Godan, ichidan, and irregular verbs
Learn the group with each dictionary form.
Godan (Group 1) verbs change the final sound when endings are attached: 読む → 読みます. Ichidan (Group 2) verbs remove final る: 食べる → 食べます. The two main irregular patterns are する → します and 来る → 来ます（きます）.
Many e- or i-sound plus る verbs are ichidan, but common words such as 帰る, 入る, 走る, and 切る are godan. Verb class is lexical information; a dictionary classification is safer than a spelling guess.
Examples
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- よむyomuread (dictionary form)
- → →changes to
- よみますyomimasuread (polite form)
Both Japanese forms mean “read”; the English labels describe the change in form.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- たべるtaberueat (dictionary form)
- → →changes to
- たべますtabemasueat (polite form)
Both Japanese forms mean “eat”; the English labels describe the change in form.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- かえるkaerureturn (dictionary form)
- → →changes to
- かえりますkaerimasureturn (polite form)
Both forms mean “return”. 帰る is godan even though it ends in る.
Keep in mind
する compounds usually follow する, but dictionaries also contain exceptional verb classes; the library must store classes explicitly.