Verb Conjugation

Japanese verbs have inflection and have several forms.

We call this manner "Verb Conjugation".
There are 17 forms which are used in ordinary modern Japanese.
Plain form - Root form, nai form, ta form, nakatta form
Group 1 (most i-ending verbs, kai-masu, kaki-masu, nomi-masu)

Stem masu form

Root
form

nai form

ta form

nakatta form

* irregular
Group 2 (all e-ending verbs, tabe-masu, de-masu and some i-ending verbs, mimasu)

Stem

eending

iending

masu form

Root
form

nai form

ta form

nakatta form

Group 3 (two irregular verbs, shimasu and kimasu)

Stem masu form

Root
nai form ta form nakatta form
form

Te form
The te form is made from the ta form by changing ta to te.

The verb conjugations of Group 1 verbs are based on Japanese Kana table.

nai form

masu form

Root

Conditional
Potential
Imperative

Volitional

Conditional - Potential - Imperative - Volitional

Group 1

Stem

masu / Root
form

Condition
al

Potential

Imperati
ve

Volition
al

Group 2
e-ending

i-ending

Group 3

* irregular
The potential form of Group 2 is the same to its passive form.
In modern Japanese, people use mostly instead of for the
potential form of Group 2 verbs.

The volitional form of Group 2 is made by adding to the stem.

The potential verb belongs to Group 2 and it has the masu form and the plain
form.
Potential mas
u

Potential
Root

Potential n
ai

Potential t
a

Potential nakatt
a

The negative of the conditional form is which is made from

the nai form.
Affirmative

Negative

The negative of the imperative form is made by adding to the root form.
Affirmative

Negative

Passive form
The passive verb belongs to Group 2 and it has the masu form and the plain
form.
Group 1
Stem

masu / Root

Passive masu

Passive Root

e-ending

i-ending

Group 2

Group 3

Causative form & Causative Passive form

The causative verb belongs to Group 2 and it has the masu form and the
plain form
The causative verbs also have the passive form.
Group 1 verbs have two causative passive forms, a long form and short
form, but () ending verbs of Group 1, and Group 2 and Group 3 verbs
have only a long form.
Group 1
masu /
Root

Causative
masu

Causative
Root

Causative
Passive Long

Causative
Passive Short

Group 2

Group 3