I'm not really sure on Godan verbs(past version)

R

Razahia

先輩

7 Jun 2013

210

1

• 5 May 2014

• #1

I am told there are 9 different ways to conjugate the verbs but I am unsure on how to go about doing that.

Ex. あそぶ=あそんだ

What's the rule here?

 

lanthas

　

27 Apr 2014

940

243

• 5 May 2014

• #2

The past tense of all verbs (ichidan, godan and irregular) is conveniently related to the -te form: simply replace the final "e" by "a" (so て->た and で->だ). The rules for determining the -te form are listed here in case you don't already know them: Japanese verb conjugation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So, for example: aso-bu -> aso-nde -> aso-nda.

 

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

Moderator

Donor

Twenty-year veteran

8 Aug 2005

7,316

3,727

• 30 Jun 2014

• #3

my first Japanese teacher had a great mnemonic device for remembering the conjugations for the て form. The conjugation depends on the last character of the verb. Just read the following as a poem:

う、つ、る：って
む、ぶ、ぬ：んで
う：いて
ぐ：いで
す：して

Make it past tense:
う、つ、る：った
む、ぶ、ぬ：んだ
う：いた
ぐ：いだ
す：した

 

abhishek

先輩

22 Apr 2014

53

1

• 30 Jun 2014

• #4

Yes, follow nice gaijin's advice and you will learn te form in no time.

and here's the poem spoken by a native: