Japanese Language Class

Lecture Notes (Week 2)

I. Structures for Verbs

There are two basic structures for usages of verbs:

Subject + Verbs Object + Verbs

wa ta shi wa su ru wo su ru
e.g : (わたしは ～する) e.g : (～を ○○する)

II. Basic Verbs

Here is a list of basic commonly used verbs to remember:

no mu u ta u o yo gu
のむ = To drink うたう = To sing およぐ = To swim
ta be ru mi ru o do ru
たべる = To eat みる = To watch おどる = To dance
h a sh i ru ka n ga e ru i no ru
はしる = To run かんがえる = To think いのる = To pray
ki ku na ge ru ha ta ra ku
きく = To listen なげる = To throw はたらく = To work
ma na bu ne ru a so bu
まなぶ = To learn ねる = To sleep あそぶ = To play

Usages:

wa ta shi wa u ta u
1. わたしは うたう (I’m going to sing)
wa ta shi wa ka n ga e ru
2. わたしは かんがえる (I’m going to think)
wa ta shi wa o y o gu
3. わたしは およぐ (I’m going to swim)
wa ta shi wa ka bo cha wo ta be ru
4. わたしは かぼちゃを たべる (I’m going to eat pumpkin)
wa ta shi wa ni ho n go wo ma na bu
5. わたしは にほんごを まなぶ (I’m going to learn Japanese)
 wa ta shi wa e i ga wo mi ru
6. わたしは えいがを みる (I’m going to watch film)
wa ta shi wa ma re s hi a d e ha ta ra ku
7. わたしは マレーシアで はたらく (I’m going to work in Malaysia)

III. Practice Conversations

ko re no mu
Q: これ、のむ？ (Are you going to drink this?)
u n no mu
A: うん、のむ！ (Yes, I’m going to!)

na ni wo ta be ru
Q: なにを たべる？ (What are you going to eat?)
p i z a wo ta be ru
A: ピザを たべる！ (I’m going to eat pizza!)

shu u ma tsu ni na ni wo ma na bu
Q: しゅうまつに、なにを まなぶ？ (What will you learn on the weekend)
ni ho n go wo ma na bu
A: にほんごを まなぶ。(I’m going to learn Japanese)
 ど う し の か つ よ う
Intermediate Level: Conjugation of Verbs

I. Characteristics of Verbs

All verbs, in the dictionary form, end with sounds with vowel “U”.

e.g. まなぶ (to learn) manabu

いく (to go) iku

うたう (to sing) utau

Structure of Verbs:

- Japanese verbs consist of two parts: a verb base/stem (unchanged part) and
a suffix (changing part).

- Normally, the suffix would be the letter ending with the vowel “U”, as
mentioned above.
ha na su
- For example, for the word はなす (to speak):
ha na su
はな + す (Dictionary form)
ha na sa na i
はな + さない (Negation, not to speak)
ha na shi ta i
はな + したい (Desire/Suggestion, want to speak)

- Changing the suffix could express different meanings.

More examples: たべる（to eat） → たべない（not to eat）

のむ（to drink） → のまない（not to drink）

みる（to watch/look) → みたい（want to watch）

する（do）→したい（want to do）
II. Types of Verbs

There are three types of verbs in Japanese: Ru-verbs, U-verbs, and Irregular verbs.

Ru-verbs:
- The vowel that precedes the ending suffix “ru” is an “i” or an “e”.
- If preceded by other vowels, it’s a U-verb.
- Also known as “Ichidan Doushi”.
- e.g.
たべる (to eat) taberu

ねる (to sleep) neru

きめる (to decide) kimeru

みる (to look/watch) miru

おきる (to wake up) okiru

U-verbs:
- If ending suffix is “ru” and the vowel that precedes is not an “i” or an “e”.
- If ending suffix is not “ru”, but still ends with a vowel sound “u” in
dictionary form.
- Also known as “Godan Doushi”.
- e.g.
かく (to write) kaku

はなす (to speak) hanasu

まつ (to wait) matsu

およぐ (to swim) oyogu

まなぶ (to learn) manabu

Irregular Verbs:
- Exceptions that conjugate specifically
- e.g.
su ru su ru
する/～する (to do)
ku ru
くる (to come)
III. Basic Conjugations by Types

Ru-verbs:
みる to look/ to watch/ to see たべる to eat

Stem/base mi Stem/base ta be
み たべ
Dictionary mi ru Dictionary ta be ru
みる たべる
Negative mi na i Negative ta be na i
みない たべない
Desire mi ta i Desire ta be ta i
みたい たべたい

U-verbs:
かく to write いく to go

Stem/base ka Stem/base i
か い
Dictionary ka ku Dictionary i ku
かく いく
Negative ka ka na i Negative i ka na i
かかない いかない
Desire k a ki ta i Desire i ki ta i
かきたい いきたい

- The suffix would change its vowel sound, then add the regular conjugation.

Irregular Verbs:
する/～する to do くる to come

Stem/base su Stem/base ku
す く
Dictionary su ru Dictionary ku ru
する くる
Negative s h i na i Negative k o na i
しない こない
Desire shi ta i Desire k i ta i
したい きたい