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-U Verbs (GROUP I)
( -RU verbs (GROUP II) are by far the easiest to conjugate: you drop -ru and add something else. Simple. )
-U verbs (GROUP I) aren't that easy, but almost. Typically, you drop -u and add something else. The problem is that there might be a phonetic change (such as when ha becomes pa, or ta becomes da) for some of the types. See the other chart for simple English meanings of the conjunctions; this one just tries to keep the conjunction rules clear.
First, there are some -u verbs that end in -ru. We have to get that out of the way right now. Real -ru verbs (where -ru gets dropped) always end in "iru" or "eru". If you see one that ends in: "aru" (exist), "uru" (sell), or "oru" (break), it's guaranteed not to be a -ru verb. It's probably a -u verb (with the exception of super-polite oddballs like gozaru/gozaimasu.)
Verbs like "iru" (exist or need,
depending on context) can be either type.
In fact, "need" is an -u verb (gerund is itte)
and and "exist" is a -ru verb (gerund is ite). If you hear
one of these, (like "hairu") be sure to ask what the gerund ("haitte")
or past tense ("haitte") is too, so you can remember what type it
is.
So far I've only met three verbs that
ended "-eru" that were -u verbs instead of -ru verbs. These
are:
keru/kette
(kick),
heru/hette
(decrease)
heru/hette
(elapse)
Except for these "iru/eru" verbs, every other type of verb is obvious by hearing only one form.
Including -u verbs which might happen to end in -ru, these are all the types there are:
| -su | |
| -ku | (these two types conjugate similarly) |
| -gu | |
| -bu | (these two types conjugate similarly) |
| -mu | |
| -nu | |
| -ru | (these three types conjugate similarly) |
| -tu | |
| -vowel+u |
-su is the only one that is well-behaved.
-(s)u will change simply
to -s(a), -s(i), -s(e), -s(o) in all cases with no odd behavior
to remember.
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Here are the replacements:
|
replace -u with -i to add "-masu", "-yasui", etc. (works straight across, no phonetic changes in any of the types). |
||
| Dictionary form | -masu form | Eigo |
| hanasu | hanashimasu | [he] talks |
| kiku | kikimasu | [he] walks |
| oyogu | oyogimasu | [he] swims |
| yobu | yobimasu | [he] calls |
| nomu | nomimasu | [he] drinks |
| sinu | sinimasu | [he] dies |
| tsukuru | tsukurimasu | [he] makes |
| matu | matimasu | [he] waits |
| harau | haraimasu | [he] pays |
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| Replace -u with -ite for the
-TE
(imperative) form.
(Types not following the rule, but acting similarly, are grouped.) |
|||
| Verb | -te form | Eigo | comment |
| hanasu | hanasite | talk! | normal |
| kiku | kiite | walk! | (replace entire -ku) |
| oyogu | oyoide | swim! | (replace entire -gu, be sure to use -ide) |
| yobu | yonde | call! | (replace entire -bu, be sure to use -nde) |
| nomu | nonde | drink! | (replace entire -mu, be sure to use -nde) |
| sinu | sinde | die! | (replace entire -nu, be sure to use -nde) |
| tukuru | tukutte | make! | (replace entire -ru, be sure to use -tte) |
| matu | matte | wait! | (replace entire -tu, be sure to use -tte) |
| harau | haratte | pay! | (replace -u, be sure to use -tte) |
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| Replace -u with -ita for past tense.
Types not strictly following the rule, but acting similarly, are grouped. |
|||
| hanasu | hanasita | talk | |
| kiku | kiita | walk | (replace entire -ku) |
| oyogu | oyoida | swim | (replace entire -gu, be sure to use -ida) |
| yobu | yonda | call | (replace entire -bu, be sure to use -nda) |
| nomu | nonda | drink | (replace entire -mu, be sure to use -nda) |
| sinu | sinda | die | (replace entire -nu, be sure to use -nda) |
| tukuru | tukutta | make | (replace entire -ru, be sure to use -tta) |
| matu | matta | wait | (replace entire -tu, be sure to use -tta) |
| harau | haratta | pay | (replace -u, be sure to use -tta) |
| (In fact, I query-searched and replaced "e" with "a" on the gerunds to get this if that helps any. The rule breakers are breaking the rule uniformly now.) | |||
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| Replace -u with -itara for "if". (Or, just
add "ra" to the past.)
(Types not strictly following the rule, but acting similarly, are grouped.) |
|||
| hanasu | hanasitara | talk | |
| kiku | kiitara | walk | (replace entire -ku) |
| oyogu | oyoidara | swim | (replace entire -gu, be sure to use -idara) |
| yobu | yondara | call | (replace entire -bu, be sure to use -ndara) |
| nomu | nondara | drink | (replace entire -mu, be sure to use -ndara) |
| sinu | sindara | die | (replace entire -nu, be sure to use -ndara) |
| tukuru | tukuttara | make | (replace entire -ru, be sure to use -ttara) |
| matu | mattara | wait | (replace entire -tu, be sure to use -ttara) |
| harau | harattara | pay | (replace -u, be sure to use -ttara) |
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| Replace -u with -itari for "do things like
X"
(Or just add "ri" to past). |
|||
| hanasu | hanasitari | talk | |
| kiku | kiitari | walk | (replace entire -ku) |
| oyogu | oyoidari | swim | (replace entire -gu, be sure to use -idari) |
| yobu | yondari | call | (replace entire -bu, be sure to use -ndari) |
| nomu | nondari | drink | (replace entire -mu, be sure to use -ndari) |
| sinu | sindari | die | (replace entire -nu, be sure to use -ndari) |
| tukuru | tukuttari | make | (replace entire -ru, be sure to use -ttari) |
| matu | mattari | wait | (replace entire -tu, be sure to use -ttari) |
| harau | harattari | pay | (replace -u, be sure to use -ttari) |
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| Replace -u with -eba for "if".
(works straight across, no phonetic changes in any of the types) |
|||
| hanasu | hanaseba | talk | |
| kiku | kikeba | walk | |
| oyogu | oyogeba | swim | |
| yobu | yobeba | call | |
| nomu | nomeba | drink | |
| sinu | sineba | die | |
| tukuru | tukureba | make | |
| matu | mateba | wait | |
| harau | haraeba | pay | |
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| Replace -u with -oo for "let's do X".
(works straight across, no phonetic changes in any of the types) |
||
| hanasu | hanasoo | talk |
| kiku | kikoo | walk |
| oyogu | oyogoo | swim |
| yobu | yoboo | call |
| nomu | nomoo | drink |
| sinu | sinoo | die |
| tukuru | tukuroo | make |
| matu | matoo | wait |
| harau | haraoo | pay |
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| Replace -u with -e for rude orders "do X
dammit".
(works straight across, no phonetic changes in any of the types) |
||
| hanasu | hanase | talk |
| kiku | kike | walk |
| oyogu | oyoge | swim |
| yobu | yobe | call |
| nomu | nome | drink |
| sinu | sine | die |
| tukuru | tukure | make |
| matu | mate | wait |
| harau | harae | pay |
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| Replace -u with -anai for negative.
(This is now an adjective.) (works straight across, only one phonetic change in one type) |
|||
| hanasu | hanasanai | talk | |
| kiku | kikanai | walk | |
| oyogu | oyoganai | swim | |
| yobu | yobanai | call | |
| nomu | nomanai | drink | |
| sinu | sinanai | die | |
| tukuru | tukuranai | make | |
| matu | matanai | wait | |
| harau | harawanai | pay | (stick a wa in there, not just an "a". Makes it easier to say, too. Lucky us!) |
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| Replace -u with -eru for "can do X".
This is now a -ru verb. (works straight across, no phonetic changes in any of the types) |
||
| hanasu | hanaseru | talk |
| kiku | kikeru | walk |
| oyogu | oyogeru | swim |
| yobu | yoberu | call |
| nomu | nomeru | drink |
| sinu | sineru | die |
| tukuru | tukureru | make |
| matu | materu | wait |
| harau | haraeru | pay |
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| Replace -u with -aseru for "make (someone)
do X".
This is now a -ru verb. (works straight across, only one phonetic change in one of the types) |
|||
| hanasu | hanasaseru | talk | |
| kiku | kikaseru | walk | |
| oyogu | oyogaseru | swim | |
| yobu | yobaseru | call | |
| nomu | nomaseru | drink | |
| sinu | sinaseru | die | |
| tukuru | tukuraseru | make | |
| matu | mataseru | wait | |
| harau | harawaseru | pay | (Don't forget to throw a wa in there!) |
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| Replace -u with -areru for "X is done (often
to someone)".
This is now a -ru verb. (works straight across, only one phonetic change in one of the types) |
|||
| hanasu | hanasareru | talk | |
| kiku | kikareru | walk | |
| oyogu | oyogareru | swim | |
| yobu | yobareru | call | |
| nomu | nomareru | drink | |
| sinu | sinareru | die | |
| tukuru | tukurareru | make | |
| matu | matareru | wait | |
| harau | harawareru | pay | (Don't forget to throw a wa in there!) |
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| Replace -u with -aserareru for "be made to
do X by someone".
Same result as just doing the two conjunctions separately but is taught in most books as a specific conjunction. This is now a -ru verb. (works straight across, only one phonetic change in one of the types) |
|||
| hanasu | hanasaserareru | talk | |
| kiku | kikaserareru | walk | |
| oyogu | oyogaserareru | swim | |
| yobu | yobaserareru | call | |
| nomu | nomaserareru | drink | |
| sinu | sinaserareru | die | |
| tukuru | tukuraserareru | make | |
| matu | mataserareru | wait | |
| harau | harawaserareru | pay | (Don't forget to throw a wa in there!) |
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Now that was long, but it was mostly cut-and-paste because
even these are well-behaved when you organize them correctly. When you
boil down what needs to be done to these verbs to conjugate them correctly,
the information required is really minimal--even for the oddballs. That's
all you need to be able to conjugate almost every verb in Japanese.
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