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Teach Us, Teacher

Dictionary-form verbs (Lesson 11)

Japanese dictionaries list verbs in this form. If you use this form, you sound more casual.

There are a number of ways to make "the MASU-form of verbs" into "the dictionary form." First, if a verb has the vowel E in its syllable just before MASU, you remove MASU, and add RU to the verb. For example, TABEMASU (to eat), becomes TABERU.

Next, if a verb has the vowel I in its syllable just before MASU, there are two patterns for this conjugation. For one, you remove MASU, and add RU. For example, ORIMASU (to get off) becomes ORIRU.

For the other, you remove MASU, and change the vowel I before MASU, to the vowel U. So, in IKIMASU (to go), you change KI to KU, and get IKU.

There are two irregular verbs that don’t fit the above patterns. They are KIMASU (to come), and SHIMASU (to do). KIMASU becomes KURU, and SHIMASU becomes SURU. There are only two verbs, but they are very commonly used, so, please learn them well.
To learn the patterns, please go to "Learning Tools."
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