The first is that all verbs which consist of a verb stem of only one character (this means the variable character is the verb stem) are classified as Regular II verbs. The sound the variable character makes when spoken is irrelevant (It should be noted that します is not included in this classification, it is listed as Irregular).
Examples of such verbs are:
見ます, 着ます, ねます, います, etc.
The second Regular II exception is homonyms. Consider the case where you knew two verbs that were pronounced identically in ~ます form (it should be noted that Regular II homonyms will always be pronounced the same in ~ます form, it will only sound the same in some cases in dictionary form). If it is known that one of these verbs is classified into Regular I, then the other verb will be the homonym and fall into Regular II classification. Although the verbs are pronounced the same, the kanji used in both verbs will generally differ from each other. Unfortunately, there is no special method of identifying out of two identically pronounced verbs which is the Regular I verb and which is the homonym. The only way to know this is to memorise these verbs from a dictionary. The following is one example of distinguishing a Regular I verb from the homonym:
おきます (置きます) = "to put", dictionary form = 置く (therefore, Regular I verb)
おきます (起きます) = "to get up", dictionary form = 起きる (therefore, Regular II exception verb)
Irregular Verbs
Officially, there are only two verbs in this category. I, however, believe that the verb できます should also be included here. However, for the sake of consistency with the current education standards, I will not list できます in this group. These two verbs will need to be memorised rather than following some sort of pattern like Regular I and Regular II verbs. The two verbs are 来ます and します.
Dictionary Form
The dictionary form of verbs are widely used in Japan, whereas ~ます verbs are really only used amongst business people and the like. Dictionary form verbs, unlike ~ます verbs, are considered to be slang when used on their own. When, however, dictionary form verbs are used in grammar patterns – and the politeness of the grammar pattern itself is not changed – the sentence is considered to be polite rather than slang. Dictionary form is also called "Plain Form" in many textbooks. In Japanese dictionaries, all the verbs are listed according to their dictionary forms, not their ~ます forms. Some of the more considerate dictionaries will have most of their verbs listed in both forms, but the main entry is located at the dictionary form of the verb whereas looking up the ~ます form of the verb will just tell you what the dictionary equivalent is. The mastery of dictionary form is vital for learning advanced grammar concepts. This entry will only consider dictionary forms in their present tense and having a positive meaning (also referred to as "plain, present, positive" (PPP) form). For simplicity, we will look at converting verbs in ~ます form to dictionary form and vice versa by examining one verb group at a time.
~ます Form to Dictionary Form
Regular I Verbs
First, remove the ます part of the verb, having the verb stem remaining. Then, convert the variable character (which currently has an "i" sound) to it’s "u" sound equivalent. Let’s go over this process in detail:
Consider the verb 言います ("to say"). First, remove the ます part of the verb, this leaves us with it’s verb stem 言い. The variable character of this verb stem is い. Consider now, from the Japanese character list, which group of characters does the character い lie? It lies in this group: あ, い, う, え, お. From these five characters, the only character that makes an "u" sound is the character う. Therefore, the dictionary form of 言います is 言う. Let’s consider another example. Consider the verb 立ちます ("to stand"). Drop the ます part of the verb to reveal the verb stem, 立ち. The variable character of this verb is ち. Now consider what group of characters from the Japanese character list the character ち lies in. It lies in this group: た, ち, つ, て, と. In these five characters, つ is the only one to make an "u" sound. Therefore, the dictionary form of 立ちます is 立つ.
Some other examples:
書きます –> 書く
行きます –> 行く
帰ります –> 帰る
あります –> ある
etc.
Regular II Verbs
The following rule for converting verbs in ます form to dictionary form applies to both standard Regular II verbs and Regular II exception verbs. To convert, first remove the ます part of the verb, which will leave us with the verb stem, then add the character る to the verb stem.
Some examples:
食べます –> 食べる
しめます –> しめる
見ます –> 見る
います –> いる
かえります –> かえる ("To change", homonym of 帰る)
いきます –> いきる ("To live", homonym of 行く)
Irregular Verbs
The dictionary form equivalent of the irregular verbs in ます form are as follows (this can be used to convert the verbs from dictionary to ます as well):
します <—> する
来ます <—> 来る (read as "くる")
The Dictionary Form of です
Like all ます verbs, です also has a plain form equivalent. The plain form equivalent of です is だ.
Dictionary Form to ~ます form
Regular I Verbs
First, change the last character of the dictionary form verb (which makes an "u" sound when spoken) to its "i" sounding equivalent (thus forming the verb stem), then add ます. Let’s look at one example in detail. Consider the dictionary form verb 話す ("to speak"). The last character in this dictionary form verb is す. Now consider which group of characters from the Japanese character list does the character す lie in? It lies in this group: さ, し, す, せ, そ. The only character from this group that has an "i" sounding equivalent is し. Now the verb is in its verb stem form, 話し. Next, add ます to form the verb 話します.
Some more examples:
かつ –> かちます
会う –> 会います
Regular II Verbs
These rules apply to both normal Regular II verbs and Regular II exception verbs. Drop the る character of the dictionary form verb and add ます.
Some examples:
見せる –> 見せます
にる –> にます
Applications of the Dictionary Form of Verbs
Dictionary form verbs can be used in sentences on their own in the same way that ~ます form verbs are used; there is no difference in translation, only the politeness is affected.
For example: ロンドンに行きます and ロンドンに行く are both translated as "I’m going to London". The difference is that the former had a ~ます form verb and was polite while the latter had a dictionary form verb and was slang. It is for this reason that it is strongly recommended to never use dictionary form verbs on their own in the Japanese exam unless the situation especially calls for it (eg: one of the writing tasks could be a diary entry, in which dictionary form must be used). The examiners do not appreciate the use of dictionary form verbs (they’re generally middle-age) and find it offensive. What is permitted, however, is using the dictionary form of verbs in grammar patterns. As stated earlier, when a verb in dictionary form is used in grammar patterns, the politeness of the sentence does not change unless the politeness of the grammar pattern itself is changed. One example of such a grammar pattern is "dictionary form + ことができます" ("can do"). The grammar pattern in this case is written in ます form. If, however, we changed the grammar pattern to its dictionary form equivalent, thus "dictionary form + ことができる", then this is considered to be slang. For example, both 食べることができます and 食べることができる are translated as "can eat", but the former is politer than the latter.
That concludes the first entry on verb conjugation. The next entry will go over dictionary form verbs that are in past, negative and past negative forms.
日本語の文法 Space 