verbs, and irregular verbs. Ichidan means "one step" and verbs are put into this
category because they are conjugated rather easily. Other teaching methods refer
to them as ru verbs or vowel verbs. The title godan, meaning "five step" will be
explained later. Godan verbs are also known as "u" verbs or consonant verbs.
Let's start with ichidan verbs first, since they are the simplest.
Ichidan verbs
All ichidan end with either -eru or -iru. So if you see a verb with any ending
other than this, it's not an ichidan verb.
Like I said, ichidans are relatively easy to conjugate and all you have to do to
change a plain ichidan verb into the past tense, all you have to do is take the -ru
off the end and replace it with -ta.
taberu --> tabeta
oshieru--> oshieta
iru --> ita
Godan verbs
Godan verbs are not so easy, so I have them herded into some groups that
conjugate similarly.
-U, -TSU, -RU
-MU, -NU, -BU
-KU
-GU
-SU
You can see that godan verbs may also end in -ru. This means that you have to
learn whether any particular verb with -iru or -eru at the end is ichidan or godan.
I would say that there are more ichidan verbs ending in -eru than godan verbs,
and more godan verbs ending in -iru than ichidan. But there are a lot of both in
both groups.
To conjugate verbs that end in -u preceded by a vowel, -tsu or -ru , remove the
final syllable (the ending) and replace it with -tta:
matsu --> matta
hashiru --> hashitta
toru --> totta
kau --> katta
Verbs with -mu, -nu or bu conjugate by removing the ending and adding -nda:
yomu --> yonda (there aren't very many -mu verbs)
shinu --> shinda (this is the only -nu verb)
yobu --> yonda (this is the same as for yomu, gotta look at context for these)
tobu --> tonda
For verbs with -ku, change it to -ita
tataku --> tataita
-gu changes to -ida
isogu --> isoida
and finally,
Verbs with -su change it to -shita
hanasu --> hanashita
desu --> deshita
