In Japanese, verbs are categorized into Ichidan (一段, “one-step”) and Godan (五段, “five-step”) verbs. This article will focus only on Ichidan verbs, their conjugations, and how to use them in sentences.
Table of Contents
Fundamentals
Ichidan verbs are also known as ru-verbs, as their dictionary form always ends in る (ru). Unlike Godan verbs, which undergo multiple changes in their stems, Ichidan verbs have a simple, consistent conjugation pattern—you remove る and attach the appropriate ending.
Common Ichidan Verbs
| Verb | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる | たべる (taberu) | To eat |
| 見る | みる (miru) | To see/watch |
| 寝る | ねる (neru) | To sleep |
| 起きる | おきる (okiru) | To wake up |
| 信じる | しんじる (shinjiru) | To believe |
| 教える | おしえる (oshieru) | To teach/tell |
| 借りる | かりる (kariru) | To borrow |
| 出る | でる (deru) | To exit |
You can recognize Ichidan verbs because they always end in ～る and have an “e” or “i” sound before the る (e.g., taberu, miru).
Conjugation
Stem Form (Base Form)
Before conjugating, you must recognize the stem form of Ichidan verbs. To get the stem, remove ～る from the dictionary form.
| Verb (Dictionary Form) | Stem Form |
|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べ (tabe) |
| 見る (miru) | 見 (mi) |
| 寝る (neru) | 寝 (ne) |
| 教える (oshieru) | 教え (oshie) |
Once you have the stem form, you can add different conjugations.
Present Tense (Dictionary Form) – 〜る
The dictionary form is the default present tense used in informal speech.
Example:
食べる (taberu)Present Negative – 〜ない
To make an Ichidan verb negative in casual speech, replace る with ない.
Example:
Casual
食べない。(tabenai, "I don’t eat.")
Polite
食べません (tabemasen, "I don’t eat.")Past Tense – 〜た
To form the casual past tense, replace る with た.
| Verb (Dictionary Form) | Past Form |
|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | |
| 見る (miru) | 見た (mita) |
| 寝る (neru) | 寝た (neta) |
Example:
Casual
食べた (tabeta, "I ate.")
食べました (tabemashita) → "I ate."Past Negative – 〜なかった
To form the casual negative past, replace ない with なかった.
| Verb (Negative Form) | Past Negative |
|---|---|
| 食べない (tabenai) | |
| 見ない (minai) | 見なかった (minakatta) |
Example:
Casual
食べなかった (tabenakatta, "I didn’t eat.")
Polite
食べませんでした (tabemasen deshita, "I didn’t eat.")Other Grammar Structures
Te-form (〜て)
The て-form is used for linking verbs, making requests, and forming progressive or imperative sentences.
To create the て-form, replace る with て.
| Verb (Dictionary Form) | て-Form |
|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べて (tabete) |
| 見る (miru) | 見て (mite) |
| 寝る (neru) | 寝て (nete) |
Example:
もっと野菜を食べてください。
(Motto yasai o tabete kudasai.)
"Please eat more vegetables."Volitional Form (Let’s ~) – 〜よう
The volitional form expresses “let’s do something” or intentions.
To form it, replace る with よう.
| Verb (Dictionary Form) | Volitional Form |
|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べよう (tabeyō) |
| 見る (miru) | 見よう (miyō) |
Example:
映画を見よう！
(Eiga o miyō!)
"Let’s watch a movie!"Potential Form (Can ~) – 〜られる
To express “can do” something, replace る with られる.
| Verb (Dictionary Form) | Potential Form |
|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べられる (taberareru) |
| 見る (miru) | 見られる (mirareru) |
Example:
お寿司が食べられる。
(Osushi ga taberareru.)
"I can eat sushi."Summary
| Tense | Casual | Polite |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 食べる (taberu) | 食べます (tabemasu) |
| Negative | 食べない (tabenai) | 食べません (tabemasen) |
| Past | 食べた (tabeta) | 食べました (tabemashita) |
| Past Negative | 食べなかった (tabenakatta) | 食べませんでした (tabemasen deshita) |
| Te-form | 食べて (tabete) | (Use in requests) |
| Volitional | 食べよう (tabeyō) | 食べましょう (tabemashō) |
| Potential | 食べられる (taberareru) | 食べられます (taberaremasu) |