1. 意志動詞　Volitional Verbs
  2. 非意志動詞　Non-Volitional Verbs
  3. 他動詞　Transitive Verbs
  4. 自動詞　Intransitive Verbs
  5. 使役形　Causative form
  6. 受身形　Passive from
  7. 使役受身形　Causative-passive form

This page contains my notes on verb conjugation in Japanese.

  • 作る　to make
  • 作れる　can make (potential form)
  • 作れて　て-form of the potential form
  • 作れてしまう　to be able to completely make

３分で作れてしまう。　You can make it in 3 minutes. Nuance is, it may seem impossible, but it is possible.

意志動詞

Volitional Verbs

Volitional verbs describe actions performed with intent or will by the subject. The subject deliberately decides to do the action. These verbs are commonly used to express one’s own actions or planned actions.

Examples:

  • 食べる (たべる) - “to eat”
  • 行く (いく) - “to go”
  • 読む (よむ) - “to read”
  • 歌う (うたう) - “to sing”
  • 出かける (でかける) - “to go out”

Example sentence:

  • 私は本を読む。- “I read a book.”

Here, reading is an intentional action by the subject.

非意志動詞

Non-Volitional Verbs

Non-volitional verbs describe actions or states that occur without the subject’s intent. These are often natural events, spontaneous actions, or involuntary feelings. They are usually used to indicate something happening without control from the subject.

Examples:

  • 降る (ふる) - “to fall” (as in rain)
  • 驚く (おどろく) - “to be surprised”
  • 眠る (ねむる) - “to sleep” (natural occurrence of sleepiness)
  • 晴れる (はれる) -“to be sunny”
  • 分かる (わｋる) - “to understand”
  • 成功する (せいこうする) - “to succeed”

Example sentence:

  • 雨が降る。- “It rains.”
  • In this case, the rain falls naturally without a person’s will or intent.

他動詞

Transitive Verbs　たどうし

Transitive verbs act upon a direct object and require one to express what the action affects directly. Transitive verbs are often marked by the particle を (o), which indicates the object of the action.

  • 開ける (あける) - “to open” (something)

  • 閉める (しめる) - “to close” (something)

  • 作る (つくる) - “to make”

  • ドアを開ける。 - “I open the door.”

  • Here, ドア is the object directly affected by the action 開ける.

自動詞

Intransitive Verbs　じどうし

Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object. The action occurs without directly impacting another entity, or the subject itself performs or experiences the action. They are often paired with particles like to indicate the subject.

  • 開く (あく) - “to open” (by itself)

  • 閉まる (しまる) - “to close” (by itself)

  • 増える (ふえる) - “to increase”

  • ドアが開く。- “The door opens.”

  • In this case, 開く shows the door opening without anyone performing the action.

List of verbs showing equivalents
他動詞 自動詞
ける - “to open” (something) く - “to open” (by itself)
める - “to close” (something) まる - “to close” (by itself)
す - “to extinguish” (something) える - “to extinguish” (by itself)
める - “to stop” (something) まる - “to stop” (by itself)
す - “to break” (something) れる - “to break” (by itself)
く - “to burn”, “to bake” (something) ける - “to burn”, “to bake” (by itself)
かける - “to lock” (something) かかる - “to lock” (by itself)

使役形

Causative form

  • 食べる　>　食べ　>　食べ　To somebody eat.

  • 食べる　>　食べ　>　食べ　To somebody eat.

  • 友達にケーキを食べ。　I my friend eat a cake.

  • 子供に野菜を食べ。　I my children to eat vegetables.

  • 見る　>　見　To somebody watch.

  • みさはみんなにピカチュウの映画を見。　

  • Misa made everyone watch the Detective Pikachu film.

  • 行く　>　行　To somebody go.

  • コンビニ行。　

  • I my kouhai go to the convenience store.

  • コンビニ飲み物を買いに行。　

  • I my kouhai go to the convenience store to buy a drink.

  • 飲む　>　飲　To somebody drink.

  • はにお酒を飲ませた。　

  • Senpai kouhai drink alcohol.

Conjugate to the negative form and add せる。

  • 立つ　>　立ない　Do not stand.

  • 立つ　>　立、立　To someone stand.

  • 先生は学生に立。　

  • The teacher the student stand.

  • 待つ　>　待　To somebody wait.

  • お待！

  • 写真を撮る　>　写真を撮。　To somebody take a picture.

  • 売る　>　売　To somebody sell.

  • 乗る　>　乗　To somebody ride.

  • やる　>　や　To somebody do.

  • 押す　>　押　To somebody push.

  • 話す　>　話　To somebody speak.

  • みさはみんなに日本語話。　

  • Misa everyone speak Japanese.

  • 遊ぶ　>　遊　To somebody play.

  • 読む　>　読　To somebody read.

  • 歌う　>　歌ない　Do not sing.

  • 歌う　>　歌　To somebody sing.

  • 買う　>　買　To somebody buy.

  • 言う　>　言　To somebody say.

  • 笑う　>　笑　To somebody laugh. (It does not mean force, the nuance here that it is a good thing to make someone laugh).

Its not always a forced action, it depends on context.

  • お母さんが子供にピーマンを食べ。

  • The mother the child eat green pepper.

  • 彼女が彼氏にチョコレートを食べ。

  • The girl her boyfriend eat chocolate.

Negative form

  • ここからへ行。
  • I will you to go further than here.

Irregular verbs

  • する　>　　To somebody do.

  • る　>　　To somebody come.

  • 息子に:ゲームを前に、を。　

  • Before letting my son play a game, I him do homework.

させてあげる、させてくれる、させてもらう

This adds more of a “let” meaning and makes it sound more like a favour.

To change the meaning into “to somebody do something”, add the following grammar: * に。　I somebody do something.

  • 食べる。　I eat.

  • 食べ。　I 。 　somebody eat.

  • 食べ。　I somebody eat.

  • 子供にケーキをたべ。　I my child eat the cake.

To say something like “somebody …”, you use this grammar:

  • が。　Somebody do something.

  • 食べ。　Somebody eat.

  • お母さんがケーキを食べ。　

  • My mother eat the cake.

  • お母さんがケーキを食べ。　

  • My mother ate the cake .

  • ける。　To continue, to keep doing

  • ゲームをけ。　To somebody keep playing the game.

  • ゲームをけ。　To somebody keep playing the game.

  • 息子にゲームをけ。　

  • I my son keep playing the game.

  • お父さんがゲームをけ。　

  • My father me keep playing the game.

  • お父さんがゲームをけ。　

  • My father me keep playing the game.

  • 飲む。　To drink

  • 飲。　To somebody drink.

  • 飲。　To somebody drink.

  • 娘にジュースを飲。　

  • I my daughter drink juice.

  • 友達が飲。　

  • My friend me take a sip.

  • 先生が答え。　

  • My teacher me answer.

  • 両親が一人で日本に行。　

  • My parents me go to Japan by myself.　(Nuance: they allowed me this favour), (This shows appreciation).

  • 両親に一人で日本に行。　

  • My parents me go to Japan by myself. (Nuance: they didnt really want to, but let me) (I asked them and they let me).

  • 友達の家ま

  • My friend me stay at his/her house (my friend offered me, I did not ask).

  • 友達の家ま。　

  • My friend me stay at his/her house (because I asked).

Note that negations are not really used with てもらう but only with てくれる。It can be correct, but its not used. * 友達がま。　My friend me stay. * 両親が食べながらテレビを見。　 * My parents me watch television while I eat. * 両親がテレビを見ながら食べJps colour=“c2” text=“させ”/>。　 * My parents eat while I watch television.

  • ~もいいですか。　
  • Is it okay if you do something?
  • ~ませんか。　
  • Could you do something?
  • 使もいいですか。　
  • Is it okay if you use something?
  • 使ませんか。　
  • Could you use something?

Usually, the shorter form is just used though:

  • 使ってもいいですか。
関係する動画

受身形

Passive from

  • 笑う　to laugh

  • 笑　to be laughed at (passive form)

  • 笑　was laughed at (passive form)

  • あいつは笑った。　He laughed.

  • あいつに笑。　He laughed at me. (offending)

  • あいつは私の写真を撮った。　

  • He took a picture of me.

  • あいつは私の写真を撮。　

  • He took a picture of me. (But I do not like that)

  • 好きな人に。　

  • My crush dumped/rejected me. (And I am upset)

  • あいつにを見。　

  • He saw my phone. (And I am upset)

  • たくさん食べ。　

  • (someone) ate so much. (and I am upset about that)

  • ネズミが猫に食べ。

  • A rat by a cat.

  • 私のクッキーが姉に食べ。

  • My cookie by my older sister. (And I am upset)

  • 見！　

  • They saw me! (I don’t like that)

  • 見！　

  • I saw it! (I regret it / Oh noes!)

Its not always anger, its a negative feeling.

  • の人に歌っているのを。　
  • A deliveryman heard me singing. (And I am emberrassed)
  • の人にっているのを見。　
  • My neighbour saw me dancing. (And I am emberrassed)

Not always is the passive form offensive or negative, its also used to speak from a different perspective;

  • 誕生日を聞。　

  • I was asked for my birthday. (…asked me for my birthday)

  • 山田さんに誕生日を聞。　

  • Yamada-san asked me for my birthday.

  • 友達に「写真を撮って」って。　

  • My friend asked me “please take a picture”.

  • 友達に写真を撮るようにまれました。　

  • My friend asked me to take a picture.

Do not use; * 友達は私に「写真を撮って」ってんだ。　It sounds pretty unnatural.

  • この家1987年にてられた。　
  • This house was built in 1987.

Note that you do not use the particle here, you are not annoyed that this house was built.

  • 山田さんに家てられた。　
  • Yamada-san built a house (and I am upset).

Take care, iru and eru verbs conjugate both to: ~られる for Passive but also for Potential forms.

  • 食べ。　passive form

  • (to be eaten, someone eats and I am upset)

  • 食べ。　potential form

  • (can eat) ら is usually omitted in informal speech.

  • お姉ちゃんに食べ。　passive form

  • My older sister ate it. (and I am upset)

  • 箸で食べ。　potential form

  • I can eat with chopsticks.

This is not the case for every verb though. Check the verbs conjugation rules. * ~られる passive form * I am hit (and I am upset). * ~れる potential form　 * I can hit. * 買われる　passive form * someone buys (and I am upset). * 買える　potential form　 * I can buy. * 言われる　passive form * someone says (and I am upset). * 言える　potential form * I can say.

  • このキノコは食べ。 potential form

  • This mushroom is edible.

  • ばかって言。　

  • I was told I am stupid.

  • 彼女に料理がまずかったって言われた。　

  • My girlfriend told me that the food I made tasted bad (and I am upset).

  • 窓が開け。 potential form

  • I can open the window (because of strong wind).

  • 窓を開けるよ。

  • I can open it (I will do it for you).

  • 窓は開いています。　intransitive verb

  • The window is open.

  • 窓は開け。　passive form

  • The window was opened.

  • 窓山田さん開け。

  • The window was opened by Yamada-san.

  • 山田さん窓開け。

  • Yamada-san opened the window (and I am upset).

Negative forms

  • 食べられない。　will not be eaten / cannot eat

  • たべられなかった。　was not eaten / could not eat

  • はライオンに食べられなかった。　

  • The deer was not eaten by the lion.　(Told from perspective of the deer)

  • ライオンはを食べなかった。　

  • Same meaning, but told from perspective of the lion.

Irregular verbs

  • ~する　>　　passive form

  • ネタバレ。　

  • Someone spoiled (the story) (and I am upset).

  • 。　

  • Someone cheated on me (and I am upset).

  • ~する　>　　potential form

  • 料理できる。　I can cook.

The passive and potential form for 来る is the same, like for other verbs.

  • る　>　　passive form
  • る　>　　potential form
関係する動画

使役受身形

Causative-passive form - しえきうけみけい

  • 食べる　>　食べ　>　To eat.

  • 子供にピーマンを食べ。　(Passive form)

  • The mother the child eat green pepper.

  • お母さんにピーマンを食べ。　(Causative-passive form)

  • The child eat green pepper by the mother.

  • 日本では、お酒を飲ことが多い。

  • In Japan, the event of drink is numerous.

  • 仕事をめ。

  • I quit my work.

  • その映画は考え。

  • That movie think.

  • 僕はからへと。

  • I transfer from one branch office to another branch office.

  • お父さんにお酒を飲。

  • My father drink alcohol.

Causative, passive and causative-passive forms

  • 食べる　>　食べ　To somebody eat.
    • Causative form
  • 食べる　>　食べ　To be eaten (someone eats and I am upset).
    • Passive form
  • 食べる　>　食べ　To eat.
    • Causative-passive form
  • 読む　>　読　To somebody read.
    • Causative form
  • 読む　>　読　To be read.
    • Passive form
  • 読む　>　読　To read.
    • Causative-passive form

  • 起きる　>　起きさせられる　

  • 寝る　>　寝させられる　

  • 見る　>　見させられる　

  • する　>　させられる　

  • 行く　>　行かせられる　

  • 書く　>　書かせられる　

  • 泳ぐ　>　泳がせられる

Note, that there is a difference in written and spoken forms of the causative-passive forms.

  • 読む　>　飲ませられる　(Written)
  • 読む　>　飲まされる　　(Spoken)
  • 待つ　>　待たせられる　(Written)
  • 待つ　>　待たされる　　(Spoken)
  • 言う　>　言わせられる　(Written)
  • 言う　>　言わされる　　(Spoken)
関係する動画