Lesson 4: Formal Japanese Verbs

This is our first grammar lesson. Today we will introduce you to Japanese Verbs. We will start explaining a bit the difference about Japanese verbs and then we will go and tackle our first Japanese verb: “desu(です)”. This verb is the Japanese version of the english “to be”. 

The examples will be using Hiragana(ひらがな), Katakana(カタカナ) and Rōmaji for those who don't want to learn the Japanese writing system.

Japanese Verbs

First off, as in any language, there are regular and irregular verbs. In Japanese, there are three types of verbs: formal, informal, irregular.

You don't have to panic. We will learn one at a time. The good news is that both formal and informal verbs have easy and solid rules. The bad news is that both formal and informal verbs have irregular verbs. Although irregular verbs exist, they are a vast minority, about (5%). 

I personally think that learning all the types of verbs together is a BIG ERROR. When I tried to learn them altogether on the internet I ended up with a verb knot in my brain. The problem is that once you learn them together you will keep mixing the concepts. You will spend more time untangling concepts than learning them. So, we will start with formal verbs. As the lessons progress, we will highlight the irregular ones so you can take notice of them. 

A great feature of Japanese verbs is that you don't have to match them to the person. In English, you would say: “He walks, I walk”. In Japanese, they all just “walk”. You usually have to add in English a “do, does, don't, doesn't” if you want to affirm or negate a sentence. In Japanese, there exists only “do and don't” and they are easier than you think.

Verb “to be”

Before jumping into our first verb, you have to learn the golden rule for all Japanese verbs

※ Golden rule: ALL Japanese verbs, have to go ALWAYS at the END of the sentence.

Now let’s start taking the above table apart. 

Desu(です) is the Japanese version of the verb “to be”. It is not really a formal verb because it conjugates a little different than formal verbs but it is the most important verb and you get the idea of how formal verbs conjugate. 

Now we will build a few simple sentences with this verb. 

Example:

                   りんご                                               =   Ringo

  　                                                                            (Apple)

                   りんご　です                                    =   Ringo desu. 

  　  　                                                                       (It is an apple)

                   りんご　では　ありません               =   Ringo dewa arimasen

     　                                                                          (It is not an apple)

                   りんご　でした                                 =   Ringo deshita

     　                                                                          (It was an apple)

                   りんご　では　ありません　でした =   Ringo dewa arimasen deshita

     　                                                                          (It was not an apple)

You see how simple it is to form a sentence with desu(です). You don't even have to add a person to the sentence. 

• Use the present positive to affirm something in the present. 
• Use the past positive to affirm something in the past.
• Use the present negative to negate something in the present.
• Use the past negative to negate something in the past.

Formal verb structure

Formal Japanese verbs use almost the same structure. Actually, formal verbs use an even simpler structure than desu(です) does. 

I have put a “minus” between the verb’s stem and the changing part. You can take the stem of any verb and conjugate it as shown in the table above. The stem of the verb is what comes before the “-masu”.

To form a sentence you do the same thing as you did with the desu(です) verb except that you have to add the particle “wo(を)” before the verb in order to show the direct object. We will read more about particles in our next lesson. But for now look at the examples.

Example:

                    たべます                                    =   tabemasu

  　                                                                      (Eat)

                    りんごを　たべます                  =   Ringo tabemasu. 

    　                                                                    (I eat an apple)

                    りんごを　たべません               =   Ringo tabemasen

     　                                                                    (I do not eat an apple)

                    りんごを　たべました               =   Ringo tabemashita

    　                                                                     (I ate an apple)

                    りんごを　たべません　でした =   Ringo tabemasen deshita

   　                                                                      (I did not eat an apple)

It is quite simple isn’t it ? 

Formal verbs in Japanese have a simple structure. As you can see from the above examples: 

• Japanese verbs indicate whether they are positive or negative.
• Japanese verbs indicate whether they are present or past.
• Japanese verbs indicate whether they formal or informal.

With this, you can take any Japanese verb conjugate it and use it. That’s great you have archived a milestone. 

As the lessons progress, I will show you new verbs but I will show you only the “-masu” form. It will be up to you to change them into past, negative and so on. 

Vocabulary

Now came the time to learn some more vocabulary in order to expand our Japanese arsenal.

This time the vocabulary is pretty much self explanatory. The only thing I would like to explain is that the prefix “ko(こ)” comes from “kodomo(こども)” which means kid. It is added at the beginning of an animal to make it a baby animal.

Example:

                       こいぬ                =    Ko inu

                                                        (puppy or baby dog)

                        こねこ               =     Ko neko

                                                         (kitten or baby cat)

                        こウサギ           =    Ko usagi

                                                        (kitten or baby rabbit)

This covers our lesson about Japanese formal verbs and the verb “desu(です)”. In the next lesson, we will expand our Japanese horizon with particles. This will add more dynamic to our Japanese. 

※ A tip regarding the vocabulary. The best way to learn vocabulary is writing it down on a flash card or a paper. If you want to learn something you have to write it down and speak it out loud. That way your brain stores the information permanently. You don't need to repeat it to yourself a hundred times. We will be using these words in our lessons.