る-Verb (Dictionary)
る + ます (Ichidan Verbs)
Structure
食べる
見る
寝る
Explanation
る-Verbs belong to a group of verbs that follow a single, straightforward conjugation rule. This rule consists of simply dropping the final る and adding a new ending to indicate things like politeness or negation. Because this change happens on just one level (the final character), these verbs are known in Japanese as Ichidan (一段), meaning 'one step'.
- 子供が寝る。The child sleeps.
- 子供が寝ます。The child sleeps.
- 私が開ける。I'll open it. (The object is understood from context)
- 私が開けます。I'll open it. (The object is understood from context)
As shown above, the polite ます form is made by simply dropping the final る. This base form of the verb ending in る is commonly known as the 'dictionary form', 'plain form', or sometimes 'casual form' in different textbooks.
A key characteristic is that every single る-Verb without exception concludes with the hiragana character る.
Caution
Although every る-Verb finishes with る, it is crucial to remember that not all verbs ending in る are る-Verbs. You can distinguish them by observing how they conjugate: for other verb types, the る sound will change instead of being dropped entirely.
- うちへ帰る。I'm going home.
- うちへ帰ります。I'm going home.
Because the る in 帰る transforms into り to form 帰ります, we know right away that this is not a る-Verb. Instead, it is classified as a う-Verb.
Examples
着る → 着ます
To wear
忘れる → 忘れます
To forget
決める → 決めます
To decide
疲れる → 疲れます
To get tired
調べる → 調べます
To check/investigate
止める → 止めます
To stop/quit
答える → 答えます
To answer
信じる → 信じます
To believe
降りる → 降ります
To get off (a vehicle)
くれる → くれます
To give (to me/us)
助ける → 助けます
To help/save
いれる → いれます
To put in
考える → 考えます
To think/consider