The Three Verb Groups
Every Japanese verb belongs to one of three groups. Knowing which group a verb belongs to is essential because the conjugation rules differ for each group. The good news: Group 2 and Group 3 are simple. Group 1 has more rules, but they follow consistent patterns.
Group 2: Ichidan Verbs (ru-verbs)
Group 2 verbs are the easiest to conjugate. They always end in -iru or -eru in their dictionary form, and you conjugate them by simply dropping the final る and adding the new ending.
食べる → 食べます
taberu → tabemasu
to eat → I eat (polite)
見る → 見ます
miru → mimasu
to see → I see (polite)
Common Group 2 verbs include: 食べる (taberu — to eat), 見る (miru — to see), 起きる (okiru — to wake up), 寝る (neru — to sleep), 開ける (akeru — to open), 教える (oshieru — to teach).
Group 1: Godan Verbs (u-verbs)
Group 1 is the largest verb group. These verbs end in an -u sound (u, ku, gu, su, tsu, nu, bu, mu, ru) and their conjugation involves changing the final syllable.
書く → 書きます
kaku → kakimasu
to write → I write (polite)
話す → 話します
hanasu → hanashimasu
to speak → I speak (polite)
買う → 買います
kau → kaimasu
to buy → I buy (polite)
飲む → 飲みます
nomu → nomimasu
to drink → I drink (polite)
Common Group 1 verbs include: 書く (kaku — to write), 話す (hanasu — to speak), 読む (yomu — to read), 飲む (nomu — to drink), 買う (kau — to buy), 行く (iku — to go), 待つ (matsu — to wait), 帰る (kaeru — to return).
Group 3: Irregular Verbs
Japanese has only two irregular verbs, which makes this the easiest group to memorize.
- する (suru) — to do
- 来る (kuru) — to come
These two do not follow the rules of either Group 1 or Group 2. You simply need to memorize their conjugations.
する → します
suru → shimasu
to do → I do (polite)
来る → 来ます
kuru → kimasu
to come → I come (polite)
Many compound verbs are formed with する: 勉強する (benkyou suru — to study), 料理する (ryouri suru — to cook), 運動する (undou suru — to exercise), 電話する (denwa suru — to call). Since these all conjugate like する, learning する's forms gives you access to hundreds of verbs instantly.
Identifying Verb Groups
The tricky part is telling Group 1 and Group 2 apart, since some Group 1 verbs end in -iru or -eru and look like Group 2 verbs.
The rule: If a verb ends in -iru or -eru, it is probably Group 2 — but not always. If a verb ends in any other -u sound, it is definitely Group 1.
Several common verbs look like Group 2 (they end in -iru or -eru) but are actually Group 1. The most important exceptions to memorize:
- 帰る (kaeru) — to return (NOT Group 2)
- 走る (hashiru) — to run (NOT Group 2)
- 切る (kiru) — to cut (NOT Group 2)
- 知る (shiru) — to know (NOT Group 2)
- 入る (hairu) — to enter (NOT Group 2)
These must simply be memorized. When in doubt about a new -iru/-eru verb, check a dictionary — it will indicate the verb group.
What Is the Te-form?
The te-form (て形 / te-kei) is one of the most important and versatile verb forms in Japanese. It is used for:
- Making polite requests (〜てください)
- Connecting actions in sequence (ate and then slept)
- Describing ongoing states (〜ている)
- Asking and giving permission (〜てもいい)
- Expressing prohibition (〜てはいけない)
Mastering the te-form unlocks a huge range of expression in Japanese.
Te-form: Group 2 (Simple)
For Group 2 verbs, drop る and add て. That is it.
食べる → 食べて
taberu → tabete
to eat → eating / eat and...
見る → 見て
miru → mite
to see → seeing / see and...
起きる → 起きて
okiru → okite
to wake up → waking up / wake up and...
開ける → 開けて
akeru → akete
to open → opening / open and...
Te-form: Group 3 (Memorize)
The two irregular verbs have their own te-forms.
する → して
suru → shite
to do → doing / do and...
来る → 来て（きて）
kuru → kite
to come → coming / come and...
Te-form: Group 1 (The Patterns)
Group 1 te-form is where things get interesting. The ending changes depending on the final syllable of the dictionary form. There are five patterns to learn.
Pattern 1: う / つ / る → って
買う → 買って
kau → katte
to buy → buying / buy and...
待つ → 待って
matsu → matte
to wait → waiting / wait and...
帰る → 帰って
kaeru → kaette
to return → returning / return and...
Pattern 2: む / ぶ / ぬ → んで
読む → 読んで
yomu → yonde
to read → reading / read and...
飛ぶ → 飛んで
tobu → tonde
to fly → flying / fly and...
死ぬ → 死んで
shinu → shinde
to die → dying / die and...
Pattern 3: く → いて
書く → 書いて
kaku → kaite
to write → writing / write and...
聞く → 聞いて
kiku → kiite
to listen → listening / listen and...
There is one critical exception to the く → いて rule: the verb 行く (iku — to go) becomes 行って (itte), NOT "行いて." This is the single most important irregular te-form to remember, because 行く is one of the most commonly used verbs.
Pattern 4: ぐ → いで
泳ぐ → 泳いで
oyogu → oyoide
to swim → swimming / swim and...
急ぐ → 急いで
isogu → isoide
to hurry → hurrying / hurry and...
Pattern 5: す → して
話す → 話して
hanasu → hanashite
to speak → speaking / speak and...
消す → 消して
kesu → keshite
to turn off → turning off / turn off and...
Many learners use a memory song to remember the Group 1 te-form rules, set to a familiar tune. The pattern goes: "って、って、って — んで、んで、んで — いて、いで — して." Singing through the patterns while practicing conjugation can make them stick much faster than rote memorization alone. Search online for "te-form song" to find popular versions.
Common Uses of the Te-form
Making Requests: 〜てください
ここに座ってください。
koko ni suwatte kudasai.
Please sit here.
もう一度言ってください。
mou ichido itte kudasai.
Please say it one more time.
Linking Actions: 〜て、〜て
The te-form connects multiple actions in sequence, like "and" or "and then" in English.
朝起きて、ご飯を食べて、学校に行きました。
asa okite, gohan wo tabete, gakkou ni ikimashita.
I woke up in the morning, ate breakfast, and went to school.
友達に会って、映画を見ました。
tomodachi ni atte, eiga wo mimashita.
I met my friend and watched a movie.
Ongoing State: 〜ている
The te-form plus いる (iru) describes an action in progress or a resulting state.
今、本を読んでいます。
ima, hon wo yonde imasu.
I am reading a book right now.
東京に住んでいます。
Toukyou ni sunde imasu.
I live in Tokyo. (I am in the state of living in Tokyo.)
Permission: 〜てもいい
写真を撮ってもいいですか？
shashin wo totte mo ii desu ka?
May I take a photo?
ここに座ってもいいですよ。
koko ni suwatte mo ii desu yo.
You may sit here.
While 〜てください (te kudasai) is polite, it is still a direct request. In very formal or delicate situations, Japanese speakers often prefer even softer forms like 〜ていただけますか (te itadakemasu ka — could you possibly...) or 〜てもらえませんか (te moraemasen ka — would you be able to...). Using ください with strangers or superiors is generally fine, but be aware that softer alternatives exist for when extra politeness is needed.
Quick Reference Table
| Verb Ending | Te-form Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Group 2: -る | Drop る, add て | 食べる → 食べて |
| Group 3: する | して | する → して |
| Group 3: 来る | 来て (きて) | 来る → 来て |
| Group 1: -う / -つ / -る | って | 買う → 買って |
| Group 1: -む / -ぶ / -ぬ | んで | 読む → 読んで |
| Group 1: -く | いて | 書く → 書いて |
| Group 1: -ぐ | いで | 泳ぐ → 泳いで |
| Group 1: -す | して | 話す → 話して |
| Exception: 行く | 行って (NOT 行いて) | 行く → 行って |
Summary
Understanding verb groups and the te-form opens up a massive portion of Japanese grammar. The key takeaways:
- Group 2 verbs (ichidan) end in -iru/-eru and are the simplest to conjugate — just drop る and add the ending
- Group 1 verbs (godan) are the largest group and require learning the consonant-change patterns for te-form
- Group 3 has only two verbs (する and 来る) — memorize their irregular forms
- Watch for fake Group 2 verbs — 帰る, 走る, 切る, and others look like Group 2 but conjugate as Group 1
- The te-form is everywhere — requests, linking actions, ongoing states, permission, and more all depend on it
- Remember 行く → 行って — the single most important exception to the te-form rules
