How to easily tell the difference between Ichidan and Yodan verbs

I was taught that there exists three types of verbs in Japanese. The three types of verbs in Japanese are ichidan, yo^dan* and irregular. These types of verbs are unrelated to the three types of English verbs or passive, active and forms of the copula - to be.

Being able to manipulate Japanese verbs is a secret to improving our Japanese language skills. We manipulate them by putting verbs into what is called the 5 bases. But before we can put verbs into bases, it will be necessary to understand the difference between ichidan, and yo^dan verbs. 

With the exception of irregular verbs,
Ichidan verbs are any Japanese verb that end in eru, or iru.

Examples of ichidan verbs:

iru - to be
eru - to gain
oboeru - to remember
oshieru - to teach

Yo^dan verbs are any verb that does not end in eru, or iru.

Examples of yo^dan verbs:

yaru - to give, to do, to play
utsu - to hit
komu - to be congested
oyogu - to swim


*The ^ carat symbol used in the word yo^dan = the long vowel, or, double vowel sound, sometimes indicated with a ‘u’ so that yo^dan can also be written youdan.

Words for I or me in Japanese

Japanese words for self

Watakushi 私 is the universal polite Japanese word represting one's self or "me". Watakushi 私 is seldom heard in conversations except the stately diplomatic kind of speeches, banquets and dinners.

Washi -わし is used by older, much older men as an abbreviated form of watakushi

Ore - pronounced like a mix between 'oh Ray', and 'oh day', is used by younger and older men who are tough, and sometimes mean and nasty, or just tough. Any cool male can used this word for me.

Watashi (even atashi)- used by feminine people to signify "me".

Boku 僕 (ぼく)- Me for boys

Ware 我- I, me for the samurai, or Emporers etc.

Watakushi tachi 私たち - Us

Warera 我ら われら - Us (more honorific ort old style)

Waga 我が (Old style)- my

Jibun Jishin 自分自信 - myself

all the above + NO (の) = my. or ours

Towards Better Japanese
Ganbatte ne!
Do Your Best!
Makurasuki

3 types of Japanese verbs

There are 3 types of Japanese verbs

1. Irregular ( kuru, suru)
2. Ichidan (always end in eru or iru)
3. Yo^dan


As Always,
Ganbatte ne!
Do Your Best!
Makurasuki

2 Japanese ireggular verbs and their usage

Suru and Kuru are irregular Japanese verbs so I thought I would show the conjugations of them through the 5 bases and base TE and TA. Here goes

Japanese 1 2 3 4 5 TE TA
Verb Bases _______________________________________________________________________________

suru する shi(し) shi(し) suru(する) sure(すれ) shiyo^(しよう) shite(して ) shita(した)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

kuru 来る ko(こ) ki(き) kuru(くる) kure(くれ) koyo^(こよう) kite(きて) kita(きた)

Irregular Japanese Verbs

I thought since the last post was about the difference between yo^dan and ichidan verbs, that todays post would be a little about japanese irregular verbs. So what makes a verb irregular? Does it need metamucil? Not enough fiber in its diet? No! Irregular means that it just doesn't fit any where else. The rules that go with ichidan verbs is regular enough. Ichidan verbs are those verbs which end in either an eru or iru. So the examples I gave were something like

iru いる
eru - 得るえる
oshieru- 教えるおしえる
oboeru - 覚えるおぼえる
kazoeru - 数えるかぞえる
hairu - 入るはいる

and yo^dan verbs are any other verbs that don't end in eru or iru.

You'll just have to remember which verbs are irregular. It is fairly obvious to notice the irregular verbs because they do not conjugate the same as ordinary ichidan and yo^dan verbs. So lets look at a few that really threw me for a loop and I could never find a full conjugations of these nor any rules to accompany these offset Japanese verbs. The irregular Japanese verbs act strangeley. With ordinary ichidan and yo^dan verbs, you can expect them to act as they should and abide all the rules of Japanese grammar. With irregulary Japanese verbs you don't know what could happen, sometimes an irregular verb looks like an ichidan and actually conjugates out as a yo^dan or some mixture of the two etc. Without any further ado, here is my list of irregular verbs I hate to love to use. They absoluetely defy all grammar rules and are really confusing until you just by rhote memorize their conjugations etc.

List of Japanese irregular verbs - Confusion causing messed up Japanese verbs

1. Suru - v. to do
2. kiru - v. to cut
3. kiru - v. to wear
4. hashiru - v. to run
5. shiru - v. to know
6. kuru - v. to come

Lets start with these and learn about how they can wreak havoc in the mouth of a beginning Japanese language speaker. The verb suru is probably the most used verb in all the Japanese language. It serves a lot of different purposes and acts irregularly regulary. Suru is a well behaved irregular verb but nonetheless is difficult to remember in so many ways.

Of all those irregular verbs, the one I dislike the most is Kiru. Kiru just doesn't work out at all. It is easily confused with the verb to wear and the verb to cut and yet sounds very much the same when conjugated. It also happens to sound just like kuru when conjugated so that
the stem is ki in all situations except kuru which is ko

so how do you tell the difference between kite, kite, kitte, kiite etc. Its all in the ear. You got to get good at hearing tiny subtle differences.

How to form TA and TE forms for Suru and Kuru (2 irregular verbs)

1. kuru - add TA or Te to base II -
kuru in base II = ki
ki+ta = kita
ki+te = kite

2. suru - add TA or TE to base II
suru in base II = shi
shi+ta = shita
shi+te = shite

Yo^dan and Ichidan Verb Discussion Japanese Vocabulary focus on verbs

In order to put verbs into bases, it’s necessary to understand the difference between Ichidan verbs and Yo^dan verbs. I was taught that there exists three types of verbs but these types are unrelated to the three types of English verbs. In English, the three types of verbs are passive, active and forms of the copula- to be.

With the exception of irregular verbs,
Ichidan verbs are any Japanese verb that end in eru or iru.

Examples of ichidan verbs
Iru
Eru
Obieru
Oshieru


Youdan verbs are any other verbs verbs.

Examples of yo^dan verbs

Yaru
Utsu
Komu
Oyogu

Japanese words and Japanese Grammar for Mae Ni To Verb before real quick

BEFORE ~verb~ - ~verb~ MAE NI 前に

suru mae ni する前に - before I do
before you do,
before he/she does,
before they do,
before any of them do,

asobu mae ni 遊ぶ前に - before I play,
before you play,
before he/she plays,
before they play,
before any of them play,

tsukuru mae ni 作る前に - before I make,
before you make,
before he/she makes,
before they make
before all of em' play

I,you,he,she,they,it,and all the rest.

Japanese Vocabulary 40

Japanese Vocabulary Blaster 40
15 Words Every 2 Days.
Learn, Memorize, Drill
Study, Ponder, Get Quizzed,
Rinse and Repeat!
Blasters 40-49
Focus on VERBS

1. harau – to pay
2. jo^tatsu suru – to improve
3. naguru – to hit, to slap
4. kizuku – to notice
5. daiji ni suru – to take well care of, to put at first interest
6. hinan suru – to criticize
7. sadameru – to establish
8. nazukeru* – to name
9. doku mi suru – to test for food poisoning
10. uchikatsu – to conquer
11. kaimono suru – to shop
12. yurusu – to forgive
13. hima o tsubusu - to waste time
14. shinrai suru – to trust
15. ni hokosu – to move to

* nazukeru is made up of two parts, na - from namae or name, and tsukeru- to stick something to something else. So sticking a name on something is basically naming it.

As Always,
Ganbatte Ne!
Do Your Best!
Makurasuki
to see the list of the last 15 words you should have already memorized go to Japanese Vocabulary 39 or go on to memorize your next 15 here at Japanese Vocabulary 41

Rocket Japanese

Polite Japanese Words

Politeness levels In the Japanese Language

This article will show you how to get someone to do something for you in Japanese. After you get the hang of these constructions it is advised top use any verb you learn from here on out by making sentences of your own.

Be creative as best you can, even making the way you learn the verbs and constructions you put them into sound out-landish, extravagant, or otherwise. The more bizarre you make the image of the meaning of words and the way you associate word terms and meanings together the more memorable will be their image and greater will be your vocabulary retention.

Remember, it isn't always the total amount of words that make one fluent. It is on the founded only after mastery of the various grammar forms are handled as well as total amount of vocabulary held at the locutors disposal as well. My advice to any do-it your-self-er Japanese language learner will greatly benefit from practicing Japanese with sentences which the student creates from scratch. Using in a sentence some grammatical construction featuring verbs which are well retained, and at one's disposal for usage.

There are mainly three levels of politeness in Japanese. There is also any shade in between these levels which can be obtained and implied through the various endings each verb in a sentence can take. There are three distinct latitudes or heights (Or depths as some may see it) at which spoken Japanese can be vocalized and interpreted, all different yet all manifesting meaning. Politeness levels are in large part determined by the age difference between locutors in a two way conversation.

In Japanese, one would speak in more respectful ways to persons who are upwards of your age. It is natural to speak less formally to people who are in your same graduating class or to people younger than you. It is usually all right to speak in plain form to people your age or less unless it is people who you have just met or the boss of your company, grandparent or god-father. The Shacho^san or boss of a company is always spoken to in the highest possible forms of politeness in Japanese.
In these constructions, aruある is replaced by its specialized counterpart gozaru, so instead of arimasu あります(polite aruある. (base II) + masuます) you would use gozaimasu. (Super-polite form of aruある.) On first meeting with someone in Japan, it would be rude to automatically assume that you were well acquainted with them or assumed that you knew him/her.

When first meeting someone always assume that he or she is your great uncle who had died and left you his fortune. Don't automatically assume enough familiarity with them to speak to them in the plain form or lower levels of speech. Remember plain form is the type of language that is spoken to dogs, so how much respect does a human being deserve over a dog.

It is important to understand the distinctions made between the levels of politeness in speech. Plain form just isn't polite, try to avoid it by always keeping your mouth clean and out of trouble. If you are a gaijin, your mouth and manners are already out of thwack with the customs and traditional courtesies of the Japanese nation.

When in Rome we do as the Romans do and when in Japan our feet can't stink.
In order to avoid sounding like a beast with no manners, try always speaking in Japanaese at higher more respectful levels. There are two levels of speech and 2 conditions of the verbs + future, - future, past +, past -. plain form. One above that level and another beneath. In all three levels. We can make sentences that are crystal clear and come out in our speech imbued with beautiful hues and hints of wonderful meanings making our Japanese not different from a samurai overlord.

In the present tense, plain form verbs always end in one of five vowels, a, i u e, or, o which corresponding to the five bases (I,II,III,IV,V) of a verb.

The polite form of a verb is made up of a verb in base II or the i line of the syllabary and by adding ~masuます. The ~masuます ending is always adequately polite. Speaking in plain form or leaving the verb in dictionary form or base (III) is less polite and could be construed as very rude speech.

*In my Ghetto Grammar lesson plain form is denoted P.F.)

Polite form is also categorized in degrees ,or levels of politeness. In Japanese there are 4 basic states or tenses a verb can take. There are 2 present tense verb forms that are polite and 2 in the past tense, each tense having its' affirmative or + side, and, or, - negative , {future / present ,+, or, - } and {past, +, or, -}.
In Japanese, the latter part of the verb is where the conjugations occur; at the tail of a verb, not the stem. There are many endings which can be constructed. Each ending can change the meaning of the Japanese words ever so subtley, yet significantly. In other words, there are many levels of politeness possible even using the same word(s).

When asking a favor of someone, you'll have to consider how polite you’ll want to sound with that person. You won't get very far by getting your boss to give you a raise when speaking to him in less polite language which equivocal to what is know as plain form Japanese. Not being careful of your politeness level can really get you into trouble. With the boss example it could give him more reason to dislike you or even fire you for insubordination.

Sometimes speaking in the plain form Japanese can be dangerous, making you sound even barbaric at times, childish at others, straight out rude at times, piggish, bossy, arrogant to name a few of the ways you jeopardize your potential to speaking fluid, beatifully perfect Japanese speaking. Be mindful that respect to others is shown through the Japanese langauge via the levels of speech:

Politeness levels in the Japanese Language - From low to high:

1. Base speech (rude, raunchy and raw Japanese, spoken to lesser creatures, animals, underlings, fledglings and disciples.

2 . Plain form or basically neutral status speaking Japanese, or the humble and exalted levels of speech. Humble and exalted levels of speech considered from the same tree and is globally known as

3. Honorifics

In getting a commitment for your request, use the verb ITADAKU, the same verb that is used in the expression, “Itadakimasu” before eating.

You will put this with a verb in base TE to get a yes or no answer. However, if your demands weren't that impending, or is not in need of immediate attention, then there are 3 further choice of verbs for those requests to become actions. The verbs involved in getting someone to do an action for you in Japanese, are these:

MORAU もらう - (to get, be given, receive),

KURERU くれる - (to receive from)

KUDASARU 下さる - ( to be so kind as to receive from )
with the masu ending being the highest.

• ITADAKU いただく - means literally to humbly partake of something or someone doing something for you that equates to a will you…? Or similar type English sentence.

Constructions for "Will you verb (for me)?" in Japanese.

Verb (base TE) + MORAU V (て) + もらう
Do you think you could verb for me?

Verb (base TE) +YARU V (て) + やる
I will verb for you. (This is least polite and only said amongst the closest of friends, more masculine.)

Verb (base TE) + KURERU V (て) + くれる-
Would you verb for me? (Either because I physically or otherwise can't do it myself or simply because you are kind or respected by me).

Verb (base TE) + AGERU V (て) + あげる
I'll verb for you.

Verb (base TE) + KUDASARU V (て) + 下さる
Will you kindly verb for me?

*Kudasaruくださる is one of the first learned Japanese words. It’s kanji represents the word meaning below, underneath, under, or down. The meaning is opposite to that of the word UE上 (Up, on top, above etc.)

This is where the construction for -please verb- or verb (base TE) + kudasai comes from.

Verb (base TE) + itadaku 頂く (The commitment word, itadaku, evokes only a yes or no answer). Equivalent to "Will you …verb?" in English.

1. Will you quit smoking.
Tabako o su^ no o yamete itadakemasu ka?
たばこを吸うのを止めて頂けますか

2. Can I get you to turn the light off for me?
Denki o keshite moraimasu ka?
電機を消してもらいますか

3. Could you turn the light off for me?

Denki o keshite kuremasu ka?
電機をけしてくれますか


4. Will you kindly lend me $1000 dollars Grandmother?
Oba^chan@ ano 1 sen doru o kashite kudasaimasu ka?
おばあちゃん! あの 一千＄貸してくれますか

5. Could you tell me your phone number?

a. Denwa bango o oshiete kudasaimasu ka?
電話番号を教えて下さいますか?

b. Denwa bango o oshiete kuremasu ka?
電話番号を教えてくれますか

c. Denwa bango o oshiete itadakemasu ka?
電話番号をいただけますか

a.,b.,c. Will you tell me your phone number?

Itadaku - the yes or no verb
Itadaku頂く is special in that it forms changes from the itadakiいただき to itadake いただけ form. Only either Yes, or, No? Using the verb itadaku いただく is ultimately polite yet it elicits only two answers from which to form a reply..

6. Shall I open it for you?
Akete yaro^ ka? (Less polite form V of verb yaru, downward politeness)
開けてやろうか?

7. Shall I read it for you?
Yonde agemasho^ ka? (masho^ is more polite, spoken to peers and above)
読んで挙げましょう

8. Lets get him to pay for us.
Haratte moraimasho^
払ってもらいましょう

9. I wanted him to draw a picture for us.
E o kaite moraitakatta n' desu.
絵を画いてもらいたかったのです.

10. I am going to need you to come in on Sunday (too).
Nichiyoubi nimo kaisha ni kite moraitakatta no desu ga…?
日曜日にも会社に来てもらいたかったのですが
That is straight out of “office space” yo!

Until next time, that’s the end of this short lesson in Japanese grammar. As always, I wish you the best in your endeavors towards better Japanese …

Ganbatte Ne!
頑張ってね
Do Your Best!
Makurasuki. まくらすき

Iru and Aru verbs that can be a little hard on your learning

In Japanese, the verb aru is used to signify the existence of something, while the verb iru is used to signify the existence of someone. They shouldn't be used interchangeably, even though their meanings are the same.


You would do well to get acquainted with these two Japanese verbs, because they are used so frequently. Aru is for inanimate subjects or objects while iru, is for animate subjects or objects Iru is used when speaking of the existence of living things but more particularly, people; Aru is used when speaking of the existence of things (inanimate objects, books, pens, lakes, trees. If it breathes use iru if not use aru. Here is a summary and examples


IRU (v. to be) - People, Animals


ARU (v. to be) - Place, Things





For example


There is a book on the table. - Teburu no ue ni hon ga arimasu.


I have a red car. - Akai kuruma ga arimasu.


How many marbles do you have? - B-dama ikutsu arimasu ka?





However, when dealing with live breathing creatures (Like animals and humans, even some insects like the kabutomushi) we use iru



For example


Is Mr. Tanaka Home - Tanakasan irrashaimasu ka or

Tanakasan imasu ka? Or just

Tanakasan iru?



To which one could reply, "Hai, orimasu." "Yes, he is home."


I have 6 cats. - Neko roppiki ga imasu.



3. How many brothers do you have? - Kyo^dai nannin imasu ka?


As always, Do your Best! Ganbatte Ne!

Makurasuki Sensei.

The Japanese verb Hiku in many tenses

Verb Dictionary Form:
引く [ひく] hiku - (v5k,vi,vt) (1) to pull; (2) to draw back; (3) to
draw (a card); (4) to draw (plan, line, etc.); (5) to catch (cold); (6)
to play (string instr.); (7) to look up (e.g., dictionary); to consult;
(P).
Verb Infinitive:
引き [ひき] hiki
Verb Gerund:
引いて [ひいて] hiite
Verb Gerund Negative:
引かないで [ひかないで] hikanaide
Verb Gerund Negative:
引かなくて [ひかなくて] hikanakute
Verb Present Plain:
引く [ひく] hiku
Verb Present Plain Negative:
引かない [ひかない] hikanai
Verb Present Polite:
引きます [ひきます] hikimasu
Verb Present Polite Negative:
引きません [ひきません] hikimasen
Verb Past Plain:
引いた [ひいた] hiita
Verb Past Plain Negative:
引かなかった [ひかなかった] hikanakatta
Verb Past Polite:
引きました [ひきました] hikimashita
Verb Past Polite Negative:
引きませんでした [ひきませんでした] hikimasen deshita
Verb Present Progressive Plain:
引いている [ひいている] hiite iru
Verb Present Progressive Plain Negative:
引いていない [ひいていない] hiite inai
Verb Present Progressive Polite:
引いています [ひいています] hiite imasu
Verb Present Progressive Polite Negative:
引いていません [ひいていません] hiite imasen
Verb Past Progressive:
引いていました [ひいていました] hiite imashita
Verb Past Progressive Negative:
引いていませんでした [ひいていませんでした] hiite imasen deshita
Verb Present Presumptive Plain:
引くだろう [ひくだろう] hiku darou
Verb Present Presumptive Plain Negative:
引かないだろう [ひかないだろう] hikanai darou
Verb Present Presumptive Polite:
引くでしょう [ひくでしょう] hiku deshou
Verb Present Presumptive Polite Negative:
引かないでしょう [ひかないでしょう] hikanai deshou
Verb Past Presumptive Plain:
引いただろう [ひいただろう] hiita darou
Verb Past Presumptive Plain Negative:
引かなかっただろう [ひかなかっただろう] hikanakatta darou
Verb Past Presumptive Polite:
引いたでしょう [ひいたでしょう] hiita deshou
Verb Past Presumptive Polite Negative:
引かなかったでしょう [ひかなかったでしょう] hikanakatta deshou
Verb Future Presumptive Plain:
引こう [ひこう] hikou
Verb Future Presumptive Polite:
引きましょう [ひきましょう] hikimashou
Verb Imperative Plain:
引け [ひけ] hike
Verb Imperative Plain (Less):
引きなさい [ひきなさい] hikinasai
Verb Imperative Plain Negative:
引くな [ひくな] hikuna
Verb Imperative Polite:
引いてください [ひいてください] hiite kudasai
Verb Imperative Polite Negative:
引かないでください [ひかないでください] hikanaide kudasai
Verb Conditional If:
引けば [ひけば] hikeba
Verb Conditional If Negative:
引かなければ [ひかなければ] hikanakereba
Verb Conditional When/if:
引いたら [ひいたら] hiitara
Verb Conditional When/if Negative:
引かなかったら [ひかなかったら] hikanakattara
Verb Potential Plain:
引ける [ひける] hikeru
Verb Potential Plain Negative:
引けない [ひけない] hikenai
Verb Potential Polite:
引けます [ひけます] hikemasu
Verb Potential Polite Negative:
引けません [ひけません] hikemasen
Verb Passive Plain:
引かれる [ひかれる] hikareru
Verb Passive Plain Negative:
引かれない [ひかれない] hikarenai
Verb Passive Polite:
引かれます [ひかれます] hikaremasu
Verb Passive Polite Negative:
引かれません [ひかれません] hikaremasen
Verb Causative Plain:
引かせる [ひかせる] hikaseru
Verb Causative Plain Negative:
引かせない [ひかせない] hikasenai
Verb Causative Polite:
引かせます [ひかせます] hikasemasu
Verb Causative Polite Negative:
引かせません [ひかせません] hikasemasen
Verb Causative Passive Plain:
引かせられる [ひかせられる] hikaserareru
Verb Causative Passive Plain Negative:
引かせられない [ひかせられない] hikaserarenai
Verb Causative Passive Polite:
引かせられます [ひかせられます] hikaseraremasu
Verb Causative Passive Polite Negative:
引かせられません [ひかせられません] hikaseraremasen