3.6 RU and U Verbs
Completion requirements
3.6 RU and U Verbs
In Japanese, there
are
two types of verbs: RU verbs and U verbs.
RU verbs end in the Hiragana character RU (γ) and U verbs end in the Hiragana character γ. There are some exceptions to this.
RU verbs end in the Hiragana character RU (γ) and U verbs end in the Hiragana character γ. There are some exceptions to this.
Dictionary/Infinitive Form
You can tell whether or not a verb is a RU (γ) verb or an γ verb by looking at it when it is in the dictionary/infinitive form. "Dictionary form" means the verb is not conjugated.
RUοΌγοΌVerbs in Dictionary Form
Here
are
some examples of RU (γ) in their dictionary forms.
|
Nihongo
|
Eigo |
| taberu |
to eat
|
| neru |
to sleep
|
| okiru |
to wake up
|
| miru |
to watch/to see
|
| akeru |
to open
|
| shimeru |
to close
|
| iru |
to be/to exist
|
| deru |
to go out/to exit/to attend
|
γ Verbs in Dictionary Form
Here
are
some examples of γ verbs in their dictionary forms.
|
Nihongo
|
Eigo |
| kau |
to buy
|
| kiku |
to listen
|
| kaku |
to write
|
| yomu |
to read
|
| arau |
to wash
|
| kaeru | to go (return) home |
| nomu |
to drink
|
| hanasu |
to talk/to speak
|
|
migaku
|
to brush (one's teeth)
|
|
iu
|
to say
|
| suwaru |
to sit down
|
| tatsu |
to stand up
|
| hairu |
to enter
|
|
iku
|
to go
|
|
aru
|
to have/to be (in existence)
|
| wakaru |
to understand
|
| aruku |
to walk
|
| utau |
to sing
|
As you can see, some of the γ verbs end in γ (like aru and wakaru) but they conjugate as γ verbs so you will have to memorize them.
What is the difference between RU (γ) and γ verbs ?
RU (γ) verbs and γ verbs conjugate differently. We will look at the conjugations on the next page.
Irregular Verbs
There
are
two irregular verbs in Japanese which do not follow the same conjugating patterns as RU (γ) verbs or γ verbs.
| Nihongo | Eigo |
| suru |
to do
|
| kuru |
to come
|
Ofuro ni hairimasu ka. = Will you go in the bath?
Kore wa nihon no ofuro desu. = This is a Japanese bath.
When you go into a Japanese family's traditional bathing room, this is what you will see: a stool to sit on and a basin to fill with water (from the faucet, not from the tub!) to wash yourself.
You must wash yourself very well because everyone else in the family is going to soak in that same water in the bathtub after you!
Once you have finished washing, then you go into the deep bathtub. You can sit upright in a Japanese bathtub and the water will come up to your neck.
The water is very hot and it is very relaxing after a long day of work or school! In this photo there is a cover next to the wall and the bathtub that covers the bathtub to keep the heat from escaping. The cover is kept on while you are washing yourself so that no soap enters the clean water. You can remove the cover completely when you go in or you can cover it back up once you're in so just your head is sticking out!
Kore wa nihon no ofuro desu. = This is a Japanese bath.
When you go into a Japanese family's traditional bathing room, this is what you will see: a stool to sit on and a basin to fill with water (from the faucet, not from the tub!) to wash yourself.
You must wash yourself very well because everyone else in the family is going to soak in that same water in the bathtub after you!
Once you have finished washing, then you go into the deep bathtub. You can sit upright in a Japanese bathtub and the water will come up to your neck.
The water is very hot and it is very relaxing after a long day of work or school! In this photo there is a cover next to the wall and the bathtub that covers the bathtub to keep the heat from escaping. The cover is kept on while you are washing yourself so that no soap enters the clean water. You can remove the cover completely when you go in or you can cover it back up once you're in so just your head is sticking out!