Verb Groups and Te Form Song

Verb Groups – Descriptions   どうし　の　クループ　の　せつめい

 

①　一ばん　の　グループ：Also known as “strong” verbs or “consonant” verbs

 

            Most numerous group

            In the “masu” form, always has an extra “i” syllable before the “masu”

            Complex but regular conjugation

Plain/dictionary form is always an “u” syllable

from the same hiragana line as the extra “i” syllable

            Short list of examples:

                        会います                    会って                        会う　　　meets

                        あ                                あ                                あ

                        たちます                    たって                        たつ            stands (up)    

                        帰ります                    帰って                        帰る            returns home

                        かえ                            かえ                            かえ

                        しにます                    しんで                        しぬ          dies

                        読みます                    読んで                        読む           reads

                        よ                                よ                                よ

                        とびます                    とんで                        とぶ           jumps/flies

                        聞きます                    聞いて                        聞いて       hears/listens to

                        き                                き                                き

                        およぎます                およいで                    およぐ        swims

                        話します                    話して                        話す    　　speaks (日本語)

                        はな                            はな                            はな

            There’s a song to remind you how to derive the “te” form for Group 1 verbs.

The tune is “3 Blind Mice”

                        い、ち、り：　小さい　つ、　て　　i, chi, ri: chiisai tsu te

                        に、み、び：　んで                                ni, mi, bi: nde

                        き　は　いて                                            ki wa ite

                        ぎ　は　いで                                            gi wa ide

                        し　は　して                                            shi wa shite

                        て　フォーム                                            te fo-mu

            Here is what the song is saying about Group 1 verbs:

                        If the extra “i” syllable before the “masu” is “i, chi, or ri” ,

                                    Use small tsu te in the te form

                        If the extra “i” syllable before the “masu” is from the “ni or mi or bi” line

                                    Use “nde” in the te form

                        If the extra “i” syllable before the “masu” is “ki”

                                    Use “ite” in the te form

                        If the extra “i” syllable before the “masu” is “gi”

                                    Use “ide” in the te form

                        If the extra “i” syllable before the “masu” is “shi”

                                    Use “shi” in the te form.

                        (That’s the) te form [reminder: for Group 1 only]

                       

②　ニばん　の　グループ: Also known as “weak” verbs or “ru” verbs

            Second most numerous group

            Easiest form to conjugate in the “te” form: take off the “masu” and put on the “te”

            Easiest form to conjugate in plain/dictionary form: take off “masu”, put on “ru”

            All these verbs end in either “eru” or “iru” in the plain/dictionary form.

            Short list of examples:

                        食べます                    食べて                        食べる

                        た                                た                                た

                        見ます                        見て                            見る

                        み                                み                                み

                        おきます                    おきて                        おきる 

                                      (just have to memorize that this one is Group 2)

                        しめます                    しめて                        しめる

 

 

③　三ばん　の　クループ: Also known as “irregular” verbs

            Smallest group – only 2 verbs are included

            Most difficult to conjugate because there are no rules

            List:

                        します                        して                            する

                        来ます                        来て　　　                来る

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