; This pattern is used when expressing a third person's desire.

stem + tsuzukemasu

to continue doing, to go on doing, to keep doing

stem + wasuremasu

to forget to do something

stem + yasui / nikui

easy to do, comfortable to do / difficult to do, uncomfortable to do

O + Stem

o + stem + desu

honorific pattern showing respect

o + stem + kudasai

honorific pattern expressing a polite request or offer (would you please do something)

o + stem + ni narimasu

honorific pattern expressing respectfulness (someone does something)

o + stem + shimasu

honorific pattern expressing humility (I will do something for you)

Root Form

root / nai form + koto ga(mo) arimasu

not always but to do something from time to time, it can happen sometimes

cf. ta form + koto ga arimasu

root form + koto ga dekimasu

to be able to do, can do

root / nai form + koto ni narimasu

This pattern expresses a decision made by someone else.

root / nai form + koto ni narimasu

This pattern is also used with an adjective or a noun. In this usage, this pattern means "become" and expresses a change.

i-Adjective; i-ku + ku narimasu samuku-narimasu
na-Adjective + ni narimasu kirei ni narimasu
Noun + ni narimasu fuyu ni narimasu

root / nai form + koto ni natte imasu

This is a compound pattern of koto ni narimasu and the te form + imasu.
This pattern expresses that something has been scheduled or arranged, or expresses a rule, a regulation or a custom.

root / nai form + koto ni shimasu

This pattern expresses the speaker's decision or choice. This pattern is also used with an adjective or a noun. In this usage, this pattern means "to make something into a certain state".

Verb root / nai form + koto ni shimasu iku-koto ni himasu
i-Adjective; i-ku + ku shimasu takaku-shimasu
na-Adjective + ni shimasu kirei ni shimasu
Noun + ni shimasu koohii ni shimasu

root form + made

until something happens

root form + mae ni

before doing ; This pattern is always used with the root form. The tense of the sentence is determined by the main clause.

root form + no ni

in order to do, for ; This pattern expresses the purpose of doing something.

cf. plain form + noni

root form + tame ni

in order to do, for ; This pattern expresses the purpose of doing something.
When this phrase modifies a noun tame ni becomes tame no (noun).

cf. plain form + tame ni

root form + tokoro desu

be just about to do ; This tokoro means not "place" but "point" or "state".

cf. te form + iru tokoro, ta form + tokoro

root / nai form + to

when, if, after ; This is one of the conditional patterns.
This pattern is used when [A] happens, [B] always naturally happens, or when [A] happens, immediately [B] happens.

root / nai form + tsumori desu

to plan to do ; This pattern expresses the speaker's intention.

root form + uchi ni

while a certain situation holds

cf. nai form + uchi ni

root / nai form + yoo ni

in order to do, for ; This pattern expresses a purpose. This is used with the potential form, unintentional verbs such as wakaru, mieru, or the nai form.

root / nai form + yoo ni iimasu (tsutaemasu)

I will tell him to do ; please do ; This pattern expresses an indirect command.
The te form + kudasai, itte kudasai or tsutaete kudasai, are also common meaning "please tell him to do".

root / nai form + yoo ni narimasu (nai form : naku narimasu)

This pattern expresses a change of state, condition or behavior.
In case of verbs in the negative form, it becomes -naku narimasu.

root / nai form + yoo ni natte imasu

This pattern expresses a mechanism or system of something.

root / nai form + yoo ni shimasu

try to do ; This pattern expresses one's effort.

root / nai form + yoo ni shite kudasai

please do ; This pattern expresses an indirect command.

root / nai form + yori

more (less) ... than .... ; This pattern expresses a comparison.

root / nai form + yotei desu

to be scheduled to do, to plan to do

root / nai form + zo

I do it, I will do it ; This pattern expresses speaker's strong intention.

Nai Form

nai form : naide

without doing

nai form : naide kudasai

Please don't do something ; This pattern expresses negative requests.

nai form : naide morai-tai

I don't want someone to do something for me; This is the negative of -te morai-tai.

nai form : nakereba narimasen

to have to do, must do, need to do

nai form : naku narimasu

root / nai form + yoo ni narimasu

nai form : nakute

because ; Nakute is a sort of the negative and it indicates a cause.

nai form : nakute mo

even if (negative) ; This pattern expresses a conditional pattern.

cf. te form + mo

nai form : nakute mo ii

do not have to do, do not need to do / giving a permission (it is OK even if ....)

nai form + uchi ni

before something happens

cf. root form + uchi ni

Ta Form

ta form / nai form + hoo ga

doing something is more/less .... than (doing another) ; This pattern expresses a comparison between two actions.
The basic comparison pattern is [A] yori [B] hoo ga. Yori follows the root form and hoo follows the ta form (nai form).
When the [A] and [B] are nouns, it becomes [A] yori [B] no hoo ga.

ta form / nai form + hoo ga ii

it is better to do, you should do ; This is one of the comparison patterns.
This pattern expresses advice or a suggestion, or expresses one's choice or preference.

ta form + ato de

after doing

ta form + bakari desu

I have just done

cf. te form + bakari imasu

ta form + koto ga arimasu

have done something before ; This pattern expresses one's experiences.

cf. root /nai form + koto ga arimasu

ta form + tokoro desu

have just done

cf. root form + tokoro, te form + iru tokoro

ta form + mama

leaving something as it is
sono mama (kono mama) also commonly means "just like this".

ta form + ra (-tara)

This pattern expresses a condition.

1. if, in case ; This conditional pattern is usually used for personal matters and the main action or a conclusion depending on the situation.
2. when ; This pattern is also used to mean "when" or "just after".
3. when ; If you use this pattern for an event in the past, it expresses that you didn't expect the event to happen.

ta form + ra doo desu ka?

Why don't you do, you should do ; This is used to give advice or a suggestion.

ta form + ra ii desu ka?

This is used for asking someone for advice or a suggestion using an interrogative.

ta form + -ri, -ri, shimasu

1. do this and that ; This pattern expresses some actions done in the form of a list and is used to pick up main actions from several actions.
2. This pattern is also used to express a repeated action or a continuous state.

ta form + toori ni

to do something as you saw it, as it was written, as it was said .... etc.

Plain Form

plain form

Plain form verbs are used on their own in casual conversations between friends, family members and co-workers. When making questions using the plain form, the question marker ka? is omitted and the tone of sentence ending words is raised.

plain form + baai

in case of, if, when

plain form + deshoo

1. it should be, it must be ; This pattern expresses a conjecture by which the speaker believes something firmly.
2. This pattern is also used to ask an agreement or make a confirmation.

plain form + deshoo ka?

This is an indirect question.

plain form + dake desu

just do something, only do something

plain form + hazu desu

it should be, it is supposed to ; This pattern is used when the speaker confirms his/her inference with certain factual information.

plain form + ka,

This pattern makes a quoted embedded structure which has an interrogative such as "what", "when" or "how much", as in "Do you know when he is coming back?".

plain form + ka doo ka,

whether or not, if or not ; This pattern makes a quoted embedded structure which does not have an interrogative.

plain form + kamo shiremasen

perhaps, probably ; This pattern expresses uncertainty, probability or possibility.

plain form + kara

therefore, so, since or because ; This pattern expresses a reason or a cause.

plain form + kedo

but, although

cf. kedo at the end of a sentence or in the middle of a sentence

plain form + koto

This pattern forms a noun phrase such as kaku-koto "writing", taberu-koto "eating".
Koto is also used to form a noun clause in the embedded structure.

plain form + mitai desu

it seems, it looks, it looks as if

cf. te form + mitai desu

plain form + -n desu

This pattern expresses one's emotional emphasis, such as concern, surprise and irritation. It is also used when asking for or giving information.

This pattern is especially common under the following circumstances:

a. When softening a statement of desire
b. When expressing concern, surprise or irritation
c. When giving or asking for a reason
d. When offering or asking for an explanation

This pattern is often used with ga, -n desu ga, or -tai desu, -tai-n desu ga.
See ga at the end or in the middle of a sentence and -tai-n desu ga.

plain form + no

1. This pattern forms a noun phrase with particles such as -no wa, -no ga, -no o;
kaku-no wa, miru-no ga, suru-no o.
This noun phrase is used in an embedded structure such as koto.
2. In casual speech, no is used at the end of a sentence in stead of -n desu.

plain form + no?

question marker ; In casual speech, no is used as a question marker instead of ka.

plain form + no ka,

This pattern makes a quoted embedded structure which has an interrogative such as "what", "when" or "how much", like the plain form + ka.

plain form + node

therefore, so, since or because ; This pattern indicates a reason or a cause.

plain form + noni

although, in spite of ; This pattern expresses one's regret or complaint.

cf. root form + no ni

plain form + rashii desu

it seems, I heard ; This pattern expresses uncertainty or a supposition based on objective information from outside sources

plain form + shi, shi,

and also, besides, moreover ; This is used to give explanations, reasons or excuses.

plain form + soo desu

I heard, he said, they said ; This pattern indicates reported information.
This is used to tell someone what you heard or what you saw on TV, newspaper, etc.

cf. stem + soo desu

plain form + tame ni

because of, by, from ; This pattern indicates a cause.

cf. root form + tame ni

plain form + to / tte iimasu

he said, they said, we say ; This pattern indicates quoted information, "I say" or "We say". "to / tte" acts as quotation marker. In a casual conversation, iimasu is often omitted and the sentence ends with tte.
When telling a message or reporting information as in "He said" or "They said", tte itte imashita is commonly used instead of tte iimashita.
Itte is the te form of iimasu. The statement with tte iimashita sounds as if the speaker is looking back at the scene in the past, say in a story-telling style.
In formal speech or written language, to is used instead of tte.

plain form + to omoimasu

I think that

plain form + toki

This pattern means "when", "during" or "in case of". Depending on the case, toki follows either the root form (nai form) or the ta form (nakatta form) of a verb.
The tense of a statement, such as present or past, is shown by the main clause.

[subordinate clause A] toki, [main clause B]

When the main action "B" happens before the starting of the subordinate action "A" or before the completion of "A", toki follows the root form or the nai form.
When "B" happens after the completion of "A", toki follows the ta form or the nakatta form. "A" can be a phrase indicating not only an action but also a state or condition.

plain form + to wa kagiranai

be not always, be not necessarily

plain form + wa

This wa is used by female instead of desu or masu.

plain form + yoo desu

it seems, it looks like ; This pattern expresses the speaker's uncertain conjecture or guess based on a subjective judgment.

plain form : noun modifier

Japanese noun modifying clauses come before the nouns they modify. Verbs used in such clauses take the plain form.
The subject marker wa is replaced by ga.

Watashi ga kau hon the book I am going to buy
Watashi ga kawanai hon the book I am not going to buy
Watashi ga katta hon the book I bought
Watashi ga kawanakatta hon the book I didn't buy

Te Form

te form : te

1. and, then ; The te form itself is used as a conjunction. The tense of a sentence is shown by the main clause.
Use the te form as a conjunction to show the order in which actions occur consecutively.
2. because, by ; The te form is also used to indicate a cause or a means.

te form + agemasu

to do something for someone as a favor

te form + arimasu

This pattern expresses that as the result of someone's actions, something has been done or prepared already and is in a particular state or condition.

te form + bakari imasu

always doing

cf. ta form + bakari desu

te form + hoshii desu

I want someone to do something
This pattern is also used to express the speaker's wish or hope "I hope".

te form + ikimasu

This pattern has the following three usages;

1. expresses that something has been happening and will continue to happen in the future.
2. expresses the direction that something is moving is away from the speaker.
3. expresses consecutive actions "do something, then go somewhere".

te form + imasu

This pattern expresses the present progressive, a habitual action or a state of being.

te form + iru tokoro desu

be doing right now

cf. root form + tokoro, ta form + tokoro

te form + kara

after, since, and then

cf. plain form + kara

te form + kimasu

This pattern has the following three usages;

1. expresses that something began in the past and is still continuing at the present time.
2. expresses the direction of an action that something is coming towards the speaker.
3. expresses consecutive actions "do something, then come back".

te form + kudasai

please do ; This pattern expresses a request.
This pattern sometimes sounds like an order, so suimasen or chotto are often added to the statement in order to soften it.
In the casual conversation, kudasai is often omitted and the statement ends with te.

Chotto matte kudasaiChotto matte

te form + kuremasen ka?

would you please do ... ; This pattern expresses a polite request.
When your request may cause some trouble to the other person, the verb te form plus kuremasen ka? is more appropriate than -te kudasai.
In the casual speech, -te kuremasen ka? becomes -te kurenai?.

te form + kuremasu

someone does something for me or us as a favor

te form + mimasu

try to do something and see how it goes or what will happen.

te form + mitai desu

want to do something and see how it goes or what will happen.
This is a combination pattern, "te form + mimasu" + "tai desu".

te form + mo

even if ; This pattern expresses a conditional.
With ikura, ikura .... -te mo, it means "no matter how much".
This pattern can be used with an adjective and a noun phrase.

Verb te form + mo ame ga futte-mo
i-Adjective; i-kute + mo takakute-mo
na-Adjective + de mo hima de-mo
Noun + de mo nichi-yoobi de-mo

te form + mo ii desu

be allowed to do something ; This pattern is used to give permission.

te form + mo ii desu ka?

May I do it?, Can I do it? ; This pattern is used to ask for permission.

te form + moraemasu

(you) can have someone do something for you as a favor

te form + moraemasu ka?

Could you do it (for me)?

te form + moraeru to,

If you can do something for me, ... ; This to indicates a conditional, "if".

te form + moraimasu

someone does something for someone as a favor

te form + morai-tai

I want someone to do something ; This pattern expresses the speaker's desire, wish or request for someone to do something.
This is a combination pattern, "te form + moraimasu" + "tai desu".

te form + morai-tai-n desu ga

Would you please do something ; This pattern is used for making a polite request.

te form + okimasu

to do something in advance, to do something for future convenience

te form + shimaimashita (shimaimasu)

1. This pattern expresses that something has been completely finished.
2. This pattern also expresses the speaker's regret in having done something.

In casual speech, -te shimaimashita often becomes chatta or jatta.

kai-masu katte shimaimashita kacchau kacchatta
nori-masu notte shimaimashita nocchau nocchatta
kachi-masu katte shimaimashita kacchau kacchatta
kaki-masu kaite shimaimashita kaichau kaichatta
nomi-masu nonde shimaimashita nonjau nonjatta
asobi-masu asonde shimaimashita asonjau asonjatta
dashi-masu dashite shimaimashita dashichau dashichatta
tabe-masu tabete shimaimashita tabechau tabechatta
shimasu shite shimaimashita shichau shichatta
kimasu kite shimaimashita kichau kichatta

te form + wa ikemasen

This pattern expresses a prohibition.

Conditional Form (ba Form)

conditional ; -ba

if, in case ; This form by itself expresses a conditional.
This pattern is used if [A] happens, then [B] usually happens, or when the speaker assumes that [B] will happen.
This is also used if you do [A], then you can get a result [B] which you expect, or [A] is necessary in order for [B] to happen.

conditional + ii desu ka? (-ba, ii desu ka?) / ii desu (-ba, ii desu)

what (when, where, etc.) should I do / it will be fine if ...., it will be enough if ...., you should do ; This is used for asking someone's advice or suggestion with an interrogative.
This pattern is similar to ta form + ra ii desu ka?.
The statement, -ba ii desu is used to give advice or a suggestion.

conditional + ii noni (-ba, ii noni / -ba yokatta noni)

you should do ; This pattern implies that the speaker feels why someone won't do / didn't something.

conditional + yokatta (-ba yokatta)

I should have done ; This expresses the speaker's regret.

Volitional Form

volitional + to omoimasu / to omotte imasu

to plan to do, to be planning to do
This pattern is similar to tsumori desu.

volitional + to shimasu / to shite imasu

about to do something, be going to do

volitional + to shimashita

was just about to do something, tried to do something

Particles at the end or in the middle of a sentence

ga

1. The particle ga is used as a conjunction meaning "but" or "however" in the middle of the statement.
This function is different from the subject marker.
2. This ga is also used to give a preliminary or an explanation for the main statement which comes later.

kana... / kane...

This expresses that the speaker has a doubt or a suspicion.

kedo

This kedo is used the same usage of the particle ga above.

ne / nee

The particle ne is used to ask for agreement or confirmation like a tag question.

yo

The particle yo is used when telling a new information or giving a friendly sound

wa

This wa is used by females instead of desu or masu.

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