Kanji Hiragana Katakana Rōmaji English

私 わたし ワタシ watashi I, me

金魚 きんぎょ キンギョ kingyo goldfish
煙草 or 莨 たばこ タバコ tabako tobacco, cigarette
Tokyo (the capital of Japan), literally eastern
東京 とうきょう トウキョウ tōkyō
capital

Sample text in Japanese

Transliteration (rōmaji)
Subete no ningen wa, umare nagara ni shite jiyū de ari, katsu, songen to kenri to ni tsuite byōdō
de aru. Ningen wa, risei to ryōshin o sazukerareteari, tagai ni dōhō no seishin o motte
kōdōshinakerebanaranai.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason
and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Group 1: ~ U ending verbs

The basic form of Group 1 verbs end with "~ u". This group is also called Consonant-stem verbs
or Godan-doushi (Godan verbs).

 hanasu （話す） - to speak

 kaku （書く） - to write

 kiku （聞く） - to listen

 matsu （待つ） - to wait

 nomu （飲む） - to drink

Group 2: ~ Iru and ~ Eru ending verbs

The basic form of Group 2 verbs end with either "~iru" or "~ eru". This group is also called
Vowel-stem-verbs or Ichidan-doushi (Ichidan verbs).

~ Iru ending verbs

  kiru （着る） - to wear
 miru （見る） - to see

 okiru （起きる） - to get up

 oriru （降りる） - to get off

 shinjiru （信じる） - to believe

~ Eru ending verbs

 akeru （開ける） - to open

 ageru （あげる） - to give

 deru （出る） - to go out

 neru （寝る） - to sleep

 taberu （食べる） - to eat

There are some exceptions. The following verbs belong to Group 1, though they end with "~ iru"
or "~ eru".

 hairu （入る） - to enter

 hashiru （走る） - to run

 iru （いる） - to need

 kaeru （帰る） - to return

 kagiru （限る） - to limit

 kiru （切る） - to cut

 shaberu （しゃべる） - to chatter

 shiru （知る） - to know

Group 3: Irregular verbs

There are only two irregular verbs, kuru (to come) and suru (to do).

The verb "suru" is probably the most often used verb in Japanese. It is used as "to do," "to
make," or "to cost". It is also combined with many nouns (of Chinese or Western origin) to make
them into verbs. Here are some examples.

 benkyousuru （勉強する） - to study

 ryokousuru （旅行する） - to travel

 yushutsusuru （輸出する） - to export

 dansusuru （ダンスする） - to dance

 shanpuusuru （シャンプーする） - to shampoo

 Group 1 Verbs

Dictionary Form
English Formal Form The ~ te Form
(Basic Form)

aruku arukimasu aruite

to walk
歩く 歩きます 歩いて

asobu asobimasu asonde

to play
遊ぶ 遊びます 遊んで

au aimasu atte
to meet
会う 会います 会って

hairu hairimasu haitte

to enter
入る 入ります 入って

hajimaru hajimarimasu hajimatte

to begin
始まる 始まります 始まって

iku ikimasu itte

to go
行く 行きます 行って

kaeru kaerimasu kaette

to return
帰る 帰ります 帰って

kakaru kakarimasu kakatte

to take
かかる かかります かかって

kaku kakimasu kaite

to write
書く 書きます 書いて

kau kaimasu katte

to buy
買う 買います 買って

kiku kikimasu kiite

to listen
聞く 聞きます 聞いて

matsu machimasu matte

to wait
待つ 待ちます 待って

motsu mochimasu motte

to have
持つ 持ちます 持って

narau naraimasu naratte

to learn
習う 習います 習って

nomu nomimasu nonde

to drink
飲む 飲みます 飲んで

okuru to send okurimasu okutte

 送る 送ります 送って

omou omoimasu omotte

to think
思う 思います 思って

oyogu oyogimasu oyoide

to swim
泳ぐ 泳ぎます 泳いで

shiru shirimasu shitte

to know
知る 知ります 知って

suwaru suwarimasu suwatte

to sit
座る 座ります 座って

tatsu tachimasu tatte

to stand
立つ 立ちます 立って

tomaru tomarimasu tomatte

to stop
止まる 止まります 止まって

tsuku tsukimasu tsuite

to arrive
着く 着きます 着いて

uru urimasu utte

to sell
売る 売ります 売って

utau utaimasu utatte

to sing
歌う 歌います 歌って

wakaru wakarimasu wakatte

to understand
分かる 分かります 分かって

warau waraimasu waratte

to laugh
笑う 笑います 笑って

yomu yomimasu yonde

to read
読む 読みます 読んで

 Group 2 Verbs

kangaeru kangaemasu kangaete

to think
考える 考えます 考えて

miru mimasu mite

to see
見る 見ます 見て

neru nemasu nete

to sleep
寝る 寝ます 寝て

oshieru oshiemasu oshiete

to teach
教える 教えます 教えて

taberu tabemasu tabete

to eat
食べる 食べます 食べて

 Group 3 Verbs
 kuru kimasu kite
to come
来る 来ます 来て

suru shimasu shite

to do
する します して

 The ~ te form of verbs is one of several other verb forms. It does not indicate tense by
itself and is used to string together sequences of verbs. One of the ~te form structure is "~
te kudasai （～てください）," which expresses a request.

Kaite kudasai.
Please write.
書いてください。

Matte kudasai.
Please wait.
待ってください。

 Examples of borrowed words

The word borrowed from German "Arbeit". A meaning is "work". In

Japan, it means short-term labor contracts, such as a side job and
temporary employment.
The word borrowed from Portuguese "Castella". This is the baked
confectionery imported from Portugal to Nagasaki at the Muromachi
period (1338-1573).
The word borrowed from French "Croissant". The word about
cooking and dress has much borrowing from French.

The word borrowed from English "Radio".

The word borrowed from Spanish "Medias" or Portuguese "Meias".

A meaning is stretchy cloth.


 Examples of Japanized English

"Salary" and "man" were combined. People who are working

for a company by getting salary. It is used in the same
meaning as "Office worker" of English.

"Personal computer" was abridged.

"Back" and "mirror" were combined. It is used in the same

meaning as "Rear-view mirror" of English.
 "Pair" and "look" were combined. It is used in the same
meaning as "same outfit, matching outfits" of English.

"Paper" and "driver" were combined. It is used in the same

meaning as "Sunday driver" of English.


<Note>The symbol of " " is used when lengthening a vowel sound.

3. Other marks

 " " : This is often used for entry of documents etc. It is used when entering the same
word or phrase.
 " " : Indicates a lengthened vowel sound. The direction of writing depends on the
direction of text.

 " " : This means "from..to..". For example, the meaning of " " is "from
Monday to Friday".

 " " : This expresses silence and the situation of choking up.

 " " : This is the usual Japanese quotation marks.