Japanese verb · u-verb · first needed at beginner level (A1)
読む
yomu
to read
A u-verb ending in む: the te-form is (yonde) and the past (yonda).
Present
現在形
Now, habits and the future. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ます is the default.
| plain | 読むyomu | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 読みますyomimasu | |
| plain negative | 読まないyomanai | |
| polite negative | 読みませんyomimasen |
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 | 読んだyonda | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 読みましたyomimashita | |
| plain negative | 読まなかったyomanakatta | |
| polite negative | 読みませんでしたyomimasen 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 | 読んでyonde | |
|---|---|---|
| -te imasu (doing now) | 読んでいますyonde imasu | |
| -te kudasai (please do) | 読んでくださいyonde kudasai | |
| -te mo ii desu ka (may I) | 読んでもいいですかyonde 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) | 読もうyomō | |
|---|---|---|
| polite (let's) | 読みましょうyomimashō | |
| polite (shall we?) | 読みましょうかyomimashō ka |
Potential
可能形
Can read. The object usually takes (ga) instead of (o). (kono kanji ga yomemasu ka).
| plain | 読めるyomeru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 読めますyomemasu | |
| plain negative | 読めないyomenai | |
| polite negative | 読めませんyomemasen |
Passive
受身形
Being read: (ōku no hito ni yomarete iru hon), a book read by many people.
| plain | 読まれるyomareru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 読まれますyomaremasu | |
| plain negative | 読まれないyomarenai | |
| polite negative | 読まれませんyomaremasen |
Causative
使役形
Making or letting someone read it. (yomasete kudasai) means “please let me read it”.
| plain | 読ませるyomaseru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 読ませますyomasemasu | |
| plain negative | 読ませないyomasenai | |
| polite negative | 読ませませんyomasemasen |
Conditional
条件形
If: ～ば for general conditions, ～たら for “if” and “when, once”, ～なければ for “if not”.
| -ba | 読めばyomeba | |
|---|---|---|
| -tara | 読んだらyondara | |
| -nakereba (if not) | 読まなければyomanakereba |
Examples
- 毎朝新聞を読みます。Maiasa shinbun o yomimasu.I read the newspaper every morning.
- この漢字が読めますか。Kono kanji ga yomemasu ka.Can you read this kanji?
- 今、本を読んでいます。Ima, hon o yonde imasu.I'm reading a book right now.