Japanese Verbs

A. Classification of verbs

Verbs are classified into three types.
1. Group 1 verbs, or verbs ending in -eru or –iru
taberu neru miru okiru
"eat" "sleep" "see" "get up"
2. Group 2 verbs, or verbs ending in -u
yomu kiku iku kau
"read" "listen to" "go" "buy"
3. Irregular verbs
kuru suru
"come" "do
B. Polite form of verbs

The polite form of verbs is used between persons who are not close friends. It shows deference, respect, etc.
Students are expected to use this form when they talk to their teachers. The polite form is obtained in the following way.

1. Group 1 verbs, or verbs ending in -eru or -iru

Drop -ru and add -masu.
* Table of the polite form of Group 1 verbs *

Dictionary form Polite form
taberu tabemasu
neru nemasu
miru mimasu
okiru okimasu
(There are some exceptions such as "hashiru."
which belongs to Group II verbs.)


2. Group 2 verbs, or verbs ending in -u

Change -u to -i and add -masu.

* Table of the polite form of Group 2 verbs *

Dictionary form Polite form
yomu yomimasu
kiku kikimasu
iku ikimasu
kau kaimasu


3. Irregular verbs

The polite form of kuru is kimasu.
The polite form of suru is shimasu.

Verbs ending in -masu are used to describe a habitual action or an action in the
future. For the negative form of verbs ending in -masu, change -masu to -masen.
What has already happened can be described by verbs ending in -mashita instead of -masu. For the negative form of verbs ending in -mashita, drop –mashita and add -masen deshita.

* Table of the polite form of verbs *

-masu -masen -mashita -masen deshita
tabemasu tabemasen tabemashita tabemasen deshita
mimasu mimasen mimashita mimasen deshita
yomimasu yomimasen yomimashita yomimasen deshita
kikimasu kikimasen kikimashita kikimasen deshita
kimasu kimasen kimashita kimasen deshita
shimasu shimasen shimashita shimasen deshita


Examples
1. Ruin san ga teepu o kikimashita. "Mr. Lwin listened to the tape."
2. Ruin san ga shokudoo e ikimasen. "Mr. Lwin won't/doesn't go to the cafeteria."
3. Arisu san ga Nihongo o benkyoo shimasen deshita. Alice san didn't study Japanese."
Since verbs ending in -mashita or -masen deshita describe a completed action, this form of verbs will be called the perfective form of verbs in this textbook. On the other hand, verbs ending in -masu or -masen will be called the imperfective form of verbs in this textbook, because they describe an action not completed. In a dictionary, verbs are not listed in their polite form but in the form seen in Lesson 1, NOTES ON SENTENCE GRAMMAR II -A, which will be called the non-polite form.