To really get a handle on Japanese grammar, you need to understand its verbs. The good news is that nearly every verb falls into one of three predictable groups. Knowing which group a verb belongs to is the key to everything that comes next. The three groups are:

1. Ichidan Verbs (One-step verbs)
2. Godan Verbs (Five-step verbs)
3. Irregular Verbs

Think of these groups as different families of verbs that follow their own specific rules. Let's get to know each one.

Let's start with the easiest group. Ichidan verbs are straightforward because they follow a very simple rule. Their dictionary form—the version you'd look up—almost always ends with either an い (i) sound or an え (e) sound, followed by る (ru). For example, 見る (miru, to see) has an 'i' sound before る, and 食べる (taberu, to eat) has an 'e' sound before る.

The best part about ichidan verbs is their stem. The verb stem is the core part of the verb that doesn't change when you add different endings. For any ichidan verb, you find the stem by simply dropping the final る (ru). That's it. It's why they're sometimes called 'one-step' verbs.

Most Japanese verbs belong to the godan group. These verbs are a little more complex than ichidan verbs, but they still follow a clear pattern. The dictionary form of a godan verb always ends with a character that has an 'u' sound.

Unlike ichidan verbs, godan verbs don't have a single, fixed stem. Instead, the final sound of the verb changes. The name 'godan' means 'five steps,' which refers to how the final 'u' vowel sound can shift to the other four vowels—a, i, e, o—to connect to different endings. Because of this, godan verbs have multiple stem forms.

For now, we'll just look at one of the most useful stems, often called the 'i-stem.' You create it by changing the final 'u' sound of the dictionary form to an 'i' sound.

Notice how the final kana changes: く (ku) becomes き (ki), む (mu) becomes み (mi), and so on. This flexible stem is what makes godan verbs so versatile.

Finally, we have the irregular verbs. Luckily, there are only two that are used frequently: する (suru, to do) and 来る (kuru, to come). These verbs don't follow the patterns of the ichidan or godan groups, so their forms just have to be memorized. For example, the 'i-stem' of する (suru) is し (shi), and for 来る (kuru) it is き (ki).

While there are a few other, rarer irregular verbs (often related to politeness), focusing on する and 来る will cover almost every situation you'll encounter.

Understanding these three groups—ichidan, godan, and irregular—is the first major step toward mastering Japanese verbs. Once you can identify which group a verb belongs to, you're ready to learn how to use them.

Let's check your understanding of these verb categories.

Now that you can tell the difference between verb types, you have the foundation needed to start conjugating them.