- Verbs come at the end of the sentence and don’t change for the person.
- The ます form is polite and perfect for beginners: たべます, I eat.
- Four endings cover the basics: ます (do), ません (don’t), ました (did), ませんでした (didn’t).
- There are three verb groups; only する and くる are irregular.
Three things that make Japanese verbs easy
- No person endings. たべます means I eat, you eat, she eats, we eat.
- Present and future are the same form. いきます means I go or I will go.
- Only two irregular verbs. Compare that to English (be, have, go…) or French.
Verbs always go at the end of the sentence: わたしはすしをたべます, literally I sushi eat.
The four polite forms you need first
| Form | Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present / future | 〜ます | たべます | I eat / will eat |
| Negative | 〜ません | たべません | I don’t eat |
| Past | 〜ました | たべました | I ate |
| Past negative | 〜ませんでした | たべませんでした | I didn’t eat |
- たべますtabemasuI eat / will eat
- たべませんtabemasenI don’t eat
- たべましたtabemashitaI ate
- たべませんでしたtabemasen deshitaI didn’t eat
Two bonus forms are incredibly useful: 〜ましょう (let’s) and 〜ませんか (won’t you…?, a polite invitation): いきましょう (let’s go), いきませんか (would you like to go?).
The three verb groups
Dictionaries list verbs in their plain form (dictionary form), which always ends in an u-sound. To make the ます form, you need to know which group a verb belongs to.
Group 2: る-verbs (the easiest)
Most verbs ending in -iru or -eru. Simply drop る and add ます:
| Dictionary form | ます form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| たべる | たべます | to eat |
| みる | みます | to see / watch |
| ねる | ねます | to sleep |
| おきる | おきます | to get up |
Group 1: う-verbs
All other verbs. Change the final u-sound to the matching i-sound, then add ます:
| Dictionary form | ます form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| のむ (mu → mi) | のみます | to drink |
| かう (u → i) | かいます | to buy |
| いく (ku → ki) | いきます | to go |
| はなす (su → shi) | はなします | to speak |
| まつ (tsu → chi) | まちます | to wait |
| よむ (mu → mi) | よみます | to read |
| かえる (ru → ri) | かえります | to go home |
Group 3: the two irregulars
| Dictionary form | ます form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| する | します | to do |
| くる | きます | to come |
する is a superstar: combine it with a noun to make new verbs. べんきょうします (to study), かいものします (to go shopping), りょうりします (to cook).
15 verbs to learn first
- いきますikimasugo
- きますkimasucome
- かえりますkaerimasugo home / return
- たべますtabemasueat
- のみますnomimasudrink
- みますmimasusee / watch
- ききますkikimasulisten / ask
- よみますyomimasuread
- かきますkakimasuwrite
- はなしますhanashimasuspeak
- かいますkaimasubuy
- ねますnemasusleep
- おきますokimasuget up
- しますshimasudo
- べんきょうしますbenkyō shimasustudy
The particles that go with verbs
| Particle | Marks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| を (o) | the object | コーヒーをのみます, I drink coffee |
| に (ni) | destination, time | にほんにいきます, I go to Japan |
| へ (e) | direction | がっこうへいきます, I head to school |
| で (de) | place of an action | いえでたべます, I eat at home |
| と (to) | with someone | ともだちといきます, I go with a friend |
Put it all together: あしたともだちとレストランでばんごはんをたべます, Tomorrow I’ll eat dinner at a restaurant with a friend. The verb waits patiently at the end.
Confused by は and が? We have a whole guide: は vs. が.
のむ (to drink) →
みる (to see) →
くる (to come) →
“I didn’t go” is:
かえる (to go home) →
Next step: the て-form, which unlocks requests (please do…) and the -ing form.
Frequently asked questions
What is the masu form in Japanese?
The ます (masu) form is the polite form of Japanese verbs, used with strangers, colleagues and in most everyday situations. For example, たべる (to eat) becomes たべます.
How many verb groups are there in Japanese?
Three: Group 1 (う-verbs), Group 2 (る-verbs) and Group 3, which contains just the two irregular verbs する (to do) and くる (to come).
How do you make Japanese verbs negative?
In the polite form, replace ます with ません: たべます (I eat) becomes たべません (I don't eat). The past negative is ませんでした.
Do Japanese verbs change for I, you and they?
No. Japanese verbs don't change for the person. たべます can mean I eat, you eat, he eats or they eat.