Japanese verb · u-verb · first needed at elementary level (A2)
遊ぶ
asobu
to play, to hang out
Adults use (asobu) too, for meeting friends and having fun: (tomodachi to asobu). It is not used for sports or instruments, which take (suru) or (hiku).
Present
現在形
Now, habits and the future. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ます is the default.
| plain | 遊ぶasobu | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 遊びますasobimasu | |
| plain negative | 遊ばないasobanai | |
| polite negative | 遊びませんasobimasen |
Past
過去形
What happened, or what has happened. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ました is the default.
| plain | 遊んだasonda | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 遊びましたasobimashita | |
| plain negative | 遊ばなかったasobanakatta | |
| polite negative | 遊びませんでしたasobimasen deshita |
Te-form
て形
Joins actions (“and then”) and builds ～ています (doing now), ～てください (please do) and ～てもいいですか (may I).
| te-form | 遊んでasonde | |
|---|---|---|
| -te imasu (doing now) | 遊んでいますasonde imasu | |
| -te kudasai (please do) | 遊んでくださいasonde kudasai | |
| -te mo ii desu ka (may I) | 遊んでもいいですかasonde mo ii desu ka |
Volitional
意向形
Let's: the plain form between friends, ～ましょう in polite speech. ～ましょうか suggests (shall we?) or offers help (shall I?).
| plain (let's) | 遊ぼうasobō | |
|---|---|---|
| polite (let's) | 遊びましょうasobimashō | |
| polite (shall we?) | 遊びましょうかasobimashō ka |
Potential
可能形
Can play, can hang out: (kondo no shūmatsu, asoberu?), are you free this weekend?
| plain | 遊べるasoberu | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 遊べますasobemasu | |
| plain negative | 遊べないasobenai | |
| polite negative | 遊べませんasobemasen |
Causative
使役形
Letting someone play: (kodomo o kōen de asobaseru), to let the children play in the park.
| plain | 遊ばせるasobaseru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 遊ばせますasobasemasu | |
| plain negative | 遊ばせないasobasenai | |
| polite negative | 遊ばせませんasobasemasen |
Conditional
条件形
If: ～ば for general conditions, ～たら for “if” and “when, once”, ～なければ for “if not”.
| -ba | 遊べばasobeba | |
|---|---|---|
| -tara | 遊んだらasondara | |
| -nakereba (if not) | 遊ばなければasobanakereba |
Examples
- 週末は友達と遊びました。Shūmatsu wa tomodachi to asobimashita.At the weekend I hung out with friends.
- 子供たちが公園で遊んでいます。Kodomotachi ga kōen de asonde imasu.The children are playing in the park.
- 今度うちに遊びに来てください。Kondo uchi ni asobi ni kite kudasai.Come over to my place sometime.