The First Five Bases
Let’s start on conjugation. There are 7 verb bases, each of which adjust the ending of two types of verbs, Ichidan and Godan verbs. While they conjugate differently, they each change depending on which base they are in. The 7 bases are like the first part of an equation. By changing the bases you can change the meanings of any of the verbs you use. While we won’t go into the intrinsic verb meanings today, we will go into the verb form changes for both Ichidan and Godan verbs.
Each one of these bases correlates to a vowel:
Base 1: a/あ
Base 2: i/い
Base 3: u/う
Base 4: e/え
Base 5: ou *long sound おう
Godan Verbs: nomu – to drink
Nomu in Base 1 = noma のま
Nomu in Base 2 = nomi のみ
Nomu in Base 3 = nomu のむ
Nomu in Base 4 = nome のめ
Nomu in Base 5 = nomou のもう
Are you spotting a pattern here? For Godan verbs, simply shift the verb into romaji and then change the last letter of the base verb.
Ichidan verbs are a little more tricky because they don’t logically follow a standard pattern like the Godan Verbs.
Ichidan verbs: taberu – to eat
Taberu in Base 1 = tabe たべ
Taberu in Base 2 = tabe たべ
Taberu in Base 3 = taberu たべる
Taberu in Base 4 = tabero たべろ
Taberu in Base 5 = tabeyou たべよう
With Ichidan verbs base 1 & 2 are the same, simply cut off the last る. But base 4 and 5, you add ろ & よう respectively.
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Daily Vocabulary
In some of the classes I have taught, memorizing a simple rhyme has helped a lot of students learn how to conjugate an Ichidan verb. First, think of a really silly looking Slim Shady and think of him rapping “What, What Rules yo!” and then imagine that he gets his braces stuck on his lip and says “Ru Ro” instead of rules (What, What Ru Ro You!). By memorizing this you can memorize what the bases are.
What – cut the ru
What – cut the ru
Ending is ru
Ending is ro
Ending is you
This may seem silly, but silly and odd things stick out in your mind better than unimaginative grammar principles.
English
Romaji
Hiragana