essential-japanese-verbs-beginners

# Essential Japanese Verbs for Beginners: 100 Must-Know Verbs, Particles, Conjugation, and Example Sentences **Target level**: JLPT N5–N4 / Beginner **Topic**: A complete guide to Japanese verbs for English speakers — covering the most important verbs by category, particle patterns, the five essential conjugation forms, transitive vs. intransitive distinctions, JLPT checklists, common mistakes, and practice quizzes. —

Verbs are the backbone of every Japanese sentence. Unlike English, where you can sometimes drop the subject or object and still be understood, Japanese grammar keeps the verb locked at the end — and that verb carries everything: tense, politeness, negation, and the relationship between speaker and listener. Before you can read a sign, pass JLPT N5, or hold a five-minute conversation, you need verbs. This guide gives you the most important Japanese verbs for beginners, sorted by category, paired with their particle patterns and conjugation forms, and loaded with real example sentences you can use today.

Category	Key Verbs	Common Particle Pattern	JLPT Level
Existence	ある, いる	[location] に ある/いる	N5
Daily Actions	食べる, 飲む, 読む, 書く, 買う	[object] を [verb]	N5
Movement	行く, 来る, 帰る, 乗る, 降りる	[destination] に/へ [verb]	N5
Communication	言う, 話す, 聞く, 教える	[person] に [verb]	N5–N4
Study & Work	勉強する, 働く, 覚える, 忘れる	[object] を [verb]	N5–N4
Transitive Actions	開ける, 入れる, 出す, 使う	[object] を [verb]	N5–N4
Intransitive Events	開く, 入る, 出る, 止まる	[subject] が [verb]	N5–N4
する Compounds	質問する, 練習する, 相談する	particle varies (を or に depending on verb — see Communication and Study table)	N4–N3

Why Verbs Are the Core of Every Japanese Sentence

Japanese sentences end with the verb

English word order is Subject–Verb–Object: I eat sushi. Japanese word order is Subject–Object–Verb: 私は寿司を食べます (Watashi wa sushi wo tabemasu) — literally I sushi eat. The verb always comes last. This means you cannot fully understand a sentence until you reach the final word. The verb determines tense, politeness, negation, and the overall meaning of everything that came before it.

Verbs come in three groups

Group	Also Called	Pattern	Examples
Group 1 (U-verbs)	五段動詞（ごだんどうし）	Dictionary form ends in a u-row kana (く, す, む, ぬ, ぶ, う, つ, or certain る)	書く, 飲む, 話す, 買う, 帰る
Group 2 (RU-verbs)	一段動詞（いちだんどうし）	Dictionary form ends in える or いる	食べる, 見る, 起きる, 教える
Group 3 (Irregular)	不規則動詞（ふきそくどうし）	Only two verbs: する and 来る	する (to do), 来る (to come)

Note: Some verbs ending in る are Group 1, not Group 2. The most common exceptions covered in this guide are 帰る (kaeru), 走る (hashiru), and 入る (hairu) — all three look like Group 2 but conjugate as Group 1. For the ない form, apply Group 1 rules: 帰らない, 走らない, 入らない. (Note: 帰れない, 走れない, 入れない are valid Japanese — they are the potential-form negatives meaning “cannot go home,” “cannot run,” “cannot enter” — but they are not the plain ない forms.)

The Five Verb Forms Every Beginner Must Know

All five forms below are built from the dictionary form. Master them for any verb and you unlock the majority of beginner Japanese grammar patterns.

Form	食べる (Group 2)	書く (Group 1)	する (Irregular)	Used for…
Dictionary form	食べる	書く	する	Plain non-past; base for building other forms
ます form	食べます	書きます	します	Polite non-past statement
て form	食べて	書いて	して	Connecting actions; 〜てください; 〜ている
ない form	食べない	書かない	しない	Plain negative
た form	食べた	書いた	した	Plain past tense

The Eight Most Important Japanese Verbs

These eight verbs appear in almost every conversation. Learn them with their conjugation and particle patterns before any other category.

する — to do

する (suru) is the most productive verb in Japanese. Attach it to hundreds of nouns to create compound verbs: 勉強する (benkyō suru, to study), 練習する (renshū suru, to practice), 運動する (undō suru, to exercise). Conjugation: します / して / しない / した.

Example: 今日、何をしましたか？(Kyō, nani wo shimashita ka?) — What did you do today?

ある — to exist (non-living things)

ある (aru) expresses existence or presence of inanimate objects and abstract things. It pairs with に to mark location. The ない form is ない (not あらない) — this is the most important irregular feature of ある.

Example: 駅の近くにコンビニがあります。(Eki no chikaku ni konbini ga arimasu.) — There is a convenience store near the station.

いる — to exist (living things)

いる (iru) is the living counterpart of ある. Use it for people, animals, and anything that moves or breathes. Conjugation: います / いて / いない / いた. Do not confuse it with 要る (iru, Group 1, to need).

Example: 図書館に学生がたくさんいます。(Toshokan ni gakusei ga takusan imasu.) — There are many students in the library.

行く — to go

行く (iku) is Group 1 and pairs with に or へ for the destination. Its て form is 行って (itte), not 行いて. This is a unique exception: all other く-ending Group 1 verbs form て with いて (e.g., 書く → 書いて, 聞く → 聞いて), but 行く alone uses って.

Conjugation: 行きます / 行って / 行かない / 行った.
Example: 明日、学校に行きます。(Ashita, gakkō ni ikimasu.) — I will go to school tomorrow.

来る — to come

来る (kuru) is one of only two fully irregular verbs. Use it for movement toward the speaker’s location. Conjugation: 来ます (kimasu) / 来て (kite) / 来ない (konai) / 来た (kita).

Example: 今夜、うちに来ませんか？ (Konya, uchi ni kimasen ka?) — Won’t you come over tonight?

帰る — to return home

帰る (kaeru) means to return to a home base — your house, your country, your origin. It looks like a Group 2 verb but is Group 1. て form: 帰って (kaette).

Conjugation: 帰ります / 帰って / 帰らない / 帰った.
Example: 何時に家に帰りますか？ (Nanji ni ie ni kaerimasu ka?) — What time are you going home?

分かる — to understand

分かる (wakaru) expresses comprehension — that something becomes clear to the speaker. It is intransitive: the thing understood is marked by が, not を. 日本語が分かります (Nihongo ga wakarimasu) — I understand Japanese.

Example: すみません、よく分かりません。もう一度言ってください。(Sumimasen, yoku wakarimasen. Mō ichido itte kudasai.) — I’m sorry, I don’t understand well. Please say it again.

知る — to know (a fact)

知る (shiru) means to come to know a fact or a piece of information. The state of already knowing is expressed with 知っている (shitte iru). In practice, “I know” is almost always 知っています (shitte imasu), not 知ります (shirimasu).

Example: 山田さんの電話番号を知っていますか？ (Yamada-san no denwa bangō wo shitte imasu ka?) — Do you know Yamada-san’s phone number?

Daily Action Verbs

These ten verbs describe the actions you will use, hear, and read every single day. All take を to mark their direct object.

Verb	Reading	Meaning	ます form	て form	Group
食べる	たべる	to eat	食べます	食べて	2
飲む	のむ	to drink	飲みます	飲んで	1
見る	みる	to see / watch	見ます	見て	2
聞く	きく	to listen / hear / ask	聞きます	聞いて	1
話す	はなす	to speak / talk	話します	話して	1
読む	よむ	to read	読みます	読んで	1
書く	かく	to write	書きます	書いて	1
買う	かう	to buy	買います	買って	1
使う	つかう	to use	使います	使って	1
作る	つくる	to make / cook	作ります	作って	1

Note on 聞く: This verb covers three meanings — to hear, to listen, and to ask. The particle pattern changes with the meaning: 音楽を聞く (ongaku wo kiku, listen to music), 先生に聞く (sensei ni kiku, ask the teacher). The を/に switch signals which sense is being used.

Movement Verbs

Movement verbs describe how people and things change location. They use に or へ for direction and destination, and を for the path traveled through.

Verb	Reading	Meaning	ます form	て form	Key Pattern
入る	はいる	to enter	入ります	入って	[place] に入る
出る	でる	to exit / leave	出ます	出て	[place] を出る
乗る	のる	to ride / board	乗ります	乗って	[vehicle] に乗る
降りる	おりる	to get off / alight	降ります	降りて	[stop] で降りる
歩く	あるく	to walk	歩きます	歩いて	[place] を歩く
走る	はしる	to run	走ります	走って	[place] を走る
止まる	とまる	to stop	止まります	止まって	[place] で止まる

Example sentence set:
電車に乗って、渋谷で降りました。それから渋谷の街を少し歩きました。
(Densha ni notte, Shibuya de orimashita. Sorekara Shibuya no machi wo sukoshi arukimashita.)
I got on the train and got off at Shibuya. After that, I walked around Shibuya a little.

Communication and Study Verbs

Communication verbs use に to mark the person spoken to, and を for what is said or asked. Study and work verbs mostly use を for the object of effort.

Verb	Reading	Meaning	ます form	て form	Key Pattern
言う	いう	to say	言います	言って	[person] に [thing] を言う
質問する	しつもんする	to ask a question	質問します	質問して	[person] に質問する
答える	こたえる	to answer	答えます	答えて	[question] に答える
教える	おしえる	to teach / tell	教えます	教えて	[person] に [thing] を教える
伝える	つたえる	to convey / pass on	伝えます	伝えて	[person] に [thing] を伝える
相談する	そうだんする	to consult / discuss	相談します	相談して	[person] に相談する
勉強する	べんきょうする	to study	勉強します	勉強して	[subject] を勉強する
習う	ならう	to learn from a teacher	習います	習って	[skill] を [teacher] に習う
練習する	れんしゅうする	to practice	練習します	練習して	[skill] を練習する
覚える	おぼえる	to memorize	覚えます	覚えて	[thing] を覚える
忘れる	わすれる	to forget	忘れます	忘れて	[thing] を忘れる
始める	はじめる	to start (transitive)	始めます	始めて	[thing] を始める
終わる	おわる	to end (intransitive)	終わります	終わって	[thing] が終わる
働く	はたらく	to work	働きます	働いて	[place] で働く
休む	やすむ	to rest / be absent	休みます	休んで	[place/thing] を休む

勉強する vs 習う vs 学ぶ: 勉強する is general academic study. 習う implies taking structured lessons from a teacher to acquire a skill. 学ぶ (manabu) is more formal and broader — it means to learn in a deep or ongoing sense, often found in writing and formal contexts.

Verb + Particle Patterns: を and に

Verbs with を — marking the direct object

を (wo) marks the direct object of an action — the thing being acted upon. Most transitive action verbs require を.

Japanese	Romaji	English
ご飯を食べる	gohan wo taberu	to eat a meal
水を飲む	mizu wo nomu	to drink water
本を読む	hon wo yomu	to read a book
映画を見る	eiga wo miru	to watch a movie
日本語を勉強する	Nihongo wo benkyō suru	to study Japanese
道を歩く	michi wo aruku	to walk along the road
バスを降りる *	basu wo oriru	to get off the bus

Key point: English drops object markers entirely. Japanese does not. Leaving out を when you name the object of a verb is one of the most common beginner errors.

* バスを降りる uses を as a departure marker (the thing you leave from), not a direct-object marker. 降りる is an intransitive verb and cannot take a true direct object. The movement verb table in the next section uses the more precise pattern [stop] で降りる. Both patterns exist in natural Japanese; で降りる is safer for beginners to start with.

Verbs with に — direction, destination, and recipient

に (ni) marks the destination of movement, the location of existence, and the person who receives an action.

Japanese	Romaji	English	に role
学校に行く	gakkō ni iku	to go to school	destination
家に帰る	ie ni kaeru	to go home	destination
電車に乗る	densha ni noru	to board a train	target of boarding
机の上にある	tsukue no ue ni aru	to be on top of the desk	location of existence
先生に聞く	sensei ni kiku	to ask the teacher	recipient of question
友達に教える	tomodachi ni oshieru	to teach a friend	recipient of teaching

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs for Beginners

What transitive and intransitive verbs are

A transitive verb takes a direct object — someone acts on something: I opened the door. An intransitive verb has no object — something happens on its own: The door opened. English uses the same verb for both. Japanese uses different verbs — and getting this wrong is immediately noticeable to native speakers.

The most important transitive / intransitive pairs

Transitive (〜を + verb)	Intransitive (〜が + verb)	Concept
開ける (あける) — to open it	開く (あく) — to open (by itself)	open
入れる (いれる) — to put in	入る (はいる) — to enter / go in	enter
出す (だす) — to take out	出る (でる) — to come out / exit	exit
止める (とめる) — to stop it	止まる (とまる) — to stop (on its own)	stop
始める (はじめる) — to start it	始まる (はじまる) — to begin (on its own)	begin
終わらせる (おわらせる) — to finish it	終わる (おわる) — to end (on its own)	end

Contrast in context:
• ドアを開けました。(Doa wo akemashita.) — I opened the door. [transitive — person acted on door]
• ドアが開きました。(Doa ga akimashita.) — The door opened. [intransitive — door opened by itself]

Why English speakers confuse them

English blurs this distinction: “I opened the door” and “the door opened” use the same verb. Japanese never does. When you see a transitive/intransitive pair, learn both at the same time and memorize which particle pattern each takes: transitive always takes を for the thing acted on; intransitive always takes が for the subject that does the happening.

JLPT N5 and N4 Verb Checklist

Use these tables as a review checklist before your exam. N5 verbs are the absolute foundation. N4 verbs unlock natural conversation and reading comprehension at intermediate level.

JLPT N5 essential verbs

Verb	Reading	Meaning	ます form
ある	ある	to exist (things)	あります
いる	いる	to exist (people/animals)	います
する	する	to do	します
来る	くる	to come	来ます
行く	いく	to go	行きます
帰る	かえる	to return home	帰ります
食べる	たべる	to eat	食べます
飲む	のむ	to drink	飲みます
見る	みる	to see / watch	見ます
聞く	きく	to listen / ask	聞きます
話す	はなす	to speak	話します
読む	よむ	to read	読みます
書く	かく	to write	書きます
買う	かう	to buy	買います
分かる	わかる	to understand	分かります
知る	しる	to know → use 知っています	知ります
入る	はいる	to enter	入ります
出る	でる	to exit	出ます
乗る	のる	to board	乗ります
起きる	おきる	to wake up	起きます
寝る	ねる	to sleep / go to bed	寝ます
座る	すわる	to sit down	座ります
立つ	たつ	to stand up	立ちます
言う	いう	to say	言います

JLPT N4 essential verbs

Verb	Reading	Meaning	ます form
開ける	あける	to open (transitive)	開けます
開く	あく	to open (intransitive)	開きます
覚える	おぼえる	to memorize	覚えます
忘れる	わすれる	to forget	忘れます
教える	おしえる	to teach / tell	教えます
習う	ならう	to take lessons	習います
練習する	れんしゅうする	to practice	練習します
勉強する	べんきょうする	to study	勉強します
働く	はたらく	to work	働きます
休む	やすむ	to rest / be absent	休みます
始める	はじめる	to start (transitive)	始めます
終わる	おわる	to end (intransitive)	終わります
答える	こたえる	to answer	答えます
伝える	つたえる	to convey	伝えます
使う	つかう	to use	使います
作る	つくる	to make	作ります
走る	はしる	to run	走ります
歩く	あるく	to walk	歩きます
降りる	おりる	to get off	降ります
相談する	そうだんする	to consult	相談します

Review tip: JLPT listening questions often test whether you can distinguish the て form of similar-sounding verbs (帰って vs. 買って, 止まって vs. 止めて). Practice the て form for every verb on this list out loud, not just in writing.

Common Japanese Verb Mistakes English Speakers Make

Memorizing verbs without their particle patterns

Learning 食べる as “to eat” without also learning 〜を食べる is incomplete. When you produce a sentence, you need the particle automatically. Flashcards that only show verb meaning leave out the grammar that makes it usable. Memorize verb + particle as a unit from day one.

Using する too broadly

する works for する-compound verbs and “to do” in a general sense. But for verbs that have a specific Japanese word, use that word. You cannot say ☆食べるをした — you say 食べました. する fills in where no specific verb exists, not where one does.

Confusing 知る and 分かる

知る = to know a specific piece of information (a name, a fact, a person). 分かる = to understand / to grasp conceptually. A second difference: 分かる uses が (〜が分かる), not を. Saying 〜を分かる is a common error.

Confusing 行く and 来る

行く describes movement away from the speaker. 来る describes movement toward the speaker. English uses “come” for both directions depending on context. Japanese does not. If someone is moving toward where you are (even if you’re inviting them), use 来る: 私のパーティーに来ますか？ (Watashi no pātī ni kimasu ka?)

Mixing polite and casual forms

Using dictionary form (食べる) in a conversation where ます form (食べます) is expected sounds blunt or unintentionally rude. Using ます form with very close friends can sound stiff or even sarcastic. Decide on your register for each relationship and stay consistent within a single conversation.

Avoiding the て form for too long

Many beginners stay in ます form and avoid て form because it feels difficult. But 〜ている (ongoing state), 〜てください (please do), 〜てもいい (it’s okay to), and 〜てから (after doing) are all foundational grammar patterns that require て form. Delaying て form practice directly delays fluency.

Japanese Verb Practice Quiz

Quiz 1: Meaning

Match each verb to its English meaning:

1. 忘れる　　2. 乗る　　3. 伝える　　4. 止まる　　5. 習う

A. to board / ride　　B. to stop　　C. to forget　　D. to convey　　E. to take lessons

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Answers: Quiz 1

1–C, 2–A, 3–D, 4–B, 5–E

Quiz 2: Fill in the particle (を or に)

1. 図書館___行きました。　　2. コーヒー___飲みます。　　3. 先生___聞いてください。　　4. 日本語___勉強しています。　　5. 電車___乗ってください。

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Answers: Quiz 2

1. に　　2. を　　3. に　　4. を　　5. に

Quiz 3: ます form and て form

Write the ます form and て form for each verb:

1. 飲む　　2. 教える　　3. 走る　　4. 始める　　5. 買う

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Answers: Quiz 3

1. 飲みます・飲んで　　2. 教えます・教えて　　3. 走ります・走って　　4. 始めます・始めて　　5. 買います・買って

Quiz 4: Transitive or intransitive?

Choose the correct verb form for each sentence:

1. ドアが（開ける・開く）。　　2. 私はドアを（開ける・開く）。　　3. 授業が（始める・始まる）。　　4. 先生が授業を（始める・始まる）。

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Answers: Quiz 4

1. 開く（the door opens on its own）　　2. 開ける（I open the door）　　3. 始まる（the class begins on its own）　　4. 始める（the teacher starts the class）

Quiz 5: Sentence completion

Complete each sentence with the correct verb in ます form:

1. 毎朝、7時に___。（wake up）　　2. 駅でバスを___。（board）　　3. 先生に日本語を___。（I am the student learning from my teacher）　　4. 宿題を___のを忘れました。（do — use した form）　　5. 友達に電話番号を___。（tell/convey）

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Answers: Quiz 5

1. 起きます　　2. 乗ります　　3. 習います　　4. した（宿題をするのを忘れました）　　5. 伝えます

How to review wrong answers: For each verb you got wrong, write three full sentences using it — one positive, one negative, one question. Seeing the verb in varied contexts builds the mental pattern faster than re-reading the answer alone.

Which Japanese verb group gave you the most trouble — Group 1, Group 2, or the irregular verbs? Share in the comments!

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