Understanding Japanese Verb Groups
Before you conjugate anything in Japanese, you need to know which group a verb belongs to. Every single conjugation rule depends on this classification, so getting it down early saves you a ton of headaches later. Our lesson on verb conjugation basics walks through these groups with real practice, and you'll find verb conjugation covered in our JLPT N5 grammar list as well.
Japanese verbs split into three groups:
U-verbs (Group I / 五段動詞)
These verbs end in any う-row sound: う, く, ぐ, す, つ, ぬ, ぶ, む, or る. They're called "u-verbs" because the final syllable always sits on the う-row of the hiragana chart. When you conjugate them, you shift that final sound across different rows. Which is why they're also called 五段 (five-level) verbs.
Common u-verbs: 買う (to buy), 書く (to write), 泳ぐ (to swim), 話す (to speak), 待つ (to wait), 死ぬ (to die), 遊ぶ (to play), 飲む (to drink)
Ru-verbs (Group II / 一段動詞)
These always end in る, with an い or え sound right before it. They're simpler to conjugate. You just drop the る and add whatever ending you need. That's it. No sound-shifting gymnastics.
Common ru-verbs: 食べる (to eat), 見る (to see), 開ける (to open), 閉める (to close), いる (to exist), 起きる (to wake up)
The Tricky Part: Not Every る-ending Verb is a Ru-verb
Here's where beginners get tripped up. Some verbs end in る but are actually u-verbs. The rule of thumb:
- If the sound before る is an a, u, or o sound → definitely a u-verb (帰る, 走る, 通る)
- If the sound before る is an i or e sound → usually a ru-verb, but not always
Exceptions like 切る (to cut), 知る (to know), and 入る (to enter) end in いる/える but conjugate as u-verbs. You just have to memorize these rebels.
Irregular Verbs (Group III)
Good news: there are only two. する (to do) and 来る (くる, to come). They follow their own rules in every conjugation, but since there's only two of them, it's manageable. する also forms compound verbs with nouns (勉強する, 料理する), so you'll see it constantly.
Two Tenses, No Subject Conjugation
Japanese verbs have exactly two tenses: non-past (present and future) and past. That's it. No future tense conjugation, no present continuous built into the base form.
Even better. Verbs don't change based on who's doing the action. Whether it's "I eat," "you eat," "she eats," or "they eat," the verb stays the same: 食べる. Coming from English where you juggle eat/eats/ate/eating/eaten, this is a relief.
Example Sentences
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毎日コーヒーを飲む。 (mainichi koohii wo nomu.) — I drink coffee every day.
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映画を見る？ (eiga wo miru?) — Are you going to watch a movie?
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友達と遊ぶ。 (tomodachi to asobu.) — I'm hanging out with friends.
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明日早く起きる。 (ashita hayaku okiru.) — I'll wake up early tomorrow.
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日本語を勉強する。 (nihongo wo benkyou suru.) — I study Japanese.
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彼女は来ない。 (kanojo wa konai.) — She's not coming.
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バスを待つ。 (basu wo matsu.) — I'm waiting for the bus.
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この本を読む。 (kono hon wo yomu.) — I'm going to read this book.