Japanese Previous Tense Verb and Adjective Conjugations, Simplified

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Japanese verbs go on the finish of a sentence, which implies it’s possible you’ll not know whether or not the context is up to now, current, or future immediately. The identical is usually true for adjectives, which get conjugated in Japanese. Though it takes some work, it’s particularly very important that you simply perceive the Japanese previous tense verb conjugation when it lastly arrives so you possibly can piece the sentence collectively.

It doesn’t matter what character a verb or adjective ends in, uncover the foundations to conjugate it on this information. Preserve these charts helpful as you study Japanese and develop into a conjugation grasp.

Is there a previous tense in Japanese?

Japanese has a previous tense for each verbs and adjectives. Whereas the adjective conjugations are straightforward to implement, previous tense verbs in Japanese have a variety of variation of their conjugations. Fortuitously, the foundations are formulaic, so as soon as you realize what the rule is, you’ll discover only a few exceptions.

Though the previous and non-past tense conjugations are completely different from one another, having a fundamental understanding of Japanese verb conjugation guidelines will allow you to comprehend.

Charts for well mannered previous tense verb conjugations

Japanese verbs are available in two broad classes: well mannered kind and plain kind. Understanding when to make use of formal vs. casual speech in Japanese is important in social conditions. Because the identify implies, well mannered kind is mostly used for day by day dialog as a go-to stage of ritual. Alternatively, plain can be utilized for informal speech, however you may also discover it in the course of sentences when it’s not the primary verb.

Japanese has three varieties of verbs, all of which have barely completely different conjugation guidelines:

• Ichidan (一段): Verbs that finish within the character ru (る).
• Godan (五段): Verbs that finish in a personality with an “u” sound, generally together with ru.
• Irregular: Verbs for “to do” and “to come back.”

The verb (or copula) for “to be” has distinctive conjugation guidelines.

These charts begin with the well mannered kind conjugations, often known as masu-form (based mostly on its affirmative current tense kind).

Ichidan verbs

Verbs that finish in ru have the only conjugation guidelines.

• Affirmative previous: Drop the ru and add –mashita (～ました).
• Unfavorable previous: Drop the ru and add –masen-deshita (～ませんでした).

In the event you’re already aware of current tense conjugations, you’ll acknowledge that the unfavourable previous is the unfavourable current conjugation plus -deshita (～でした).

Do not forget that, in Japanese phrase order, verbs go on the finish of a sentence fairly than within the center (generally adopted by a particle).

• Sandoicchi o rokko tabemashita ne.（サンドイッチを六個食べましたね。）= You ate six sandwiches!
  

Godan verbs

Godan verb conjugations all have a barely distinctive variation. Earlier than including the usual conjugation ender, the ultimate character of the dictionary kind (which ends in an “u” sound) is modified to the character in the identical consonant row that ends in an “i” sound.

• Affirmative previous: Change the ultimate “u” sound to an “i” sound and add –mashita (～ました).
• Unfavorable previous: Change the ultimate “u” sound to an “i” sound and add –masen-deshita (～ませんでした).

• Oyogimashita ka.（泳ぎましたか。）= Did you swim?
  
  • Lie, oyogimasen-deshita. Hashirimashita.（いいえ、泳ぎませんでした。走りました。）= No, I didn’t swim. I ran.
    

Irregular verbs

Japanese solely has two irregular verbs. Though the best way the primary character modifications is exclusive to every of them, the enders are the identical as some other verb.

“To do” is extraordinarily versatile, and you’ll pair it with every kind of actions to create a selected verb.

• Kinō, kanojo wa tenisu o shimashita.（昨日、彼女はテニスをしました。）= She performed tennis yesterday. (Actually: She did tennis yesterday.)
  

‘To be’ verb

The “to be” verb desu is exceedingly widespread, however its conjugation guidelines are distinctive.

Desu really has a number of unfavourable Japanese previous tense conjugations. For the well mannered kind, de wa arimasen-deshita（ではありませんでした) can be acceptable.

• Watashi wa gakusei deshita.（私は学生でした。）= I was a pupil.
  
• Watashi wa gakusei ja arimasen-deshita.（私は学生じゃありませんでした。）= I wasn’t a pupil.

Charts for plain previous tense verb conjugations

Whereas ichidan verbs are easy to conjugate into plain Japanese previous tense, godan verbs are significantly extra concerned. As you see in Japanese te-form conjugations, the ultimate character of the dictionary kind modifications the Japanese previous tense conjugation.

Ichidan verbs

Like well mannered kind, the plain kind conjugation for previous tense is simple for ichidan verbs.

• Affirmative previous: Drop the ru and add –ta (～た).
• Unfavorable previous: Drop the ru and add –nakatta (～なかった).

• Kirei na yama mo mita.（きれいな山も見た。）= I noticed some lovely mountains.

Godan verbs that finish in u, tsu, or ru

The primary set of godan verbs—those who finish in u (う), tsu (つ), or ru (る)—is just like ichidan verbs. All plain unfavourable Japanese previous tense conjugations for godan verbs contain altering the ultimate “u” sound to an “a” sound, however those who finish within the character u change to wa (わ) as a substitute of a (あ).

• Affirmative previous: Drop the ultimate character and add –tta (～った).
• Unfavorable previous: Change the ultimate “u” sound to an “a” sound and add –nakatta (～なかった).

• Kanojo wa fuku o katta.（彼女は服を買った。）= She purchased garments.