Short Forms Conjugation

JLPT N5

Structure

Details

Explain

Usage

Examples

🏛️ Basic Structure

Short Forms Conjugation of Verbs, い-Adjectives, な-Adjectives, Nouns, Irregular Verbs

📋 Grammar Details

Part of Speech

Word Type

Politeness Level

📝 Explanation

Short forms (also called plain forms) are used in casual speech, informal writing, and are the foundation for many complex grammar patterns.

🔶 Comparison: Long Form vs. Short Form

Type	Form	Long Form (Polite)	Short Form (Casual)	Notes
VERBS	Affirmative	読よみます	読よむ	Dictionary form (= what you find in dictionary)
VERBS	Negative	読よみません	読よまない	For る-verbs: Drop る, add ない For う-verbs: Drop う-sound, add あない For う ending: Replace う with わない (More below)
い-ADJECTIVES	Affirmative	かわいいです	かわいい	Drop です (adjective alone is enough)
	Negative	かわいくないです	かわいくない	Replace final い with くない, drop です
	Negative (Exception)	よくないです	よくない	いい → よくない (special rule)
な-ADJECTIVES	Affirmative	静しずかです	静しずかだ	Replace です with だ
な-ADJECTIVES	Negative	静しずかじゃないです	静しずかじゃない	Replace です with じゃない
NOUNS	Affirmative	学生がくせいです	学生がくせいだ	Replace です with だ (same as な-adj.)
NOUNS	Negative	学生がくせいじゃないです	学生がくせいじゃない	Replace です with じゃない (same as な-adj.)
IRREGULAR VERBS	する (to do)	しません	しない	する → しない (must memorize)
	くる (to come)	きません	こない	くる → こない (must memorize)
	ある (to exist)	ありません	ない	ある → ない (completely different word)

🛠️ How to Make Verb Negative Short Forms

Different rules depending on verb type

る-verbs: Drop final る and add ない (食べる → 食べない)
う-verbs: Drop the last -u sound and add -anai (書く → 書かない)
Irregular verbs: する → しない, くる → こない, ある → ない
Exception: verbs with う ending get わ instead of あ (会う → 会わない)

Here’s a reference table to help you visualize the patterns. If you get the idea already, just ignore it!

Verb Type	Rule	Example (Dictionary)	Example (Negative)	Notes
る-verbs	Drop る, add ない	食たべる	食たべない	Simple and regular
		見みる	見みない
う-verbs	Change final う sound to あ + ない	書かく	書かかない	く → か + ない
		話はなす	話はなさない	す → さ + ない
		待まつ	待またない	つ → た + ない
		死しぬ	死しなない	ぬ → な + ない
		飲のむ	飲のまない	む → ま + ない
		泳およぐ	泳およがない	ぐ → が + ない
		呼よぶ	呼よばない	ぶ → ば + ない
	Special case: う → わ + ない	会あう	会あわない	Only for verbs ending in う
Irregular Verbs	Irregular change	する	しない	Common verb for “to do”
		くる	こない	“To come”
Exception	Completely irregular	ある	ない	“To exist” (inanimate things)

✨ Tips for Remembering

For う-verbs, imagine the last syllable moving up one row in the hiragana chart (e.g., く → か).
The only tricky one is う → わ, because あう (to meet) becomes あわない (doesn’t meet).
ある is completely irregular. Just memorize: ある → ない.

🧩 Notes and Real-life usage:

You’ll learn more about how and when the short form is used in the next lesson, so don’t stress about memorizing everything now. Just get the basic idea and you’re good to go!

Casual Conversations: Short forms are essential for sounding natural with friends.
- 映画えいがを見みる？ (Want to watch a movie?) is much more natural than 映画えいがを見みますか？？
Mixing in One Conversation: Japanese speakers often shift between forms based on the situation:
- Starting with polite forms (長ながいです) when meeting someone
- Gradually shifting to plain forms (長ながい) as the relationship becomes closer
Subordinate Clauses: Even in polite speech, subordinate clauses use plain forms:
- 明日あした行いく人ひとは手てを挙あげてください。(Those who are going tomorrow, please raise your hand.)
- Notice: 行いく (plain form) + polite request (ください)
Question Forms in Casual Speech: Add の/んだ to make questions sound less abrupt:
- 行いく？ (Are you going?) → 行いくの？/行いくんだ？ (softer: Are you going?)

💬 Real Life Usage

❓ Quick Note: When do you need だ ?

This is something I ran into while learning, so I just want to add a quick note here.
For な-adjectives and nouns, you must add だ in the short (casual/plain) form — but only when ending a positive statement (i.e., when the word is the predicate of the sentence).

✅ Correct:

彼は有名だ。
私は学生だ。

❌ Wrong:

彼は有名。🚫 (Sounds unnatural unless followed by more info)

🟡 Don’t use だ in these cases:

❌ In negative statements:
私は学生じゃない。✅ (Not: じゃないだ ❌)
❌ In questions:
学生じゃない？ ✅ (Not: じゃないだ？ ❌)
❌ With い-adjectives:
この本は面白い。✅ (No だ needed!)

🔑 Just remember:
な-adjective / noun → needs だ at the end in short form
い-adjective → never needs だ

💡 Why This Happens:

な-adjectives and nouns need だ because they can't stand alone as predicates
い-adjectives are complete by themselves - they ARE the predicate

📚 Examples

今日きょう映画えいがを見みない？

Wanna watch a movie today? (casual, short form)

この本ほんは面白おもしろくない。

This book isn't interesting. (casual, short form)

田中たなかさんは親切しんせつだ。

Tanaka-san is kind. (casual, short form)

毎日まいにち野菜やさいを食たべる。

I eat vegetables every day. (casual, short form)

明日あした友達ともだちが来くる。

My friend is coming tomorrow. (casual, short form)

ジョンさんは日本人にほんじんじゃない。

John is not Japanese. (casual, short form)

彼かれは有名ゆうめいだ。

He is famous.

この店みせは便利べんりじゃない。

This store isn't convenient.

My Notes

In Review

0/7 Points

Mastered

0/7 Points

Textbook Lesson

Genki Lesson 8

Short Forms Conjugation

🏛️ Basic Structure

📋 Grammar Details

📝 Explanation

🔶 Comparison: Long Form vs. Short Form

🛠️ How to Make Verb Negative Short Forms

✨ Tips for Remembering

🧩 Notes and Real-life usage:

Related

💬 Real Life Usage

❓ Quick Note: When do you need だ ?

💡 Why This Happens:

📚 Examples

Your Progress

Short Forms Conjugation

🏛️ Basic Structure

📋 Grammar Details

📝 Explanation

🔶 Comparison: Long Form vs. Short Form

🛠️ How to Make Verb Negative Short Forms

✨ Tips for Remembering

🧩 Notes and Real-life usage:

Related

💬 Real Life Usage

❓ Quick Note: When do you need だ ?

💡 Why This Happens:

📚 Examples

Related Grammar Points

Your Progress