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Category grammar

Consonant and vowel verbs

Japanese has two types of regular verb, #'''consonant stem''', '''godan katsuyō''' (五段活用|), '''Group I''', or '''''u''''' verbs, and #'''vowel stem''', '''ichidan katsuyō''' (一段活用|), '''Group II''', or '''''ru''''' verbs. Although both types are considered regular verbs, the consonant stem verbs conjugate differently from the vowel stem verbs. The consonant stem verbs conjugate after a consonant, and the vowel stem verbs conjugate after a vowel, as can be seen in the following examples:

|
consonant stem vowel stem
Example yom.u (read) hashir.u (run) mi.ru (see) tabe.ru (eat)
Negative yom.anai hashir.anai mi.nai tabe.nai
Polite form yom.imasu hashir.imasu mi.masu tabe.masu

All of the vowel stem verbs end in either eru or iru. However, not all verbs ending in ''iru'' or ''eru'' are vowel stem verbs. For example, ''hashiru'', "run", is a consonant stem verb.

~eru

| Verbs ending in eru which are consonant verbs
Verb Meaning
aseru to hurry
azakeru to ridicule
daberu to chatter
eru to carve
eru to choose
eru to ridicule
fukeru to be absorbed in
fuseru to hide, lie in ambush
haberu to attend on
heru to humble oneself
heru to decrease
hineru to twist
hirugaeru to turn over, to wave
hoderu to feel hot
hoteru to flush, to feel hot
kaeru to turn over
kaeru to return
kaeru to be hatched
kageru to become cloudy
kakeru to soar
keru to kick
kuneru to be crooked
kutsugaeru to be overturned
meru to decrease
neru to temper, to refine, to knead (note that neru meaning "to sleep" is a vowel stem verb)
nomeru to fall forward
numeru to be slippery
omoneru to flatter
seru to compete
seseru to pick, play with
shaberu to talk
shigeru to grow thick
shikeru to become damp
soberu to lie sprawled
suberu to slip
takeru to act violently
teru to shine
tsumeru to pinch
tsuneru to pinch
uneru to undulate
useru to root with the nose
yomigaeru to rise from the dead

~iru

Verbs ending in iru which are consonant verbs
Verb Meaning
aburagiru to be greasy
bibiru to be surprised
chigiru to pledge
chiru to scatter
dojiru to mess up
guchiru to grumble
hairu to enter
hashiru to run
hiru to winnow
hojiru to pick, dig out
hotobashiru to gush, spurt
ibiru to torment, roast
ijiru to fiddle with
ikiru to become sultry
iru to boil down
iru to go in
iru to need
iru to roast
kagiru to limit
kajiru to gnaw
kashiru to curse
kiru to become misty
kiru to cut
kishiru to become misty
kishiru to squeak, creak
kojiru to gouge, wrench
kubiru to grip, strangle
kujiru to gouge, scoop
mairu to come/go - humble
majiru mingle
meiru to feel depressed
mikubiru to belittle; to despise
minagiru to overflow
mogiru to wrench
mojiru to parody, to twist
mushiru to pluck, to pick, to tear
najiru to rebuke
nejiru to twist
nigiru to grasp
nijiru to edge forward
nonoshiru to abuse verbally
ochiiru to fall, sink
omoiiru to ponder, to contemplate
omoikiru to dare to (usually in the form omoikitte or omoikitta.)
sebiru to pester for
shiru to know
soshiru to slander
sujiru to wriggle
tagiru to boil, to seethe
tamagiru to be frightened
tobashiru to gush
tochiru to muff lines
yajiru to jeer at
yogiru to pass by, to drop in
yojiru to twist, distort
yokogiru to traverse

References

  • A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar
  • Category:grammar