Using Verb Bases
Now that you know about 30 Japanese verbs and can conjugate them, I'll show you what you can do with those verb bases. You may want to regularly refer to Lesson 6 and Lesson 7 while learning these. The following chart applies to all Japanese verbs unless otherwise noted.
ひらがな - Hiragana Romaji
(English Letters) English Meaning
Base 1 + ない Base 1 + nai plain form negative (will not verb)
Base 1 + なかった Base 1 + nakatta plain form past negative (did not verb)
Base 2 + ます Base 2 + masu polite form present/future tense
Base 2 + ました Base 2 + mashita polite form past tense
Base 2 + ません Base 2 + masen polite form negative (will not verb)
Base 2 + ませんでした Base 2 + masen deshita polite form past negative (did not verb)
Base 2 + たい Base 2 + tai want to verb (add です (desu) to make it polite)
Base 3 Base 3 plain form present/future tense
Base 4 + ば Base 4 + ba if verb
Base 4 + る Base 4 + ru plain form can verb (Godan verbs only)
(verb now becomes an Ichidan verb)
Base 4 + ます Base 4 + masu polite form can verb (can be changed like above)
Base 5 + とする Base 5 + to suru try to verb
(this suru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to do something))
Base "te" + 欲しい Base "te" + hoshii want someone else to verb
(hoshii is an adjective which will be covered in the next lesson)
Base "te" Base "te" plain form command
Base "te" + 下さい Base "te" + kudasai polite form command
Base "te" + いる Base "te" + iru plain form presently verbing
(this iru is the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to exist (animate))
Base "te" + います Base "te" + imasu polite form presently verbing (can be changed like above)
Base "ta" Base "ta" plain form past tense
Base "ta" + ら Base "ta" + ra if and when I verb (similar to Base 4 + ba)
Base "ta" + りする Base "ta" + ri suru do such things as...
(this suru is also the same verb learned in lesson 7 (to do something)
