Japanese Verb Groups Explained (う-verbs, る-verbs, Irregulars)

Japanese conjugation looks scary until you learn the three verb groups. Almost every rule — te-form, past tense, negatives, polite forms — depends on knowing a verb's group. Learn this once and everything else becomes systematic.

Group 1: う-verbs (godan)

These end in a “u” sound: 飲む (nomu), 書く (kaku), 話す (hanasu), 買う (kau). They are the largest group, and their endings shift across the whole “u-row” when conjugated (a→i→u→e→o).

Group 2: る-verbs (ichidan)

These end in いる or える: 食べる (taberu), 見る (miru), 寝る (neru). To conjugate, you usually just drop る and add the ending — the easy, predictable group.

Group 3: Irregulars

Only two matter: する (to do) and 来る (to come). Learn their forms individually — there are no others to worry about.

The tricky part

Some verbs look like る-verbs but are actually う-verbs — such as 帰る (kaeru, to return), 入る (hairu, to enter), 走る (hashiru, to run) and 知る (shiru, to know). These must be memorised as exceptions, because they conjugate like Group 1.

Why it matters

Once you can instantly identify a verb's group, forming the te-form, past tense, negative and polite forms becomes a simple, reliable process rather than guesswork.

Practice tip

When you learn a new verb, always learn its group at the same time. A quick habit: say the verb, name its group, then form its te-form. Do this with ten verbs a day and identification becomes instant.

Master conjugation with a teacher

Mozhippattru teaches verb groups and conjugation in Tamil, with drills until it is automatic. Book a free demo.