Japanese verb · u-verb · first needed at elementary level (A2)
言う
iu
to say
Quoted words go before (to): (“hai” to iu). The te-form is (itte), and the negative (iwanai) has わ. Although it is written いう, it is said “yū”.
Present
現在形
Now, habits and the future. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ます is the default.
| plain | 言うiu | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 言いますiimasu | |
| plain negative | 言わないiwanai | |
| polite negative | 言いませんiimasen |
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 | 言ったitta | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 言いましたiimashita | |
| plain negative | 言わなかったiwanakatta | |
| polite negative | 言いませんでしたiimasen deshita |
Te-form
て形
Joins actions and builds requests and permission. (itte imasu) is “is saying, says”.
| te-form | 言ってitte | |
|---|---|---|
| -te imasu (doing now) | 言っていますitte imasu | |
| -te kudasai (please do) | 言ってくださいitte kudasai | |
| -te mo ii desu ka (may I) | 言ってもいいですかitte 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) | 言おうiō | |
|---|---|---|
| polite (let's) | 言いましょうiimashō | |
| polite (shall we?) | 言いましょうかiimashō ka |
Potential
可能形
Can say. The object usually takes (ga) instead of (o). (Nihongo de iemasu ka), can you say it in Japanese?
| plain | 言えるieru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 言えますiemasu | |
| plain negative | 言えないienai | |
| polite negative | 言えませんiemasen |
Passive
受身形
Being told something: (haha ni hayaku nenasai to iwareta), my mother told me to go to bed early. ～と言われている means “it is said that …”.
| plain | 言われるiwareru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 言われますiwaremasu | |
| plain negative | 言われないiwarenai | |
| polite negative | 言われませんiwaremasen |
Causative
使役形
Making or letting someone say something. (iwasete kudasai) means “please let me say something”.
| plain | 言わせるiwaseru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 言わせますiwasemasu | |
| plain negative | 言わせないiwasenai | |
| polite negative | 言わせませんiwasemasen |
Conditional
条件形
If: ～ば for general conditions, ～たら for “if” and “when, once”, ～なければ for “if not”.
| -ba | 言えばieba | |
|---|---|---|
| -tara | 言ったらittara | |
| -nakereba (if not) | 言わなければiwanakereba |
Examples
- 日本語で何と言いますか。Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka.How do you say it in Japanese?
- もう一度言ってください。Mō ichido itte kudasai.Please say it once more.
- 母に早く寝なさいと言われました。Haha ni hayaku nenasai to iwaremashita.My mother told me to go to bed early.