Syntax Classification of Verbs#
| Syntax Classification | Verb Terminology |
|---|---|
| School Grammar (for Native Speakers) | Group 1 Verbs, Group 2 Verbs, Irregular Verbs |
| Educational Grammar (for Foreigners) | Type 1 Verbs, Type 2 Verbs, Type 3 Verbs |
Personally, I prefer School Grammar because it is easier to remember.
Related notes: Group 1 Verbs, Irregular Verbs
Group 1 Verbs#
Any of the following three conditions can be met.
- The verb base does not end with "る".
- The verb base ends with the "う" sound (う・く・す・つ・ぬ・む・う・ぐ・ぶ).
- The verb base ends with "る", but the vowel before "る" is "ア段音 (a), ウ段音 (u), オ段音 (o)".
- "O ある"
- "O うる"
- "O おる"
Type 1 verbs in Japanese are called Group 1 verbs because they have five different endings. These five verb endings are used in different sentence patterns, and the most commonly used ones in beginner Japanese are the affirmative, interrogative, and negative masu forms.
School Grammar Conjugation Table (Group 1 Verbs)#
Using " 飲む (mu)" as an example:
| Conjugation | Representative Form | Meaning | Ending Change | Continuation | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Conjugation | Negative Form | Indicates negation | 飲ま (ma) | ない | 飲まない |
| Second Conjugation | Continuative Form | Polite, past, hopeful... | 飲み (mi) | ます，た，て，たい... | 飲みます |
| Third Conjugation | Terminal Form | Indicates termination | 飲む (mu) | 。 | 飲む。 |
| Fourth Conjugation | Attributive Form | Modifies nouns | 飲む (mu) | Nouns (こと，とき...) | 飲む XX |
| Fifth Conjugation | Hypothetical Form | Indicates hypothesis, if | 飲め (me) | ば | 飲めば |
| Sixth Conjugation | Imperative Form | Indicates command | 飲め (me) | 。 | 飲め |
| Seventh Conjugation | Volitional Form | Indicates intention | 飲も (mo) | う | 飲もう |
Educational Grammar Conjugation Table (Type 1 Verbs)#
Correction for table "key4 - 使役受身形（第一变化）": Verb Base + せられる
Summary of Conjugations#
Among them, the て - form and た - form#
Will have different sound changes based on the verb base.
- Verb Base ends with 【う、つ、る】: Will undergo a geminate consonant sound change, remove the verb base, and add the geminate consonant "っ".
- If there is a て before る，the geminate consonant "っ" is not added.
- If there is an え before る，the geminate consonant "っ" is not added.
| Base Form | て - form | た - form |
|---|---|---|
| 買う | 買って | 買った |
| 待つ | 待って | 待った |
| 乗る | 乗って | 乗った |
- Verb Base ends with 【ぬ、ぶ、む】: Will undergo a nasal sound change, remove the verb base, and add the nasal sound "ん". Additionally, て and た will undergo a geminate consonant sound change to become で and だ，respectively.
| Base Form | て - form | た - form |
|---|---|---|
| 死ぬ | 死んで | 死んだ |
| 呼ぶ | 呼んで | 呼んだ |
| 読む | 読んで | 読んだ |
- Verb Base ends with 【く、ぐ】: Will undergo an i-sound change, remove the verb base, and add "い". If the original verb base is a voiced sound 【ぐ】, て and た will undergo a voiced sound change to become で and だ，respectively.
| Base Form | て - form | た - form |
|---|---|---|
| 書く | 書いて | 書いた |
| 稼ぐ | 稼いで | 稼いだ |
Exception: The verb 行く (iku) does not undergo an i-sound change in the て - form and た - form. (行く：行きます、行って)
- Insulting words are 痴 (chi): うるつ becomes っ (chi)
- Not angry eyes are 恩 (on): ぶぬむ becomes ん (on)
- Lonely one person: ぐくイ人
The content of this article is borrowed and learned from 【時雨の町】.