Verbs review
We've finally run into all of the basic stems of godan verbs, so this is a good time to review what we've learned. Please don't try to memorize this. Knowing that these ideas exist is enough. If your eyes gloss over, relax. If you can't do it, move on.
The names given are just simple descriptions/reminders of the form, they aren’t proper grammatical names. In parenthesis, the Japanese name and its respective proper terminology will be presented for those who are curious, but you don’t need to remember it. If a stem or form is referred to in the rest of the guide, it will be with the plain English descriptor, not the Japanese name.
| Form | Name | Japanese term |
|---|---|---|
| 書か(ない) | negative stem | 未然形 - irrealis form |
| 書き(ます) | masu stem | 連用形 - continuative form |
| 書く | plain/dictionary form | 終止形 predicative or 連体形 attributive form |
| 書け(る/ば) | potential stem | 已然形 perfective or 仮定形 hypothetical form |
| 書け | imperative form | 命令形 imperative form |
| 書こう | volitional form | 意向形 volitional form |
Remember that with godan verbs, there are special rules to conjugate past and て forms. For example for the k row き becomes い:
書いて 書いた
For ichidan verbs, the stem stays the same so it’s much easier, just replace the る:
食べ(ない) negative form 食べ(ます) masu form 食べる plain/dictionary form 食べ(られる/れる) potential form 食べ(れば) conditional/ば form 食べ(ろ) imperative form 食べ(よう) volitional form 食べ(て) て form 食べ(た) past form
And the two irregular verbs する and くる:
| Form | する | くる |
|---|---|---|
| negative | しない | こない |
| masu stem | し(ます) | き(ます) |
| plain | する | くる |
| potential | できる | これる |
| ば stem | すれば | これば |
| imperative | しろ/せよ | こい |
| volitional | しよう | こよう |
| て form | して | きて |
| past | した | きた |
Also, as a reminder, the godan verb 行く conjugates irregularly as 行って/行った for て form and past tense.