Japanese Nai Form Input Practice: Verb Groups and Exceptions

Produce six plain negative verbs. Pay special attention to verbs ending in う and to the difference between a dictionary form ending in る and an 一段 verb.

Choose the group before the ending

For a 五段 verb, move the final sound to the a-row and add ない: 書く becomes 書かない. Verbs ending in う use わない, so 買う becomes 買わない. The spelling 買あない misses that change.

For an 一段 verb, remove る and add ない: 食べる becomes 食べない. A final る alone does not identify this group. 帰る is 五段 and gives 帰らない. Learn the verb group with the dictionary form.

する becomes しない, and 来る becomes 来ない, read こない. The ordinary negative of ある is ない. These are useful to retrieve without a chart.

Use a clear target

Plain negative and polite negative express related meanings but have different forms. The answer to a request for the nai form of 飲む is 飲まない, even though 飲みません is a natural polite negative in a conversation.

Examples to read before you practise

Try six questions

Try these self-check questions from memory, then compare your answers with the explanations. For automatic checking and saved progress, open the related practice after this article.

1. 書く → nai form

2. 買う → nai form

3. 帰る → nai form

4. 食べる → nai form

5. する → nai form

6. 来る → nai form

Answer key and explanations

1. 書かない / かかない — く changes to か.

2. 買わない / かわない — う-ending 五段 verbs use わない.

3. 帰らない / かえらない — 帰る is 五段.

4. 食べない / たべない — Remove る from this 一段 verb.

5. しない — する has an irregular negative.

6. 来ない / こない — The reading changes to こない.

Keep learning

• Study nai form.

• Study verb groups.

• Open the related three-step lesson.

• See your daily study and review schedule.

Related lessons

• Ta Form vs Te Form: Change the Ending Without Losing the Sound Pattern

• Te Iru Practice: Ongoing Actions, Habits, and Resulting States

• Potential Form vs Koto Ga Dekiru: Express Ability with Two Patterns