You Verb groups in Japanese there are three: Group 1, or godan; Group 2, or ichidan; and Group 3, made up of irregular verbs する and 来る. Identifying the group lets you predict how the verb changes into forms like ～ます, negative, て form, and potential.
The classification depends on the conjugation pattern, not on meaning, level of formality, or the presence of kanji. The main pitfall lies in verbs ending in る: many are Group 2, but there are important Group 1 exceptions.
Why identify the verb group?
The group works like a map to transform the dictionary form. Instead of memorizing each conjugation as an isolated word, you learn a pattern and apply it to verbs of the same family. This helps you move from Basics of Japanese Grammar to more specific verb forms.
The Japan Foundation explains that verbs are divided into three groups according to the type of conjugation. In Group 1, the ending in the sound of u changes; in Group 2, the final る is replaced; and Group 3 follows irregular patterns. This division appears in the Irodori verb group table.
Summary of the three verb groups
| Group | Common names | Initial clue | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | godan, verbs in u | Ends in う, く, ぐ, す, つ, ぬ, ぶ, む, or る and changes the last mora | 書く, 読む, 話す, 帰る |
| Group 2 | ichidan, verbs in ru | Generally ends in the sound i or and + る; the る is dropped in basic forms | 見る, 起きる, 食べる, 寝る |
| Group 3 | irregular | する, 来る and compounds with する | する, 来る, 勉強する, 旅行する |
The names “Group 1, 2 and 3” are common in Japan Foundation teaching materials. “Godan” and “ichidan” describe the same two major patterns under different terminology.
Group 1: godan verbs
In godan verbs, the last mora of the dictionary form participates in conjugation. It can go through different vowel lines, depending on the form created. Look at three examples:
| Dictionary form | ます form | Simple negative | て form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 書く（かく, kaku） | 書きます | 書かない | 書いて |
| 読む（よむ, yomu） | Read | 読まない | 読んで |
| 帰る（かえる, kaeru） | 帰ります | 帰らない | 帰って |
The last example is essential: 帰る ends in -eru, but it belongs to Group 1. Therefore, the visual ending is a clue, not an absolute rule.
Group 2: ichidan verbs
In ichidan verbs, the dictionary form usually ends in いる or える. For various basic forms, you remove the る and add the new ending:
| Dictionary form | ます form | Simple negative | て form |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru (to see, miru） | 見ます | 見ない | 見て |
| taberu (to eat, taberu） | 食べます | 食べない | 食べて |
| neru (to sleep, neru） | nemasu | nenai | nete |
Compare this pattern with the masu form of verbs. When the verb is Group 2, the る is removed before ます; when it is Group 1 and ends in る, it changes to り, as in 帰ります.
Group 3: する, 来る, and compounds
Group 3 brings together the two central irregular patterns:
- する (suru, to do): します, しない, shite;
- 来る(kuru, kuru, to come): 来ます(kite), 来ない(konai), come(kite).
Many nouns form verbs when they receive する after them: 勉強する (to study), 旅行する (to travel), and 練習する (to practice). 来る does not work as an equivalent suffix to create this type of verb.
How to identify a verb's group in practice
- First check Group 3. If the verb is する, 来る, or a compound with する, the classification is already resolved.
- Observe the ending of the dictionary form. If it ends in う, く, ぐ, す, つ, ぬ, ぶ, or む, it belongs to Group 1.
- If it ends in る, examine the preceding sound. A sound of a, O or u before る points to Group 1. A sound of i or and usually points to Group 2, but requires attention to exceptions.
- Confirm by conjugation or a reliable dictionary. 食べない reveals Group 2; 帰らない reveals Group 1.
THE Irodori vocabulary list mark the verbs with [1], [2], or [3]. For new words, checking a group indication is safer than guessing.
Confusing verbs ending in る
| Verb | Meaning | Group | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 着る（きる） | to wear | Group 2 | 着ない |
| 切る（きる） | to cut | Group 1 | 切らない |
| いる | to exist; to be, for animate beings | Group 2 | いない |
| 要る（いる） | to need; to be necessary | Group 1 | 要らない |
| 帰る（かえる） | to return | Group 1 | 帰らない |
| 走る（はしる） | run | Group 1 | 走らない |
O Marugoto conjugation appendix places 帰る in Group 1 and いる, 起きる and 食べる in Group 2, showing why the appearance in -iru or -eru is not enough.
Okurigana is not the kanji
Okurigana are the kana characters that appear after the kanji to complete the word and indicate inflections. In 書く, The く is okurigana; in 食べる, べる serves that function. The kanji is not the variable part of the verb.
Even so, the number of kana after the kanji alone does not determine the group. The classification must be confirmed by the conjugation pattern. The Marugoto grammar notes on the dictionary form show the transformations of the three groups side by side.
Compare the groups in the same forms
| Group | Dictionary | ます form | Negative | て form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 買う | 買います | 買わない | 買って |
| 2 | 食べる | 食べます | 食べない | 食べて |
| 3 | する | します | しない | shite |
| 3 | 来る | 来ます | 来ない | come |
The difference between the groups becomes even clearer when studying the informal verb form and the て-form. Each page delves into one transformation; this guide helps decide which pattern to apply.
Common mistakes when classifying Japanese verbs
- Treating every verb ending in -iru or -eru as Group 2: 入る, 走る, 帰る, 切る, 知る and 要る belong to Group 1.
- Thinking that every verb ending in る is ichidan: Group 1 also contains verbs ending in る, and する and 来る are irregular.
- Confusing groups with formality: all three groups can appear in plain or polite forms.
- Saying that the kanji is okurigana: okurigana is the part in kana that accompanies the kanji.
- Placing する before the noun: say 勉強する, not する勉強, when the intention is to form the verb “to study”.
Commented exercise
Classify each verb and transform it into the ます form:
- 話す → Group 1: 話します. The dictionary form ends in す.
- 見る → Group 2: 見ます. The る is removed.
- 帰る → Group 1: 帰ります. It is a frequent exception in -eru.
- 勉強する → Group 3: 勉強します. It is a compound with する.
- 来る → Group 3: 来ます（きます）. The change is irregular.
- 飲む → Group 1: 飲みます. The ending む changes to み before ます.
As a quick reference rule: identify する and 来る, classify endings other than る as Group 1, and treat verbs ending in る as a case that may require confirmation. Then, apply the corresponding conjugation.
Next Steps
After recognizing the group, practice the ます form, the て-form and the potential form. To apply verbs in context, also review the method of Japanese sentence formation.
How many verb groups are there in Japanese?
In the most common didactic classification, there are three: Group 1 or godan, Group 2 or ichidan, and Group 3, which brings together する, 来る, and compounds with する.
Is every verb ending in iru or eru in Group 2?
No. The ending in -iru or -eru is a clue, but verbs like 入る, 走る, 帰る, 切る, 知る, and 要る belong to Group 1.
Do Godan and Grupo 1 mean the same thing?
Yes, in this teaching system. Godan is the linguistic name for the pattern in which the final mora changes between vowel lines; Group 1 is the didactic label used by many courses.
Do Ichidan and Group 2 mean the same thing?
Yes, in this context. In ichidan verbs, the final る of the dictionary form is usually removed to create forms like 食べます, 食べない, and 食べて.
Why do I need to know the group of a Japanese verb?
Because the group determines the conjugation pattern. By identifying it, you can more confidently form the ます form, the negative, the て form, the past, the potential, and other constructions.