Skip to content
JLPT N5Verb Forms

う-Verbs(Godan / Group 1)

Also called Godan ("five-step") verbs. They conjugate by shifting their final kana across the a/i/u/e/o vowel columns, so their final sound changes depending on the form.

Grammar path · 練習

Practice this in the path

A short lesson: the pattern, its sentence anatomy, a quick quiz and a sentence to build.

Pro lessonUNIT 10 · VERB FORMS

Structure · 形

Dictionary form ends in an u-row kana: く ぐ す つ ぬ ぶ む る う

Examples · 例文

  • 書く → 書きます / 書かない / 書いた

    Kaku → kakimasu / kakanai / kaita

    Write: polite / negative / plain past

    く shifts to き (i-row) for ます and to か (a-row) for ない.

  • 死ぬ → 死にます / 死なない / 死んで

    Shinu → shinimasu / shinanai / shinde

    Die: polite / negative / te-form

    ぬ shifts to に for the stem, な for the negative, and becomes んで in the te-form.

  • 話す → 話します / 話さない / 話して

    Hanasu → hanashimasu / hanasanai / hanashite

    Speak: polite / negative / te-form

    す shifts to し (i-row) for ます and to さ (a-row) for ない; the te-form is して.

Usage notes · 注意

  • Godan = "five steps": the verb uses all five vowels across its forms — 話す → hanasA-nai, hanasHI-masu, hanasU (dict), hanasE-ba, hanasO-u.
  • Te/Ta Mutations: く→いて, ぐ→いで, む/ぶ/ぬ→んで, う/つ/る→って, す→して. These evolved for ease of pronunciation.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones う-Verbs is tested against.

vsる-Verbs (Ichidan)

う-verbs change their final sound across vowel columns; る-verbs keep a fixed stem and just drop る. Only う-verbs have the て/た sound mutations.

vs-iru/-eru "traitor" verbs

Some verbs that end in -iru/-eru (帰る, 走る, 入る, 切る, 知る) LOOK like る-verbs but conjugate as う-verbs (帰ります, not ×帰ます).

More verb forms

Study Japanese grammar on LenGaki

Everything on this page, ready to study

  • 7,788 JLPT vocabulary words, N5 through N1, with readings and audio (N5 free)
  • 2,057 kanji with on'yomi, kun'yomi and stroke-order practice
  • 445 grammar points with examples and commonly-confused comparisons
  • Full-length N5 and N4 mock exams, timed, with real listening audio (N5 sets 1 and 2 free)