Japanese Grammar – Negative Plain Form

Japanese Grammar – Verbs: Plain form to Masu form – Review Notes

As we learned in our last Japanese grammar lesson, there are 3 types of Japanese verbs.

In today’s grammar lesson, we learned how to change verbs in each of the 3 verb classes from Plain Present Affirmative form to Plain Present Negative form, also known asnai-form.

In these video review notes we will go over today’s Japanese grammar in greater detail and see a list of verbs!

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Today’s Grammar Lesson:

★　Today we will learn how to change verbs from plain present affirmative form to plain present negative form, also known as “nai-form”

★　We learned last time that there are 3 classes of Japanese verbs:

★　う-verbs (u-verbs)

★　る-verbs (ru-verbs)

★　irregular verbs

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Changing う-verbs (u-verbs) to negative

★　The first type of Japanese verbs is called う-verbs (u-verbs).

★　To change an う-verb (u-verb) from affirmative to negative form:

       ★　change the final う sound (‘u’ sound) to an あ sound (‘a’ sound)

       ★　add ない (nai) to the end

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Note:

★　In the case of a verb that ends in う (u), you have to be a little careful.

★　For verbs ending in う (u) (in other words, they end with two vowels), change う (u) to わ (wa).

★　For example, 洗う (あらう – arau) – to wash – changes to 洗わない (あらわない – arawanai) – to not wash.

★　An exception to the rules is the verb ある (aru) – to exist. The negative form is not あらない (aranai), just ない (nai).

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★　話す（はなす – hanasu) is the plain present affirmative form of the verb meaning “to speak”

★　The negative form of 話す（はなす – hanasu) is 話さない（はなさない – hanasanai) – to not speak.

★　終わる（おわる – owaru) is the plain present affirmative form of the verb meaning “to end”

★　The negative form of 終わる（おわる – owaru) is 終わらない（おわらない – owaranai) – to not end.

★　飲む（のむ – nomu) is the plain present affirmative form of the verb meaning “to drink”

★　The negative form of 飲む（のむ – nomu) is 飲まない（のまない – nomanai) – to not drink.

★　遊ぶ（あそぶ – asobu) is the plain present affirmative form of the verb meaning “to play”

★　The negative form of 遊ぶ（あそぶ – asobu) is 遊ばない（あそばない – asobanai) – to not play.

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Changing る-verbs (ru-verbs) to Negative

★　The second type of Japanese verbs is called る-verbs (ru-verbs).

★　To change a る-verb (ru-verb) from affirmative to negative:

      ★　Take off る (ru)

      ★　Add ない (nai)

★　忘れる（わすれる – wasureru) is the plain present affirmative form of the verb meaning “to forget”

★　The negative form of 忘れる（わすれる – wasureru) is 忘れない（わすれない – wasurenai) – to not forget.

★　覚える（おぼえる – oboeru) is the plain present affirmative form of the verb meaning “to memorize,” “to learn,” or “to remember.”

★　The negative form of 覚える（おぼえる – oboeru) is 覚えない（おぼえない – oboenai).

★　負ける（まける – makeru) is the plain present affirmative form of the verb meaning “to lose”

★　The negative form of 負ける（まける – makeru) is 負けない（まけない – makenai)

★　辞める（やめる – yameru) is the plain present affirmative form of the verb meaning “to quit”

★　The negative form of 辞める（やめる – yameru) is 辞めない（やめない – yamenai)

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Changing Irregular Verbs to Negative

★　There are only 2 irregular verbs in Japanese:

★　来る（くる – kuru) which means ‘to come’

★　する (suru) which means ‘to do’

★　来る (くる – kuru) changes to 来ない（こない – konai) – “to not come”

★　する (suru) changes to しない (shinai) – “to not do”

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List of Japanese Verbs in Nai-Form:

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List of some common う-verbs in ない – form:

洗わない　　あらわない　　arawanai　　　to not wash

歩かない　　あるかない　　arukanai　　　 to not walk

会わない　　あわない　　　awanai　　　　 to not meet

黙らない　　だまらない　　damaranai　　 to not be silent

騙さない　　だまさない　　damasanai　     to not trick

選ばない　　えらばない　　erabanai　　　 to not choose / pick

太らない　　ふとらない　　futoranai　　　to not gain weight

頑張らない　がんばらない　ganbaranai　　to not do one’s best

入らない　　はいらない　　hairanai　　　  to not enter

話さない　　はなさない　　hanasanai　      to not speak / talk

払わない　　はらわない　　harawanai　　 to not pay

光らない　　ひからない　　hikaranai　　   to not shine

行かない　　いかない　　　ikanai　　　　  to not go

買わない　　かわない　　　kawanai　　　 to not buy

聞かない　　きかない　　　kikanai　　　  to not listen

守らない　　まもらない　　mamoranai　 to not protect

待たない　　またない　　　matanai　　    to not wait

持たない　　もたない　　　motanai　　    to not hold / have　

泣かない　　なかない　　　nakanai　　    to not cry

怒らない　　おこらない　　okoranai　　  to not get angry

思わない　　おもわない　　omowanai　   to not think / believe

泳がない　　およがない　　oyoganai　  　to not swim

知らない　　しらない　　　shiranai　　   to not know

立たない　　たたない　　　tatanai　　　  to not stand

使わない　　つかわない　　tsukawanai　 to not use

動かない　　うごかない　　ugokanai　　 to not move

歌わない　　うたわない　　utawanai　　 to not sing

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List of some common る-verbs in ない- form:

開けない　　あけない　　　akenai　　　    to not open

褒めない　　ほめない　　　homenai　　　to not praise

入れない　　いれない　　　irenai　　　　 to not put in

考えない　　かんがえない　kangaenai　 　to not think

借りない　　かりない　　　karinai　　　   to not borrow

片付けない　かたづけない　katazukenai　 to not tidy up

数えない　　かぞえない　　kazoenai　　　to not count

消えない　　きえない　　　kienai　　　　 to not disappear

聞こえない　きこえない　　kikoenai　　　to not hear

答えない　　こたえない　　kotaenai　　　to not answer

見ない　　　みない　　　　minai　　　　 to not see / look

見せない　　みせない　　　misenai　　　 to not show

落ちない　　おちない　　　ochinai　　　 to not fall

教えない　　おしえない　　oshienai　　　to not teach

捨てない　　すてない　　　sutenai　　　 to not throw away

助けない　　たすけない　　tasukenai　　 to not help / save

足りない　　たりない　　　tarinai　　　　to not be enough

疲れない　　つかれない　　tsukarenai　　to not get tired

忘れない　　わすれない　　wasurenai　　 to not forget

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Example Sentence 1:

お金が足りない。

Okane ga tarinai.

There is not enough money.

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Example Sentence 2:

一生忘れない。

Isshō wasurenai.

I won’t ever forget.

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Example Sentence 3:

テレビを見ない。

Terebi o minai.

I don’t watch TV.

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Next Grammar Lesson:

★　Next time we will learn how to make the Plain Past Affirmative Form of verbs!

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