Explanation
Japanese verbs fall into three groups:
- Godan (五段): most verbs, e.g. のむ, いく, かく
- Ichidan (一段): end in -eru/-iru, e.g. たべる, みる
- Irregular: する and くる only
Formation: Godan (五段) verbs change their final vowel across five sounds, for example 書く becomes 書きます, 書かない. Ichidan (一段) verbs drop る for every conjugation, for example 食べる becomes 食べます, 食べない. Irregular verbs are only する (becomes します) and 来る (becomes 来ます).
Usage & nuance: Every conjugation in Japanese branches on the verb group, so identifying the group is the first step for て form, potential, passive, and more. Most verbs ending in る with an e or i sound before it are ichidan, but many common verbs like 帰る, 入る, and 走る are godan, so check each new verb.
Compare: Godan vs ichidan. Godan verbs shift the final kana sound (書く, 書きます, 書けば), while ichidan verbs keep the stem intact and just change the ending (食べる, 食べます, 食べれば).
हिंदी में समझें
जापानी क्रियाएँ तीन समूहों में:
- गोदान: ज़्यादातर क्रियाएँ, जैसे のむ, いく, かく
- ईचिदान: -eru/-iru पर समाप्त, जैसे たべる, みる
- अपवाद: सिर्फ़ する और くる
Examples
- のむ (godan) (nomu)
हिंदी: पीना
English: to drink - たべる (ichidan) (taberu)
हिंदी: खाना
English: to eat - する (irregular) (suru)
हिंदी: करना
English: to do - 書く、読む、話すは五段動詞です。 (Kaku, yomu, hanasu wa godan dōshi desu.)
हिंदी: काकु, योमु और हानासु गोदान क्रियाएँ हैं।
English: Kaku, yomu, and hanasu are godan verbs. - 食べる、見る、起きるは一段動詞です。 (Taberu, miru, okiru wa ichidan dōshi desu.)
हिंदी: ताबेरु, मिरु और ओकिरु इचिदान क्रियाएँ हैं।
English: Taberu, miru, and okiru are ichidan verbs.
Common mistakes
- Assuming all -ru verbs are ichidan → Some -ru verbs are godan (e.g. かえる, はしる) — Check the vowel before -ru.
Practice this topic
Test your understanding with 3 questions on Verb Groups — Godan, Ichidan, Irregular.