Japanese Verb Groups: Godan, Ichidan, and Irregular Verbs

The dictionary form tells you how to look up a verb; its group tells you how to change it. Learn the group with the word instead of guessing from the final る alone. Group numbers differ between textbooks, so this lesson pairs the numbers with the names godan and ichidan.

Formation and use

Godan verbs change the final kana across vowel rows: 書く becomes 書きます and 書かない. They include verbs ending in う・く・ぐ・す・つ・ぬ・ぶ・む・る. Every dictionary-form verb ends in an u-row sound.

Ichidan verbs drop final る before endings: 食べる→食べます・食べない, 見る→見ます・見ない. Many end in an e or i sound plus る, but that spelling is a clue, not a complete test.

Comparisons and common errors

帰る, 入る, 走る, 切る, and 知る are common godan verbs despite their endings. Distinguish 切る (to cut, godan) from 着る (to wear, ichidan). Check a dictionary when learning an unfamiliar verb.

する and 来る are irregular. Compounds such as 勉強する follow する. 来る also changes its reading: くる・きます・こない. Learn the spoken form as well as the kanji.

Practise with explanations

Try the 10 questions below, or open the practice set. Check each answer or the whole set, read the explanation, and retry mistakes. First-attempt results are kept separately on this device.

Connected lessons

• Japanese Masu Form: Polite Present, Negative, and Past
• Japanese Nai Form: Verb Negatives and Exceptions
• Te-Form