There are three types of Japanese verbs:
う-verbs (godan) are the most numerous group – their dictionary form ends in an う-sound (く, む, ぬ, etc.) and they follow a set of consonant-stem conjugation patterns.
る-verbs (ichidan) are generally simpler to conjugate – you just drop the る and add endings. Most verbs ending in -eru or -iru belong here, though there are exceptions (like 帰る kaeru and 走る hashiru, which are actually う-verbs).
Irregular verbs in Japanese are just two: する (suru, “to do”) and 来る (kuru, “to come”) – plus all compound verbs built on する, like 勉強する (benkyō suru, “to study”).
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| する | suru | to do, to make | irregular |
| ある | aru | to exist (inanimate) | う-verb |
| いる | iru | to exist (animate) | る-verb |
| 来る | kuru | to come | irregular |
| 行く | iku | to go | う-verb |
| 言う | iu | to say, to speak | う-verb |
| 見る | miru | to see, to look | る-verb |
| 食べる | taberu | to eat | る-verb |
| 飲む | nomu | to drink | う-verb |
| 聞く | kiku | to listen, to ask | う-verb |
| 書く | kaku | to write | う-verb |
| 読む | yomu | to read | う-verb |
| 話す | hanasu | to speak, to talk | う-verb |
| 買う | kau | to buy | う-verb |
| 思う | omou | to think, to feel | う-verb |
| 知る | shiru | to know, to learn | う-verb |
| 使う | tsukau | to use | う-verb |
| 作る | tsukuru | to make, to create | う-verb |
| 待つ | matsu | to wait | う-verb |
| 会う | au | to meet | う-verb |
| 帰る | kaeru | to return home | う-verb |
| 起きる | okiru | to wake up, to get up | る-verb |
| 寝る | neru | to sleep, to go to bed | る-verb |
| 出る | deru | to go out, to leave | る-verb |
| 入る | hairu | to enter | う-verb |
| 乗る | noru | to ride, to board | う-verb |
| 降りる | oriru | to get off, to descend | る-verb |
| 开ける | akeru | to open | る-verb |
| 閉める | shimeru | to close, to shut | る-verb |
| 始める | hajimeru | to begin, to start | る-verb |
| 終わる | owaru | to end, to finish | う-verb |
| 教える | oshieru | to teach, to tell | る-verb |
| 習う | narau | to learn (from someone) | う-verb |
| 働く | hataraku | to work | う-verb |
| 休む | yasumu | to rest, to take a break | う-verb |
| 遊ぶ | asobu | to play, to have fun | う-verb |
| 走る | hashiru | to run | う-verb |
| 歩く | aruku | to walk | う-verb |
| 泳ぐ | oyogu | to swim | う-verb |
| 泣く | naku | to cry, to weep | う-verb |
| 笑う | warau | to laugh, to smile | う-verb |
| 怒る | okoru | to get angry | う-verb |
| 忘れる | wasureru | to forget | る-verb |
| 覚える | oboeru | to remember, to memorize | る-verb |
| 持つ | motsu | to hold, to have | う-verb |
| 取る | toru | to take, to get | う-verb |
| くれる | kureru | to give (to me) | る-verb |
| あげる | ageru | to give (to others) | る-verb |
| もらう | morau | to receive | う-verb |
| 貸す | kasu | to lend | う-verb |
| 借りる | kariru | to borrow | る-verb |
| 売る | uru | to sell | う-verb |
| 聞こえる | kikoeru | to be audible, to hear | る-verb |
| 見える | mieru | to be visible, to seem | る-verb |
| 分かる | wakaru | to understand | う-verb |
| できる | dekiru | to be able to, to be done | る-verb |
| なる | naru | to become | う-verb |
| 置く | oku | to put, to place | う-verb |
| 決める | kimeru | to decide | る-verb |
| 考える | kangaeru | to think, to consider | る-verb |