Verb Forms

masu form
This is the "formal form" and it is suitable in a wide range of circumstances.
The part of the verb without masu, is the stem.
In Japanese, verbs are not affected by their subject. In other words, whether the
subject is singular or plural, first person or second person, the verbs do not
change their form. Concerning verb tenses, there are only two divisions of time;
non-past (present tense and future tense) and past. Present and future tenses are
the same.

  Affirmative Negative

Non-past -masu -masen

Past -mashita -masendeshita

Plain form
The basic forms of Japanese verb are root form, nai form, ta form
and nakatta form. We call these four forms "Plain Form".
The plain form can be used instead of masu form in casual situations.
Sentences that end with the plain form are less formal and each form refers to
affirmative, negative and tense. In this usage, the plain form is also called the
casual form.
However, the plain form is not limited to the casual form. In Japanese, language
functions such as conditional (if), ability (can do) or obligation (must do) are
expressed by using a "Functional Pattern". Most Functional Patterns follow not
the masu form but the plain form even in formal sentences.

  Affirmative Negative

+
Non-past root form nai form Functional
Pattern

Past ta form nakatta form

Plain - Root form (dictionary form)

 This form is the most basic form of verb and Japanese dictionaries use this form.
When you search for ikimasu in a dictionary, you need to look up not ikimasu,
but iku.
So, this form is also called the dictionary form.
This form is used as the non-past affirmative instead of -masu in casual speech,
and is used with various functional patterns.

Plain - nai form
This form is used as the non-past negative form in casual speech, and is used
with various functional patterns as well as the root form.
In casual speech, the nai form is often used to invite someone like -masen
ka? or -mashoo ka? with a raised tone.

Koohii o nomimasen ka? Koohii o nomanai?

Hiru-gohan ni ikimashoo
Hiru-gohan ni ikanai?
ka?

Plain - ta form
The verb ta form is used as the past affirmative form in casual speech but this
form, grammatically, indicates a completion of an action.
So it is used with the several patterns to express something in the future.

ex Ashita ame ga futta-ra, uchi de hon o yomimasu.

.

If it rains tomorrow, I will read a book at my home.

Ashita byooin ni itta ato de, kaisha ni ikimasu.

I will go to the office after going to the clinic tomorrow.

Plain - nakatta form
This form is used as the past negative form in casual speech.
To make the nakatta form, change the -nai ending of the nai form to -nakatta.

Te form
 The te form by itself is used to combine two or more sentences or is used to
indicate a cause or a means.
This form is also used with various functional patterns.
The te form is made in the same way the ta form is made. Just change the
ending -ta to -te.

Conditional form (ba form)

This form makes the conditional clause meaning "If", "when" or "in case", and this
conditional pattern is called the ba conditional because the conditional form ends
with ba, like taberebaor mireba.
This form is not the only one used to express a conditional in Japanese.
Conditional clauses are also made by the ta form + ra (-tara), root form + to and
root form + nara.

Potential form
This form means "be able to do" or "can do".
The potential form of a Group 2 verb is the same as its passive form.

Imperative form
This form expresses a command or order meaning "Do!" or "Don't do!".
Although this form is not used in ordinary conversation, it is used to quote an
order or request, or is used in road signs, slogans or notices.

ex Tomare!
.

Stop!

Gomi o suteruna.

Do not litter.

The imperative form of unintentional verbs expresses the speaker's hope or wish.

ex Ame ga fure!
.

Fure is the imperative form of furimasu / furu which is an intransitive verb and it

does not express any intention of the subject.
The subject of this verb is usually an inanimate thing such as ame "rain"
 or yuki "snow".
But if you use the imperative fure, ame ga fure, it means you strongly hope that it
rains.

Volitional form
The verb volitional form expresses the speaker's intention like the verb stem
+ mashoo.
The stem + mashoo is formal and the volitional form is casual.
The volitional form is frequently used among friends and colleagues.

ex A : Nani o tabeyoo ka?

.

B : Pasuta o tabeyoo.
A : What shall we eat?
B : Let's eat some pasta.

The verb volitional form + to omoimasu or to omotte imasu are used to express
the speaker's intention meaning "I'm planning to do".

ex Natsu-yasumi tomodachi to ryokoo shiyoo to omotte imasu.

.

I plan to go on a trip with my friend in the summer vacation.

Passive form
The passive form is used for a passive sentence. It is especially common to
express passivity in situations like the following.

1) When a person experiences damage or nuisance by other person.

ex Watashi wa otoko ni nagurareta.

.

I was punched by a man.

Also the passive form is applied when expressing positive feelings.

ex Watashi wa sensei ni homerareta.

.
 I was praised by my teacher.

2) When talking about historical facts or social matters.

ex Orinpikku wa rainen hirakareru.

.

The Olympics will be hosted next year.

Causative form
This form means "to make someone do something" or "let someone do
something".

ex Sensei wa seito o tataseta.

.

The teacher made a student stand up.

Watashi wa kodomo ni sooji o saseta.

I made the child clean (the room).

Causative sentences are often used in polite speech as a humble expression.

ex A : Tanaka-san kara denwa ga hoshii-n desu ga...

.

B : Wakarimashita. Tanaka ga modottara, denwa sasemasu.

A : I would like Tanaka to give me a call.
B : OK. I will have him call you when he returns.

Causative Passive form

The causative form conjugates as Group 2 verbs and forms the causative passive
form.

ex Tanaka-san wa watashi o mataseta. Causative sentence

.
Watashi wa Tanaka-san ni matasareta. Causative passive sentence
Tanaka kept me waiting.
I was kept waiting by Tanaka.

This is a companion page to the  Quick-How-To for Japanese verb conjugation. 

This is a compilation of information from many places.
Hope it helps.... 
good luck

Japanese Adjective Conjugation

Go here for the Quick Japanese Verb how-to 

There are two types of adjectives in Japanese: i-adjectives and na-adjectives. 

I-adjectives all end in ~ i, although they never end in ~ ei (for
example, kirei is not an i-adjective.) 

Although Japanese adjectives have functions to modify nouns like English

adjectives, they also function as verbs when used as predicates. 
When i-adjectives are used as predicates, they may be followed by ~ desu to
indicate a formal style.

Here are lists of common i-adjectives and na-adjectives.

Common I-Adjectives

akarui bright   nagai long

akai red   oishii delicious

atarashii new   omai sweet

      ooi many
atatakai warm   osoi late, slow

atsui hot   ookii big

      omoi heavy
interesting
chikai near   omoshiroi , funny

chiisai small   samui cold

small
furui old   semai
(area)
hayai early,   shinsetsu kind
 quick

hikui low   shirui white

hiroi spacious   sukanai few
ii good   suzushii cool
isogashii busy   tooi far

tall,
kibishi strict   takai
expensive
tsumarana
kitanai dirty   i
boring

      tsuyoi strong
karui light   umaranai boring
kumori cloudy   warui bad

kurai dark   wakai young

mijikai short   urusai noisy

bad
mazui
tasting
  utsui thin

mushiatsui humid   yasashii easy

      yasui cheap

muzukashi
i
difficult   yowai weak
 

Common Na-Adjectives

adayakana calm      
dangerou
anzenna safe   kikenna
s
distastefu
benrina convenient   kiraina
l

chisaina small   kireina pretty

      nigiyakana lively
shinsetsun
daikiraina hated   a
kind

most
daisukina   shinkenna serious
favorite
inconvenien
fubenna
t
  shizukana quiet

genkina healthy,   shoujikina honest

 well

gankona stubborn   sumaatona slender

hadena showy   sukina favorite

himana free (time)   taihenna awful

henna strange   taimenna lazy
ijiwaruna mean   teineina polite

jouzuna skillful   yuumeina famous

  

Modifying Nouns

When used as modifiers of nouns, both i-adjectives and na-adjectives take

the basic form, and precede nouns just like in English. 

I- chiisai inu small dog

Adjectives takai tokei expensive watch

Na- yuumeina gaka famous painter

Adjectives sukina eiga favorite movie
 

I-Adjectives as Predicates

Adjectives can function like verbs and conjugate just like verbs.  

Present Replace the final ~ i with ~

Negative ku nai
Replace the final ~ i with ~
Informal Past
katta
Replace the final ~ i with ~
Past Negative
ku nakatta
Add ~desu to all of the informal forms.
There is also a variation in the formal negative
forms.
Formal * Negative: Replace ~i with ~ku arimasen
* Past Negative: Add ~ deshita to ~ku
arimasen 
These negative forms are considered slightly
more polite than others. 
 

Example- conjugation of takai 

  Informal Formal
 Present takai takai desu 
Present takaku nai desu
takaku nai
Negative takaku arimasen
Past takakatta takakatta desu 
takaku
Past nakatta desu
takaku nakatta
Negative takaku arimasen
deshita
Exception

The adjactive "ii" (means good) is only one exception to the rule of i-

adjectives. It derives from yoi, so its conjugation is mostly based on that
of yoi.

  Informal Formal

Present ii ii desu 
Present yoku nai desu
yoku nai
Negative yoku arimasen
Past yokatta yokatta desu 
yoku nakatta desu
Past
yoku nakatta yoku arimasen
negative
deshita
Na-Adjectives as Predicates

These are called na-adjectives because ~na marks this group of

adjectives when they directly modify nouns (e.g. yuumeina gaka). Unlike
the i-adjectives, na-adjectives cannot be used as predicates without
alteration; when a na-adjective is used as a predicate, the final ~na is
deleted and replaced by ~ da (or ~ desu for formal speech). 
Just as with nouns, ~ da or ~ desu change form to express the past
tense, the negative, and the affirmative. 

  Informal Formal

Present yuumei da yuumei desu

Present yuumei dewa
yuumei dewa nai
Negative arimasen
Past yuumei datta yuumei deshita
Past yuumei dewa yuumei dewa 
negative nakatta arimasen deshita

General Rules
i-Adjectives
Non-Past   Past
 Plain (dict) Polite Plain Polite
root + i + de root +
root + i + root + haata detsu
tsu haata
root + < na i
de tsu
root + < na root + <
root + < na i -
i kata arimasendeshita
root+ <
arimasen
TE= root +<
       
de
 

na-Adjectives
Non-Past Past
Plain (dict) Polite Plain Polite
dict + daa
dict + da dict + de tsu + dict + de shita
ta
dict + de
root + de dict + dewa
wa
ariimasen arimasendeshita
dict + de wa naikaata
-
na ii
root + ja dict + ja
dict + janai
arimasen arimasende shita
kaata
TE= root +
       
de
         
 
 
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