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Lesson 59 / 166
🌸 Japanese Topic 59初級🌿 Elementary

動詞の辞書形

Dōshi no jishokei

Verb Dictionary Form

🌸 The Foundation of Japanese Verbs 🌸

1

💬 Dialogue

ケン：週末、何をしますか？

Shūmatsu, nani o shimasu ka?

What will you do this weekend?

ハナ：図書館で本を読みます。ケンさんは？

Toshokan de hon o yomimasu. Ken-san wa?

I will read a book at the library. How about you, Ken?

ケン：私は公園を散歩します。走ることもあります。

Watashi wa kōen o sanpo shimasu. Hashiru koto mo arimasu.

I will take a walk in the park. Sometimes I run too.

ハナ：「走る」は辞書形ですね。

'Hashiru' wa jishokei desu ne.

'Hashiru' is the dictionary form, right?

ケン：はい。辞書で調べるときに使います。

Hai. Jisho de shiraberu toki ni tsukaimasu.

Yes. It's used when looking things up in a dictionary.

ハナ：食べる、飲む、行く…たくさんありますね。

Taberu, nomu, iku... takusan arimasu ne.

Eat, drink, go... there are many, aren't there?

2

📖 Vocabulary

5 words
じしょjishodictionary
はしるhashiruto run
たべるtaberuto eat
のむnomuto drink
いくikuto go
3

⭐ Key Sentence

動詞の辞書形

Dōshi no jishokei

Verb Dictionary Form

  • Pattern: 辞書形 (Jishokei)
  • Meaning: The plain/dictionary form of a verb.
りんごを食べる。

Ringo o taberu.

Eat an apple.

学校に行く。

Gakkō ni iku.

Go to school.

4

🎓 Explanation

The Dictionary Form (辞書形 - jishokei) is the most basic form of a Japanese verb. It is the form you find when looking up a word in a dictionary.

Unlike the polite ~masu form, the dictionary form is used in casual speech and serves as the base for many advanced grammar structures.

All dictionary form verbs end in an u-sound (u, ku, su, ru, etc.). For example, 'tabemasu' becomes たべる and 'ikimasu' becomes いく.

Miru (みる)
= 'To see/watch'

Kaku (かく)
= 'To write'

5

📝 Quiz

What is the dictionary form of 'to eat' (tabemasu)?