N5 · 41 words

Basic verbs

The verbs a first conversation cannot do without.

Each verb stands here in its dictionary form, and the example shows the polite 〜ます form you will use first. The verb comes at the end of the sentence, and particles say what each noun is doing: the object takes を, the place you go to に or へ. Two verbs here both mean "there is": ある for things and いる for people and animals. English has one word for both; Japanese always makes the difference.

The words

Verb (41)

行くto goVerbN5

明日(あした)、東京(とうきょう)に行(い)きます。I am going to Tokyo tomorrow.

Its te-form is irregular: 行(い)って.

来るto comeVerbN5

昨日(きのう)、友達(ともだち)が家(いえ)に来(き)ました。A friend came to my house yesterday.

Irregular: 来(き)ます, 来(こ)ない, 来(き)て.

帰るto go home; to returnVerbN5

毎日(まいにち)六時(ろくじ)に家(いえ)へ帰(かえ)ります。I go home at six every day.

Going back to where you belong — home, or your own country.

するto doVerbN5

週末(しゅうまつ)は何(なに)をしますか。What are you doing at the weekend?

Irregular. It also turns many nouns into verbs: 勉強(べんきょう)する, to study.

見るto see; to look at; to watchVerbN5

夜(よる)はテレビを見(み)ます。In the evening I watch television.

聞くto listen; to hear; to askVerbN5

毎朝(まいあさ)、ラジオを聞(き)きます。I listen to the radio every morning.

Both to listen and to ask: 先生(せんせい)に聞(き)く, to ask the teacher.

話すto speak; to talkVerbN5

母(はは)と電話(でんわ)で話(はな)しました。I talked to my mother on the phone.

書くto writeVerbN5

友達(ともだち)に手紙(てがみ)を書(か)きました。I wrote a letter to a friend.

読むto readVerbN5

電車(でんしゃ)の中(なか)で新聞(しんぶん)を読(よ)みます。I read the newspaper on the train.

会うto meet; to see (someone)VerbN5

駅(えき)で友達(ともだち)に会(あ)いました。I met a friend at the station.

The person takes に (or と), not を.

待つto waitVerbN5

ここで少(すこ)し待(ま)ってください。Please wait here a moment.

分かるto understand; to knowVerbN5

すみません、よく分(わ)かりません。Sorry, I don't really understand.

What is understood takes が: 日本語(にほんご)が分(わ)かります. Also often written in kana.

あるthere is (things); to haveVerbN5

この近(ちか)くに銀行(ぎんこう)がありますか。Is there a bank near here?

For things and plants. The plain negative is simply ない.

いるthere is (people, animals)VerbN5

庭(にわ)に猫(ねこ)がいます。There is a cat in the garden.

For people and animals — anything that moves of its own accord.

寝るto go to bed; to sleepVerbN5

毎晩(まいばん)十一時(じゅういちじ)に寝(ね)ます。I go to bed at eleven every night.

起きるto get up; to wake upVerbN5

毎朝(まいあさ)七時(しちじ)に起(お)きます。I get up at seven every morning.

言うto sayVerbN5

これは日本語(にほんご)で何(なん)と言(い)いますか。What is this called in Japanese?

What is said is marked with と.

思うto think (have an opinion)VerbN4

明日(あした)は雨(あめ)だと思(おも)います。I think it will rain tomorrow.

知るto get to know; to knowVerbN5

田中(たなか)さんの電話番号(でんわばんごう)を知(し)っていますか。Do you know Tanaka-san's phone number?

"I know" is 知(し)っています, but "I don't know" is 知(し)りません.

作るto makeVerbN5

日曜日(にちようび)に母(はは)とケーキを作(つく)りました。I made a cake with my mother on Sunday.

使うto useVerbN5

このパソコンを使(つか)ってもいいですか。May I use this computer?

休むto rest; to take time offVerbN5

熱(ねつ)があるので、今日(きょう)は学校(がっこう)を休(やす)みます。I have a temperature, so I am staying off school today.

What you stay away from takes を: 会社(かいしゃ)を休(やす)む.

始まるto begin (by itself)VerbN5

授業(じゅぎょう)は九時(くじ)に始(はじ)まります。Lessons begin at nine.

Something starts; somebody starts it with 始(はじ)める.

始めるto begin (something)VerbN4

では、テストを始(はじ)めてください。Right, please begin the test.

終わるto end; to finishVerbN5

仕事(しごと)は五時(ごじ)に終(お)わります。Work finishes at five.

立つto stand; to stand upVerbN5

皆(みな)さん、立(た)ってください。Everyone, please stand up.

座るto sit; to sit downVerbN5

どうぞ、ここに座(すわ)ってください。Please, have a seat here.

呼ぶto call (someone over); to call forVerbN5

すみません、タクシーを呼(よ)んでください。Excuse me, could you call a taxi?

A phone call is 電話(でんわ)をかける.

置くto put; to placeVerbN5

かばんはいすの上(うえ)に置(お)いてください。Please put your bag on the chair.

取るto take; to pass (something)VerbN5

すみません、塩(しお)を取(と)ってください。Excuse me, could you pass me the salt?

入れるto put inVerbN5

コーヒーに砂糖(さとう)を入(い)れますか。Do you take sugar in your coffee?

出すto take out; to send; to hand inVerbN5

明日(あした)までに宿題(しゅくだい)を出(だ)してください。Please hand in your homework by tomorrow.

Also to post: 手紙(てがみ)を出(だ)す.

押すto push; to pressVerbN5

このボタンを押(お)してください。Please press this button.

引くto pullVerbN5

このドアは引(ひ)いて開(あ)けます。You pull this door to open it.

Also to look up in a dictionary and to catch a cold: 辞書(じしょ)を引(ひ)く, 風邪(かぜ)を引(ひ)く.

なるto becomeVerbN5

来年(らいねん)、二十歳(はたち)になります。I will be twenty next year.

Nouns and na-adjectives take に, i-adjectives change to 〜く: 寒(さむ)くなる.

できるcan; to be able to; to be readyVerbN5

妹(いもうと)は英語(えいご)ができます。My younger sister can speak English.

What you can do takes が. Also "to be finished" or "to be built": 駅(えき)の前(まえ)に店(みせ)ができました.

見えるto be visible; can seeVerbN4

部屋(へや)の窓(まど)から海(うみ)が見(み)えます。You can see the sea from the window of the room.

Something comes into view by itself, so it takes が.

聞こえるto be audible; can hearVerbN4

隣(となり)の部屋(へや)から音楽(おんがく)が聞(き)こえます。I can hear music from the next room.

考えるto think about; to considerVerbN4

よく考(かんが)えてから、答(こた)えてください。Please think carefully before you answer.

Thinking something through; giving an opinion is 〜と思(おも)う.

生まれるto be bornVerbN4

私(わたし)は大阪(おおさか)で生(う)まれました。I was born in Osaka.

死ぬto dieVerbN5

うちの犬(いぬ)は去年(きょねん)死(し)にました。Our dog died last year.

Blunt when said of a person; the polite word is 亡(な)くなる.

This list belongs to The scaffolding — 24 lists and 964 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 41 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.