Dictionary Form of Japanese Verbs – Complete Guide with Usage and Grammar

Dictionary Form of Verbs

Master the Foundation of Japanese Verb Conjugation

1. What is Dictionary Form?
2. Characteristics & Recognition
3. Dictionary Form vs Polite Form
4. When to Use Dictionary Form
5. Grammar Patterns with Dictionary Form
6. Examples by Verb Group
7. Casual Speech & Conversations
8. Written Japanese & Literature
9. Common Mistakes to Avoid
10. Practice & Applications

1. What is Dictionary Form?

Dictionary form (辞書形 – jisho-kei) is the basic, unconjugated form of Japanese verbs

It’s called “dictionary form” because this is how verbs appear in dictionaries

Understanding Dictionary Form

Basic Form: The root form from which all other conjugations are derived

Plain Form: Also called “plain form” as opposed to “polite form”

Casual Usage: Used in informal conversations with friends and family

Grammar Foundation: Essential for building complex grammar structures

Versatility: Can function as present tense, future tense, or habitual actions

Key Point: Dictionary form is NOT rude – it’s simply informal. The context determines appropriateness.

2. Characteristics & Recognition

How to Recognize Dictionary Form

Group 1 Verbs

書く

Dictionary Form

かく

kaku

to write

Polite Form

かきます

kakimasu

write (polite)

Group 2 Verbs

食べる

Dictionary Form

たべる

taberu

to eat

Polite Form

たべます

tabemasu

eat (polite)

Group 3 Verbs

する

Dictionary Form

する

suru

to do

Polite Form

します

shimasu

do (polite)

Dictionary Form Patterns by Group

Group	Ending Pattern	Examples	Notes
Group 1	Ends in -u sound	読む, 書く, 話す, 買う	Various consonant + u combinations
Group 2	Ends in -eru or -iru	食べる, 見る, 寝る, 起きる	Always ends in -ru
Group 3	Irregular	する, 来る	Only two base verbs + compounds

3. Dictionary Form vs Polite Form

Formality Comparison

Dictionary Form	Polite Form	English	Usage Context
行く	行きます	to go	Casual vs Formal
食べる	食べます	to eat	Friends vs Strangers
する	します	to do	Family vs Business
来る	来ます	to come	Informal vs Polite
読む	読みます	to read	Personal vs Professional

Social Context Guidelines

Use Dictionary Form with: Close friends, family members, children, people younger than you

Use Polite Form with: Strangers, customers, teachers, bosses, elderly people

In Writing: Novels and casual writing often use dictionary form

In Speech: Casual conversations flow more naturally with dictionary form

4. When to Use Dictionary Form

Primary Usage Situations

1. Casual Conversations:

明日映画を見る。

I’ll watch a movie tomorrow.

2. Statements of Fact:

雨が降る。

It rains / It will rain.

3. Habitual Actions:

毎日新聞を読む。

I read the newspaper every day.

4. Future Actions (Informal):

来週東京に行く。

I’m going to Tokyo next week.

Dictionary Form Functions

Function	Example	Translation	Notes
Present/Future	明日学校に行く	I go/will go to school tomorrow	Context determines tense
Habitual	毎朝コーヒーを飲む	I drink coffee every morning	Regular actions
General Truth	太陽は東から昇る	The sun rises from the east	Universal facts
Casual Statement	お腹が空く	I’m getting hungry	Informal expression

5. Grammar Patterns with Dictionary Form

Essential Grammar Structures

つもり (intention):

日本語を勉強するつもりです。

I intend to study Japanese.

ことができる (ability):

泳ぐことができます。

I can swim.

前に (before):

寝る前に本を読む。

I read a book before sleeping.

時 (when):

家に帰る時、買い物をする。

When I go home, I do shopping.

Advanced Grammar with Dictionary Form

Pattern	Meaning	Example	Translation
Verb + のが好き	like doing	泳ぐのが好きです	I like swimming
Verb + のを見る	watch someone do	踊るのを見る	watch (someone) dance
Verb + ことにする	decide to	行くことにする	decide to go
Verb + ことになる	it’s decided that	転勤することになった	it was decided I’d transfer
Verb + かもしれない	might/maybe	雨が降るかもしれない	it might rain

6. Examples by Verb Group

Group 1 Dictionary Forms

Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English	Example Sentence
飲む	のむ	nomu	to drink	コーヒーを飲む
立つ	たつ	tatsu	to stand	電車で立つ
死ぬ	しぬ	shinu	to die	花が死ぬ
呼ぶ	よぶ	yobu	to call	友達を呼ぶ
泳ぐ	およぐ	oyogu	to swim	海で泳ぐ

Group 2 Dictionary Forms

Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English	Example Sentence
着る	きる	kiru	to wear	新しい服を着る
出る	でる	deru	to exit	家から出る
覚える	おぼえる	oboeru	to remember	単語を覚える
教える	おしえる	oshieru	to teach	日本語を教える
いる	いる	iru	to exist	家にいる

Group 3 Dictionary Forms

Dictionary Form	Reading	English	Example Compounds
する	する	to do	勉強する, 料理する, 掃除する
来る	くる	to come	帰って来る, 持って来る

7. Casual Speech & Conversations

Natural Conversation Flow

Friend-to-friend conversation:

A: 今日何する？

What are you doing today?

B: 映画を見る。君は？

I’m watching a movie. What about you?

A: 友達と会う。

I’m meeting friends.

Family conversation:

母: 晩ご飯何食べる？

Mom: What do you want to eat for dinner?

子: カレーが食べたい。

Child: I want to eat curry.

Casual vs Formal Comparison

Situation	Casual (Dictionary Form)	Formal (Polite Form)
Daily plans	今日学校に行く	今日学校に行きます
Eating	昼ご飯を食べる	昼ご飯を食べます
Free time	本を読む	本を読みます
Weekend	友達と遊ぶ	友達と遊びます

Naturalness Factor: Dictionary form makes conversations sound more natural and flowing in casual settings.

8. Written Japanese & Literature

Dictionary Form in Writing

Novels and Stories:

太郎は学校から帰る。母が料理を作る。

Taro returns from school. His mother cooks.

Diary Entries:

今日友達と映画を見る。とても面白い。

Today I watch a movie with friends. It’s very interesting.

News Headlines:

新しい法律が来年から始まる

New law begins next year

Literary vs Conversational Usage

Context	Usage Style	Example	Notes
Fiction	Narrative description	雨が降る	Creates immediacy
Essays	Stating facts	人口が増える	Objective tone
Instructions	Commands/directions	ここを押す	Direct and clear
Academic	Definitions	温度が上がる	Scientific description

9. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Formality Level Mistakes

Don’t use dictionary form in formal situations:

❌ 先生、明日学校に来る。(Too casual to a teacher)

✅ 先生、明日学校に来ます。(Appropriate politeness)

Don’t mix formality levels:

❌ 今日映画を見ますが、とても面白い。(Mixed formal/casual)

✅ 今日映画を見るが、とても面白い。(Consistent casual)

✅ 今日映画を見ますが、とても面白いです。(Consistent formal)

Grammar Structure Errors

Incorrect particle usage:

❌ 本が読む (wrong particle)

✅ 本を読む (correct particle)

Wrong tense assumption:

❌ 昨日映画を見る (dictionary form for past – sounds unnatural)

✅ 昨日映画を見た (past tense form)

✅ 昨日映画を見る予定だった (scheduled to watch – past of intention)

Context Misunderstanding

Mistake Type	Wrong Usage	Correct Usage	Explanation
Overly casual	店員さんに “ください” なしで注文する	Use polite forms with service staff	Service context requires politeness
Overly formal	Close friends with です/ます always	Use dictionary form with close friends	Creates unnecessary distance
Written vs spoken	Speaking like a textbook	Natural conversation patterns	Adapt to medium

10. Practice & Applications

Daily Life Applications

Morning Routine:

起きる → 顔を洗う → 朝ご飯を食べる → 学校に行く

Wake up → Wash face → Eat breakfast → Go to school

Weekend Plans:

土曜日に友達と買い物する。日曜日は家で休む。

On Saturday, I’ll go shopping with friends. On Sunday, I’ll rest at home.

Hobbies & Interests:

音楽を聞くのが好き。ギターも弾く。

I like listening to music. I also play guitar.

Practice Exercises

Exercise Type	Task	Example	Goal
Daily routine	Describe your day in dictionary form	朝起きて、学校に行く	Natural flow
Future plans	Talk about weekend plans	明日映画を見る	Casual expression
Preferences	Express likes and dislikes	納豆を食べるのは嫌い	Opinion expression
Storytelling	Tell a simple story	昨日友達と会う	Narrative skills

Building Confidence

Start Small: Begin with simple, daily activities using dictionary form

Listen Actively: Pay attention to how native speakers use dictionary form

Context Awareness: Always consider who you’re talking to and where

Practice Switching: Learn to smoothly switch between formal and casual

Natural Rhythm: Dictionary form helps develop natural Japanese rhythm

Advanced Applications

Expressing Certainty:

明日は必ず雨が降る。

It will definitely rain tomorrow.

Making Assumptions:

彼はもう帰ると思う。

I think he’s going home now.

Conditional Statements:

時間があれば、本を読む。

If I have time, I’ll read a book.

Dictionary Form Mastery Achieved!

You’ve learned the foundation of Japanese verb usage! Dictionary form is your key to natural, casual communication and understanding complex grammar structures.

Remember: Dictionary form = casual but not rude. Context determines appropriateness!

Next Steps: Practice using dictionary form in casual conversations and start building more complex grammar patterns!

Dictionary Form of Verbs – Interactive Quiz

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Table of Contents

1. What is Dictionary Form?

Understanding Dictionary Form

2. Characteristics & Recognition

How to Recognize Dictionary Form

Group 1 Verbs

Dictionary Form

Polite Form

Group 2 Verbs

Dictionary Form

Polite Form

Group 3 Verbs

Dictionary Form

Polite Form

Dictionary Form Patterns by Group

3. Dictionary Form vs Polite Form

Formality Comparison

Social Context Guidelines

4. When to Use Dictionary Form

Primary Usage Situations

Dictionary Form Functions

5. Grammar Patterns with Dictionary Form

Essential Grammar Structures

Advanced Grammar with Dictionary Form

6. Examples by Verb Group

Group 1 Dictionary Forms

Group 2 Dictionary Forms

Group 3 Dictionary Forms

7. Casual Speech & Conversations

Natural Conversation Flow

Casual vs Formal Comparison

8. Written Japanese & Literature

Dictionary Form in Writing

Literary vs Conversational Usage

9. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Formality Level Mistakes

Grammar Structure Errors

Context Misunderstanding

10. Practice & Applications

Daily Life Applications

Practice Exercises

Building Confidence

Advanced Applications

Dictionary Form Mastery Achieved!

Exercise 1: Basic Understanding

Exercise 2: Appropriate Context

Exercise 3: Dictionary vs Polite

Exercise 4: Time Expression

Exercise 5: Grammar Pattern

Exercise 6: Habitual Actions

Exercise 7: Grammar Pattern – Intention

Exercise 8: Written Japanese

Exercise 9: Time Reference

Exercise 10: Common Mistake

Exercise 11: Preference Expression

Exercise 12: Group 1 Dictionary Form

Exercise 13: Natural Flow

Exercise 14: Decision Pattern

Exercise 15: Future Possibility

How did you do?

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