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Grammar detail: verb negative plain form

verb negative plain form
254 words
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When ない is added to a verb, the verb becomes negative. This form is called the “negative plain form.” It expresses meanings like “do not…” or “will not…”.
For example:
た
食
べない
do not eat; will not eat
い
行
かない
do not go; will not go
よ
読
まない
do not read; will not read
The pattern for negative plain form
Verbs in the negative plain form will always end with ない. However, the way you make this form is different for ichidan, godan, and irregular verbs.
Ichidan verbs
For ichidan verbs, simply replace る with ない.
た
食
べる
た
食
べない
み
見
る
み
見
ない
あ
開
ける
あ
開
けない
お
起
きる
お
起
きない
Godan verbs
Change the final う sound to the あ-sound, then add ない.
verb endingchange toplain form to negative plain form
うわ
あ
会
う →
あ
会
わない
くか
か
書
く →
か
書
かない
ぐが
およ
泳
ぐ →
およ
泳
がない
すさ
はな
話
す →
はな
話
さない
つた
ま
待
つ →
ま
待
たない
ぬな
し
死
ぬ →
し
死
なない
むま
よ
読
む →
よ
読
まない
ぶば
あそ
遊
ぶ →
あそ
遊
ばない
るら
と
取
る →
と
取
らない
NOTE: For verbs ending in う, change う to わ.
あ
会
う →
あ
会
わない
か
買
う →
か
買
わない
Irregular verbs
するしない
く
来
る
こ
来
ない
あるない
NOTE: Watch out for irregular verbs!
Most verbs follow clear ichidan or godan patterns, but 来る and する do not. These two verbs behave differently from the standard rules. The beginning and ending sounds change. The verb ある (to exist, for inanimate things) is unusual because its negative form is simply ない, not あらない. Because these verbs do not follow normal patterns, their negative forms should be memorised separately.
Negative plain form example sentences
かれ
彼
は
はや
早
く
お
起
きない
。
He does not get up early.
このドアを
あ
開
けないで
くだ
下
さい
。
Don't open this door, please.
わたし
私
は
ほん
本
を
よ
読
まない
。
I do not read books.
さいきん
最近
あまり
あ
会
わない
。
We don't meet very often recently.
もう
ぜったい
絶対
に
しないよ。
No way I'll do that again.
バスはまだ
こ
来
ない
。
The bus hasn't come yet.
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Words used in this grammar

た べ る 2
Most common form: 食べる
ichidan verb, transitive verb
1. to eat
2. to live on (e.g. a salary); to live off; to subsist on
(click the word to view an additional 2 forms, examples and links)
よ む 1
Most common form: 読む
'mu' godan verb, transitive verb
1. to read
2. to count  (see also: さばを読む; now mostly used in idioms)
(click the word to view an additional 1 meaning and 1 form, examples and links)

Kanji used in this grammar

食
ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   くう to eat   
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行
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆく    いく to go   おこなう to take place   
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読
ドク   トク   トウ   よむ to read   
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見
ケン   みる to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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開
カイ   あく to (be) open   あける    ひらく to open (something)   ひらける to open out (eg view)   
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起
キ   おきる to wake up, to get up   おこる to happen   おこす to rouse   
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会
カイ   エ   あう to meet   
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書
ショ   かく to write   
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泳
エイ   およぐ swim   
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話
ワ   はなす to talk   はなし talking   
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待
タイ   まつ to wait   
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死
シ   death   しぬ die   
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遊
ユ   ユウ   あそぶ play   
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取
シュ   とる to take   
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買
バイ   かう to buy   
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来
ライ   くる to come   きたる to be forthcoming   きたす to induce   
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彼
ヒ   かれ he   
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早
ソウ   サッ   early; fast   はやい early   はやまる be hasty   はやめる to expedite, to hasten   
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下
カ   ゲ   した below, under   しも bottom part   もと under (influence)   さげる to lower, to reduce   さがる to be lowered   くだる to descend   くだす to judge   くださる to give   おろす to drop off (passenger)   おりる to get off (train)   
私
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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本
ホン   book   もと origin   
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最
サイ   もっとも most   
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近
キン   ちかい close   
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絶
ゼツ   たえる to die out   たやす to eradicate   たつ to sever, to cut off   
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対
タイ   ツイ    vis-a-vis   
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