Japanese Verb Groups: Group 1, 2, and 3 with Full Conjugation

The Three Groups at a Glance

How to Identify a Verb's Group — Step by Step

1. Check for Group 3 first. Is it する or くる? If yes → Group 3. Done.
2. Check the final sound. Does it end in く、ぐ、す、つ、ぬ、む、ぶ、う? → Group 1.
3. If it ends in る, look at the vowel sound directly before る:
   • i-sound before る (e.g. みる, おきる, できる) → usually Group 2
   • e-sound before る (e.g. たべる, ねる, きえる) → usually Group 2
   • a/u/o-sound before る (e.g. わかる, のる, つくる) → Group 1
4. Watch out for exceptions. Some verbs ending in -iru or -eru are actually Group 1 (see table below).

Group 1 (Godan) — Te-Form Rules by Ending

The て form of Group 1 verbs depends on the final consonant. These are the 5 te-form patterns for Group 1:

行く (iku, to go) is the only く-ending verb that does NOT follow the く→いて rule. Its て form is 行って, not 行いて.

Full Conjugation Table — All Three Groups

Extended Group 1 examples — one per ending type

Ambiguous Verbs: Look Like Group 2, Are Group 1

These verbs end in -iru or -eru but conjugate as Group 1 (godan). They must be memorised.

Note: いる has two meanings — "to need" (Group 1: いって) and "to exist/be" (Group 2: いて). Context and kanji distinguish them.

5 Common Mistakes

1. Treating all る-ending verbs as Group 2. Verbs like のる、かえる、はしる end in る but are Group 1. If the vowel before る is a/u/o, default to Group 1 (then learn exceptions).
2. Using the wrong て form for Group 1. The te-form depends on the final consonant: かく → かいて, のむ → のんで, まつ → まって. Each ending has a fixed pattern.
3. Making 行く て form as 行いて. 行く is the single exception to the く→いて rule. Its て form is 行って.
4. Forgetting that Group 2 ない form drops just る. たべる → たべない (not たべない → たべくない). ない attaches directly to the stem.
5. Treating する conjugations as regular. する → します / しない / して / した — none of these follow godan or ichidan patterns. Memorise them as a set.

Frequently Asked Questions