How to Conjugate Japanese Verbs to Past Tense

Understanding Japanese Verb Conjugation

Japanese verbs are quite different from English, but once you understand the pattern, conjugation becomes much easier. In Japanese, verbs are categorized based on their ending syllables, which affects how they conjugate.

Categories of Japanese Verbs

In Japanese, verbs are divided into three categories: u-verbs (also called godan verbs), ru-verbs (also called ichidan verbs), and irregular verbs. Understanding these categories is crucial for conjugating verbs into their past tense forms.

U-Verbs Conjugation

The great part about u-verbs is their consistent conjugation pattern. To make an u-verb past tense, you typically change the -u ending to its -ta or -da form. Here's the basic pattern:

• あう (au) becomes あった (atta)
• のむ (nomu) becomes のんだ (nonda)
• かく (kaku) becomes かいた (kaita)

Ru-Verbs Conjugation

Ru-verbs are a bit simpler than u-verbs. For ru-verbs, you just remove the -ru and add -ta. Here are some examples:

• たべる (taberu) becomes たべた (tabeta)
• みる (miru) becomes みた (mita)

Irregular Verbs

There are only two truly irregular verbs in Japanese, and they are する (suru) and くる (kuru). Here's how you conjugate them into the past tense:

• する (suru) becomes した (shita)
• くる (kuru) becomes きた (kita)

Practice Makes Perfect

Understanding the rules is just the beginning. To truly master Japanese verb conjugation in the past tense, practice is essential. Try creating sentences and using these verbs in context to become more comfortable with their forms.