Verbs describe movement or action. You’ll need them whenever you want to talk about what you, somebody or something else does, did or wants to do. Essential stuff. Memorize the verbs below and you’ll be well equipped for most basic Japanese conversations.

This lesson is part of the chapter “Learning Japanese“.

Basic Words & Phrases: Verbs

Learn the Top 25 Must-Know Japanese Verbs

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Important verbs

EnglishJapaneseJapanese
(Hiragana)
Japanese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
(to) beあるあるaruja-sing_to-be
(to) have持っているもっているmotte iruja-sing_to-have
(to) do / (to) makeするするsuruja-sing_to-doto-make
can / (to) know how to出来るできるdekiruja-sing_canto-know-how-to
(to) know (how)知るしるshiruja-sing_to-know-how
(to) know / (to) be acquainted with知っているしっているshitte iruja-sing_to-knowto-be-acquainted-with
(to) understand理解するりかいするrikai suruja-sing_to-understand
(to) speak / (to) talk話すはなすhanasuja-sing_to-speakto-talk
(to) listen to聴くきくkikuja-sing_to-listen-to
(to) hear聞くきくkikuja-sing_to-hear
(to) see見るみるmiruja-sing_to-see
(to) feel感じるかんじるkanjiruja-sing_to-feel
(to) live住むすむsumuja-sing_to-live
(to) want欲しいほしいhoshiija-sing_to-want
(to) need必要とするひつようとするhitsuyou tosuruja-sing_to-need
(to) like好きすきsukija-sing_to-like
(to) love愛するあいするai suruja-sing_to-love
(to) give与えるあたえるataeruja-sing_to-give
(to) take取るとるtoruja-sing_to-take
(to) play遊ぶあそぶasobuja-sing_to-play
(to) laugh笑うわらうwarauja-sing_to-laugh
(to) come来るくるkuruja-sing_to-come
(to) go行くいくikuja-sing_to-go
(to) go by […]通り過ぎるとおりすぎるtoori sugiruja-sing_to-go-by
(to) write書くかくkakuja-sing_to-write
(to) read読むよむyomuja-sing_to-read
(to) count数えるかぞえるkazoeruja-sing_to-count
(to) pronounce発音するはつおんするhatsuon suruja-sing_to-pronounce
(to) spell書き出すかきだすkakidasuja-sing_to-spell
(to) conjugate変化させるへんかさせるhenka saseruja-sing_to-conjugate
(to) remember思い出すおもいだすomoidasuja-sing_to-remember
(to) forget忘れるわすれるwasureruja-sing_to-forget
(to) eat食べるたべるtaberuja-sing_to-eat
(to) try試すためすtamesuja-sing_to-try
(to) use使うつかうtsukauja-sing_to-use
(to) open開けるあけるakeruja-sing_to-open
(to) close閉めるしめるshimeruja-sing_to-close
(to) greet / (to) welcome挨拶するあいさつするaisatsu suruja-sing_to-greetto-welcome
(to) begin始まるはじまるhajimaruja-sing_to-begin
(to) end終わるおわるowaruja-sing_to-end

Vocabulary trainer: Basic Verbs in Japanese

How do you say
(to) play
in Japanese?

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Special Slang Verbs

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