Languages › Japanese Useful Japanese Verbs Share Flipboard Email Print xavierarnau / Getty Images Japanese Japanese Grammar History & Culture Essential Japanese Vocabulary By Namiko Abe Namiko Abe Japanese Language Expert B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University Namiko Abe is a Japanese language teacher and translator, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert. She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20 years. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on January 31, 2019 There are two kinds of verbs in Japanese, (1) the be-verbs, "da" or "desu", and (2) common verbs ending with the "~ u" sound. As for the be-verbs (is, are, am), "da" is used for the informal present tense and "desu" is for the formal present tense. There is no grammatical subject-verb agreement in Japanese. "Da" is used for the present tense of the to be-verb (is, are, am) regardless of the person and number of the subject. For example, it is used in all of the following three situations like, "I am a student (Watashi wa gakusei da)", "He is a student (Kare wa gakusei da)" and "We are students (Watashitachi wa gakusei da)". Beside the be-verbs, all other verbs in Japanese end with the vowel "~ u". Japanese verbs conjugate according to the suffixes that is attached to the verb stem. Verb endings are changed to indicate past tense, negation, passive and causative mood. The rules for conjugation in Japanese verbs are simpler compared to some languages, such as English or French. The conjugation patterns are not affected by gender, a person (such as the first, second, and third person), or the number (singular and plural). Here is a list of the basic Japanese verbs and their pronunciation. I focus on the non-past tense in my list. It is the plain form that is used in informal situations. It is also the form listed in dictionaries. It is equivalent to both future and past tense in English. (there) is; be; havearuある be (for living things)iruいる do; makesuruする do; performokonau行う make; manufacturetsukuru作る be possible; ready; good atdekiruできる beginhajimaru始まる raiseokosu起こす continuetsuzuku続く repeatkurikaesu繰り返す stoptomaru止まる give upyameruやめる omithabuku省く finishowaru終わる endsumu済む advance; progresssusumu進む be lateokureru遅れる increasefueru増える decreaseheru減る be left over; have spareamaru余る remainnokoru残る sufficetariru足りる lack; be short ofkakeru欠ける crosskosu越す goiku行く comekuru来る go outderu出る enterhairu入る take outdasu出す put inireru入れる return; come backkaeru帰る asktazuneruたずねる answerkotaeru答える mentionnoberu述べる make noisesawagu騒ぐ shinehikaru光る stand outmedatsu目立つ appeararawareru現れる openakeru開ける closeshimeru閉める giveageruあげる receivemorauもらう taketoru取る catchtsukamaeru捕まえる geteru得る loseushinau失う look forsagasu探す findmitsukeru見つける pick uphirou拾う throw awaysuteru捨てる dropochiru落ちる usetsukau使う handle, treatatsukau扱う carryhakobu運ぶ hand overwatasu渡す deliverkubaru配る returnkaesu返す approachyoru寄る crosswataru渡る passtooru通る hurryisogu急ぐ run awaynigeru逃げる chaseou追う hidekakureru隠れる lose one's waymayou迷う waitmatsu待つ moveutsuru移る turn; facemuku向く riseagaru上がる go downsagaru下がる incline; leankatamuku傾く shake; swayyureru揺れる fall downtaoreru倒れる hitataru当たる collidebutsukaruぶつかる separate from; leavehanareru離れる meetau会う run into; meet by chancedeau出会う welcomemukaeru迎える send offmiokuru見送る take with; accompanytsureteiku連れて行く call; send foryobu呼ぶ pay; supply; put backosameru納める put; leaveoku置く line up; queuenarabu並ぶ settle; tidy upmatomeruまとめる collectatsumaru集まる dividewakeru分ける dispersechiru散る be disorderedmidareru乱れる be rough; stormyareru荒れる extendhirogaru広がる spreadhiromaru広まる swell; inflatefukuramuふくらむ attach; turn ontsuku付く go out; put out; erasekieru消える pile up; loadtsumu積む pile upkasaneru重ねる press down; suppressosaeru押える place (thing) betweenhasamuはさむ stick; paste onharu貼る put togetherawaseru合わせる bendmagaru曲がる break; snaporu折る be torn; tearyabureru破れる break; destroykowareru壊れる get well; correctnaoru直る tiemusubu結ぶ bind; tieshibaru縛る wind; coilmaku巻く surroundkakomu囲む turn; rotatemawaru回る hangkakeru掛ける decoratekazaru飾る take out; outstripnuku抜く be disconnected; come offhazureruはずれる become slack; loosenyurumuゆるむ leakmoreruもれる dryhosu干す be soakedhitasu浸す mixmajiru混じる extend; stretchnobiru伸びる shrink; shortenchijimu縮む include; containfukumu含む want; neediruいる ask for; wantmotomeru求める show; indicateshimesu示す examine; investigateshiraberu調べる make suretashikameru確かめる recognize; approvemitomeru認める Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Abe, Namiko. "Useful Japanese Verbs." ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/useful-japanese-verbs-2027926. Abe, Namiko. (2021, February 16). Useful Japanese Verbs. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/useful-japanese-verbs-2027926 Abe, Namiko. "Useful Japanese Verbs." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/useful-japanese-verbs-2027926 (accessed March 27, 2023). copy citation