Lesson 1 · N5 Beginner

Lesson 12: Japanese Verb Groups & Te-Form (て形) Conjugation Rules

Master the holy grail of Japanese grammar: the 3 verb groups and the Te-form rules required for polite requests, continuous action, and sentence linking.

15 min Reading + Practice N5 Beginner

1. The Three Verb Groups

Group 1 (Godan / 五段): Ends in u-row sounds (iku, nomu, kaku, hanasu, matsu).
Group 2 (Ichidan / 一段): Ends in -iru or -eru (taberu, miru, neru, oshieru).
Group 3 (Irregular / 不規則): する (suru – to do) and 来る (kuru – to come).

2. Te-Form Song & Memory Rule for Group 1

う・つ・る → って (kau → katte, matsu → matte, toru → totte)
む・ぶ・ぬ → んで (nomu → nonde, asobu → asonde, shinu → shinde)
く → いて (kaku → kaite) *Exception: iku → itte
ぐ → いで (oyogu → oyoide)
す → して (hanasu → hanashite)

Lesson Exam

Test your knowledge before moving on. You can retry as many times as you like.

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