📝 N5 Verb Conjugation Overview

A visual reference page – Learn by comparing forms ✨

📖 Dictionary Form（辞書形）

The base form of all verbs. Every conjugation starts here.

Group I
Base Verb
いく
to go
Dictionary form.
→ 行きます / 行って / 行かない / 行った
Group II
Base Verb
たべる
to eat
Dictionary form.
→ 食べます / 食べて / 食べない / 食べた
Group III
Irregular Verb
する
to do
Irregular verb.
→ します / して / しない / した
What is Dictionary Form?

The dictionary form is the basic form of a verb. It is the form used in dictionaries and vocabulary lists.

It is also used in casual speech and before many grammar patterns, such as ～こと, ～前に, ～のが好き.

How is Dictionary Form used?

The dictionary form is the base form of a verb. All other verb forms are created from it.

It is used:
• In dictionaries and vocabulary lists
• In casual conversation
• Before grammar patterns like ～こと, ～前に, ～のが好き

Think of it as the starting point of all conjugations.

ます Form (Polite)

Group I
Dictionary → ます
いく → いきます
go → go (polite)
Most common verb form in textbooks.
Group II
Dictionary → ます
たべる → たべます
eat → eat (polite)
Used in polite conversation and formal situations.
Group III
Dictionary → ます
くる → きます
come → come (polite)
Read it as 'ku' in 'kuru', but change it to 'ki'for'kimasu'.

て Form

Group I
て Form
いって
go and
Also used with ～います for ongoing actions.
Group II
て Form
たべて
eat and / please eat
Used for requests, sequences, and connecting actions.
Group II verbs simply replace る → て.
Group III
て Form
して
doing / do and...
For Group III verbs, the entire dictionary form changes.
Just like 'kuru' becomes 'kite',
'suru' becomes 'shite'.

ない Form (Negative)

Group I
ない Form
いかない
do not go
Often used in daily conversation.
Group II
ない Form
たべない
do not eat
Used to express negatives in casual speech.
Group III
ない Form
こない
Didn't come / Won't come
Change the sound to o-row + ない.

た Form (Past)

Group I
た Form
いった
went
Same form as past casual speech.
Group II
た Form
たべた
ate
Used to talk about completed actions.
Group III
た Form
した
did
Group III verbs have irregular forms.

Plain form is the foundation of casual Japanese.

🗣 Plain Form（普通形）

The plain form is used in casual conversation, with friends, family, and in informal writing.
In contrast, ます form is polite and used in formal situations.

Group II
Dictionary Form
たべる
eat
Basic form. Used in dictionaries and casual speech.
Group II
Negative Form
たべない
do not eat
Plain negative form. Common in daily conversation.
Group II
Past Form
たべた
ate
Used to talk about completed actions.
Group II
Past Negative
たべなかった
did not eat
Plain negative past form.

📘 Verb Group Conjugation Rules

How verbs change based on Group I / II / III

Group I
Godan Verbs
• Final sound changes
• Use vowel rows (a / i / u / e / o)

Example:
書く → 書きます
飲む → 飲まない
行く → 行って
Group II
Ichidan Verbs
• Drop 「る」 before conjugation
• Most verbs ending in 〜える / 〜いる

Example:
食べる → 食べます
見る → 見ない
食べる → 食べて
Group III
Irregular Verbs
• Only two verbs
• Forms must be memorized

Examples:
する → します / した
来る → 来ます / 来た

🚨 Wait! These are actually Group I

They look like Group II (ending in ~iru/~eru), but they conjugate like Group I!

帰る
かえる
to return
入る
はいる
to enter
切る
きる
to cut
知る
しる
to know
走る
はしる
to run
要る
いる
to need
蹴る
ける
to kick
滑る
すべる
to slip
減る
へる
to decrease
喋る
しゃべる
to chat
照る
てる
to shine
焦る
あせる
to panic
握る
にぎる
To shape/To grasp/To hold/To seize
混じる
まじる
To be mixed/To be blended
交じる
まじる
To be mixed in
湿る
しめる
To get wet/To be moist

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