Lesson 8

Verb Bases In Japanese

Using Verb Bases

Now that you know about 30 Japanese verbs and can conjugate them, I'll show you what you can do with those verb bases. You may want to regularly refer to the lessons on Godan verbs and Ichidan verbs while learning these.

The following chart applies to all Japanese verbs unless otherwise noted.

γ²γ‚‰γŒγͺ - HiraganaRomaji (English Letters)English Meaning
Base 1 + γͺいBase 1 + naiplain form negative (will not verb)
Base 1 + γͺγ‹γ£γŸBase 1 + nakattaplain form past negative (did not verb)
Base 2 + ますBase 2 + masupolite form present/future tense
Base 2 + γΎγ—γŸBase 2 + mashitapolite form past tense
Base 2 + ませんBase 2 + masenpolite form negative (will not verb)
Base 2 + γΎγ›γ‚“γ§γ—γŸBase 2 + masen deshitapolite form past negative (did not verb)
Base 2 + γŸγ„Base 2 + taiwant to verb (add です (desu) to make it polite)
Base 3Base 3plain form present/future tense
Base 4 + ばBase 4 + baif verb
Base 4 + γ‚‹Base 4 + ruplain form can verb (Godan verbs only) (verb now becomes an Ichidan verb)
Base 4 + ますBase 4 + masupolite form can verb (can be changed like above)
Base 5 + とするBase 5 + to surutry to verb (this suru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to do something))
Base "te" + 欲しいBase "te" + hoshiiwant someone else to verb (hoshii is an adjective which will be covered in the next lesson)
Base "te"Base "te"plain form command
Base "te" + 下さいBase "te" + kudasaipolite form command
Base "te" + いるBase "te" + iruplain form presently verbing (this iru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to exist (animate))
Base "te" + いますBase "te" + imasupolite form presently verbing (can be changed like above)
Base "ta"Base "ta"plain form past tense
Base "ta" + らBase "ta" + raif and when I verb (similar to Base 4 + ba)
Base "ta" + γ‚Šγ™γ‚‹Base "ta" + ri surudo such things as... (this suru is also the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to do something))