Studying the verb forms in the Japanese language is essential to achieve fluency and comprehension. Japanese features a wide range of verb conjugations that vary according to the level of formality and the context of the speech. This article provides a detailed introduction to these forms, including practical examples to aid in understanding.
We will address both the common and formal forms, negative conjugations, the -ta form (past), as well as more complex forms, such as the ive and causative. If you have found a verb and need to know its conjugations, this guide can be of great help. Let's get started!
Table of Contents
common and formal
In Japanese, verbs can be expressed in either common (informal) or formal (polite) form. The common form is known as "辞書形" (jishokei) and ends with the letter "U". This form is widely used in informal contexts and also serves as the base for other conjugations.
The polite form or "Forma -masu" is used in formal and professional situations. For example, when speaking with superiors or in polite contexts, you replace the final "U" of the dictionary form with "I" and add "-masu". Thus, "話す" (hanasu) becomes "話します" (hanashimasu).
For example:
私は日本語を話します
Watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasu
Translation: I speak Japanese.
Negative Form
In Japanese, to form the negative, we do not use a separate word like "não," but rather a specific conjugation of the verb. The common negative form uses "-nai," while the polite form uses "-masen." This depends on whether the verb is in its dictionary form or in the -masu form.
For example:
私は日本語を話せない
Watashi wa nihongo o hanasenai
Translation: I do not speak Japanese.
In a formal way:
私は日本語を話しません
Watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasen
Translation: I do not speak Japanese (formal).
Forma -ta (Past)
The form -ta indicates that the action occurred in the past or was completed. To transform a verb from the dictionary form to the -ta form, we replace the ending according to specific rules, which vary by verb group.
For example, in the polite form, "行きます" (ikimasu) transforms into "行きました" (ikimashita) to indicate the past. In the negative, "行きません" (ikimasen) becomes "行きませんでした" (ikimasendeshita).
Example of use:
行きませんでした
Ikimasendeshita
Translation: I didn't go.
Forma -te and Its Functions
The verbs in the -te form are multifunctional. They can connect sentences, indicate actions in sequence, or serve as imperatives. They are also used in grammatical constructions with other verbs, such as "いる" (iru) to form the present continuous.
For example:
昨日、私は起きて、食事をして、出かけました。
Kinō, watashi wa okite, shokuji wo shite, dekakemashita
Translation: Yesterday, I woke up, ate, and left.
This form is very common in conversations and writing to express connected actions naturally.
Potential Form
The potential form expresses the capacity or possibility of performing an action. In type I verbs, the ending "U" is replaced by "ERU". For type II verbs, the ending "RU" is changed to "RARERU". The negative form adapts to "ENAI" or "RARERENAI".
Example:
本が読める
Hon wo yomeru
Translation: I can read the book.
In the negative form:
魚は食べられない
Sakana wa taberarenai
Translation: I can't eat the fish.
ive and Causative Form
The ive form expresses that the subject suffers the action. The ending "ARERU" is added to type I verbs. For example, "書く" (kaku) becomes "書かれる" (kakareru). The causative form indicates that "someone makes someone perform an action." For example, "行く" (iku) in the causative form is "行かせる" (ikaseru).
Example of ive form:
その本は来月出版されます
Sono hon wa raigetsu shuppan saremasu
Translation: This book will be published next month.
Causative form example:
子供を学校へ行かせました
Kodomo wo gakkō e ikasemashita
Translation: I made my son go to school.
Volitive or Presumptive Form
To make invitations or suggest actions, we use the volitional form, which translates as "Let's do something". Verbs in -masu are transformed into "ましょう" (mashou). When the basic form is used, the last letter is changed to "よう" (you).
Examples:
皆行きましょう
Mina ikimashou
Translation: Come on, everyone!
テレビをみましょう
Terebi wo mimashou
Translation: Let's watch TV.
Negative Imperative Form
The negative imperative form is used to forbid or instruct someone not to do something. In Japanese, there are distinct ways to express the negation of commands, depending on the level of formality.
For informal or more direct situations, we use "な" (na) after the verb in the dictionary form. This use is more common in military commands or strict instructions. For example:
話すな
Hanasu na
Translation: Do not speak.
In more formal or polite contexts, it is common to use "ないでください" (naide kudasai) after the verb in the -te form. For example:
話さないでください
Hanasanai de kudasai
Translation: Please do not speak.
Provisional Conditional -eba
The provisional conditional form "-eba" is used to express a condition that must be met for something to happen. This type of construction is commonly used in Japanese to indicate future consequences or possibilities.
To form the conditional -eba, the final "U" of type I verbs is replaced by "EBA". In type II verbs, the final "RU" is changed to "REBA". Here is an example:
話せば
Hanaseba
Translation: If I speak.
The negative form of -eba is made by adding "なければ" (nakereba) to the verb, as in:
話さなければ
Hanasanakereba
Translation: If I don't speak.
Desiderative Form -tai
The desiderative form "-tai" is used to express the desire to perform an action. In Portuguese, it would be equivalent to saying "quero fazer algo". This form is simple to conjugate: just take the root of the verb in the -masu form and replace "masu" with "tai".
For example, with the verb "行く" (iku - to go), we have:
行きたいです
Ikitaidesu
Translation: I want to go.
For the negative form, we replace "tai" with "taku nai" (informal) or "taku arimasen" (formal). Example:
行きたくないです
Ikitakunai desu
Translation: I don't want to go.
Conditional Form - tara
The form -tara is another way to express conditions in Japanese, but it is used in more specific contexts, where the condition or the situation described is more circumstantial. The -tara form can be translated as "if" or "when" in Portuguese.
Example of use with the verb "話す" (hanasu - to speak):
話したら
Hanashitara
Translation: If I speak / When I speak.
The negative form of -tara follows the same logic, as in:
話さなかったら
Hanasanakattara
Translation: If I don't speak / When I don't speak.
With this article, you got an overview of the main verb conjugations in japonês. We recommend continuing to practice to internalize these forms! There are other rare verb forms not mentioned in this article.
