Lesson 03 – 动词分类与ます形Verb Groups & the ます-form

Before learning any verb conjugation, you must understand the three verb groups. This is the foundation of all conjugation — if you classify a verb wrong, every conjugation will be wrong.

Dictionary form = the base/plain form = what you look up in a dictionary. All verbs in dictionary form end with a う-row sound:

書く（ku）、飲む（mu）、話す（su）、食べる（ru）、見る（ru）……

Endings are all う-row sounds: u/ku/su/tsu/nu/bu/mu/ru.

Dictionary form
  │
  ├─ Is it する or 来る? ──→ Group 3 (irregular)
  │
  ├─ Does NOT end in る? ──→ Definitely Group 1
  │   e.g.: 書く、飲む、話す、買う、遊ぶ、待つ
  │
  └─ Ends in る?
      │
      ├─ Sound before る is an え-row kana (え/け/せ/て/ね/べ/め/れ)?
      │   → Likely Group 2: 食べる、寝る、出る、教える
      │   → But Group 1 exceptions exist: 帰る、減る、滑る
      │
      ├─ Sound before る is an い-row kana (い/き/し/ち/に/び/み/り)?
      │   → May be Group 2: 見る、起きる、借りる、降りる
      │   → But may be Group 1 (exceptions!): 知る、入る、切る、走る
      │
      └─ Sound before る is an あ/う/お-row kana?
          → Definitely Group 1: 作る（つくる）, 乗る（のる）, 分かる（わかる）, 終わる（おわる）

These must be memorized — they look like Group 2 but are actually Group 1:

⚠️ A common but circular claim

Many textbooks say: "make the ます form and look — if a り shows up it's Group 1, if る is simply dropped it's Group 2." This is circular reasoning. You have to already know the verb is Group 1 in order to produce 知ります rather than 知ます. If you already know the answer, the test tells you nothing.

It doesn't work in reverse either. Given only 借ります, it could come from Group 2 借りる or from Group 1 借る — both produce the identical ます form.

The truth: group membership is a property of the word itself and must be memorized along with the word, the way you memorize gender with a noun. The shape of the dictionary form gives you odds, not proof.

So what can you determine for certain?

Practical advice: learn the dictionary form and the ます form together as a pair (知(し)る／知(し)ります, 見(み)る／見(み)ます) rather than hoping to derive one from the other. The 8 "trap" verbs in the table above cover almost every N5 pitfall — memorize those 8 first.

The polite form of verbs, expressing present habits or future actions. This is the 〜ます you hear in textbooks and Japanese dramas.

First, recall the hiragana chart:

     あ-row  い-row  う-row  え-row  お-row
か:   か      き      く      け      こ
さ:   さ      し      す      せ      そ
た:   た      ち      つ      て      と
な:   な      に      ぬ      ね      の
は:   は      ひ      ふ      へ      ほ
ま:   ま      み      む      め      も
ら:   ら      り      る      れ      ろ
わ:   わ                            を

The final kana of every Group 1 verb is always in the う-row (く、ぐ、す、つ、ぬ、ぶ、む、る、う).

To make the ます form, change that kana to the い-row kana in the same column, then add ます:

Step-by-step example: 飲(の)む → 飲(の)みます

1. The final kana of 飲む is 「む」
2. む is in the ま column, う-row
3. The い-row kana in the same column (ま) is 「み」
4. So む→み, add ます → 飲みます

Simply drop the final 「る」 and add ます. That's all.

• 食(た)べる → 食(た)べ + ます → 食(た)べます
• 見(み)る → 見(み) + ます → 見(み)ます
• 起(お)きる → 起(お)き + ます → 起(お)きます
• 寝(ね)る → 寝(ね) + ます → 寝(ね)ます
• 教(おし)える → 教(おし)え + ます → 教(おし)えます

• する → します
• 来(く)る (くる) → 来(き)ます (きます)

Note: compound verbs with 〜する follow the same pattern:

• 勉強(べんきょう)する → 勉強(べんきょう)します
• 料理(りょうり)する → 料理(りょうり)します
• 運動(うんどう)する → 運動(うんどう)します

Worth emphasizing because it's easy to confuse:

If you're unsure whether a る-ending verb is Group 1 or 2, check the ます form:

• Has 「り」 → Group 1 (帰ります、走ります、知ります)
• No 「り」 → Group 2 (食べます、見ます、起きます)

The ます form itself has variations for different tenses:

More examples:

This is one of the most confusing things for beginners. Both forms express the same meaning — the difference is only in register and context.

❌ To a teacher: 先生(せんせい)、これ食(た)べる？ ✅ To a teacher: 先生(せんせい)、これを食(た)べますか？

❌ To a friend: 一緒に行きますか？(Too stiff — sounds like you're talking to a client) ✅ To a friend: 一緒に行く？ or 一緒に行かない？

❌ Ending in plain form in a formal setting: 会議は3時に始まる。 ✅ In formal settings: 会議は3時に始まります。

In the early stages of learning Japanese, it's recommended to build a strong base with ます form first. Reasons:

1. The ます form conjugation rules are simple and consistent
2. Using ます form is never rude; using plain form in the wrong context can seem impolite
3. Most textbooks (みんなの日本語(にほんご), etc.) start with ます form

Once you're comfortable with polite speech, naturally transition to plain form.

Beyond polite speech, the ます stem (ます form minus ます) is the base for many grammar patterns:

So ます form isn't just for politeness — its stem is the building block for many grammar patterns ahead.

Daily life

1. 毎日(まいにち)コーヒーを飲(の)みます。(I drink coffee every day. → habit)
2. 7時(じ)に起(お)きます。(I get up at 7. → habit)
3. 毎朝(まいあさ)、公園(こうえん)を走(はし)ります。(I run in the park every morning. → habit)
4. 週末(しゅうまつ)はよく本(ほん)を読(よ)みます。(I often read on weekends. → habit)

Past 5. 昨日(きのう)は何(なに)も食(た)べませんでした。(I didn't eat anything yesterday. → past negative) 6. 昨日(きのう)友達(ともだち)に会(あ)いました。(I met a friend yesterday. → 会(あ)う Group 1, う→い) 7. 去年(きょねん)の夏(なつ)、海(うみ)で泳(およ)ぎました。(I swam in the sea last summer. → past affirmative) 8. 先週(せんしゅう)は全然(ぜんぜん)勉強(べんきょう)しませんでした。(I didn't study at all last week. → する past negative)

Future/Intention 9. 明日(あした)、東京(とうきょう)に行(い)きます。(I'm going to Tokyo tomorrow. → future) 10. 来月(らいげつ)から日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)します。(I'll start studying Japanese from next month. → intention) 11. 今夜(こんや)は早(はや)く寝(ね)ます。(I'll go to bed early tonight. → intention)

Questions 12. 週末(しゅうまつ)は何(なに)をしますか。(What are you doing this weekend? → する→します) 13. 先生(せんせい)は英語(えいご)を話(はな)しますか。(Does the teacher speak English?) 14. 何(なん)時(じ)に帰(かえ)りますか。(What time will you go home? → 帰(かえ)る Group 1, る→り)