Basic Verb Grouping for Deciding Your Particles

Contents
  1. The Verbs of Existing
  2. The Verbs of Giving
  3. The Verbs of Receiving
  4. The Verbs of Moving in One Direction
  5. The Verbs of Activities Occurring at One Place
  6. The Verbs of Moving About
  7. The Verbs of Leaving a Place

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1. The Verbs of Existing

  • be います  imasu
  • be あります  arimasu
  • stay います  imasu

We call this kind of verbs the Verbs of Existing. The reason is they express the state of existing, being or staying at one place.

With these verbs, when we mention the location of the existence, the location word is always followed by “ni” (に).

FYI, Related Post: => The Particle “ni"

As you may already know, we mark the subjects with a following “ga” (が) or “wa” (は), depending on the situation.

Example: コンビニに電でん池ちがあります。Konbini ni denchi ga arimasu. (There are some batteries at the convenient store.)

2. The Verbs of Giving

An image to help verb grouping for deciding a particle
[Click to Enlarge / 画像をクリックすると拡大します] “Give an acorn to a deer” is “shika ni donguri o yarimasu”. With verbs such as “yarimasu”, you say “ni” after “shika (deer)” to show it is the recepient. Image by photo-ac
  • (I) give あげます agemasu
  • (I) give (to children, pets or plants) やります yarimasu
  • (someone) gives (me) くれます kuremasu
  • lend 貸かします kashimasu
  • teach 教おしえます oshiemasu
  • make a phone call 電でん話わします denwa-shimasu, 電でん話わをかけます denwa o kakemasu
  • send 送おくります okurimasu, 出だします dashimasu

We call these verbs, but not exclusively, the Verbs of Giving. The reason is they generally mean a transfer of a thing from the speaker to another (or others).

With these verbs, we often mention the recipient. The word for that person is always followed by “ni” (に).

FYI, Related Post: => The Particle “ni"

As for the subjects, we mark them with a following “ga” (が) or “wa” (は), depending on the situation.

Example: 私わたしは母ははに電でん話わします。Watashi wa haha ni denwa-shimasu. (I call my mom.)

3. The Verbs of Receiving

An image to
“Learn from a teacher” is “sensei ni naraimasu.” With verbs such as “naraimasu”, you say “ni” after “sensei (teacher)” to show she is the “giver”. Image by photo-ac
  • receive もらいます moraimasu
  • borrow 借かります karimasu
  • learn 習ならいます naraimasu

We call these verbs, but not exclusively, the Verbs of Receiving. The reason is they generally mean a receipt of a thing (including knowledge) by the speaker from another (or others).

With these verbs, we often mention the person from whom we receive, borrow, rent, or learn. The word for that person is always followed by “ni” (に).

FYI, Related Post: => The Particle “ni"

We mark the subjects with a following “ga” (が) or “wa” (は), depending on the situation.

Example: 私わたしは友達ともだちにパソコンを借かります。Watashi wa tomodachi ni pasokon o karimasu. (I will borrow a personal computer from my friend.)

4. The Verbs of Moving in One Direction

  • go 行いきます ikimasu
  • come 来きます kimasu
  • return (to your home or where you consider home) 帰かえります kaerimasu
  •  (speaking of your residence, workplace, etc.) move 引ひっ越こします hikkoshimasu
  • bring [a thing] 持もって来きます motte-kimasu
  • take [a thing] 持もって行いきます motte-ikimasu
  • bring [a person] 連つれて来きます tsurete-kimasu
  • take [a person] 連つれて行いきます tsurete-ikimasu
  • arrive  (for this, “に” sounds better than “へ” to show the destination) 着つきます tsukimasu

We call this kind of verbs, but not exclusively, the Verbs of Moving in One Direction. The reason is they generally mean the moving of your position in one direction, or travelling from one place to another.

With these verbs, we often mention the destination. The word for the destination is always followed by “e” (へ) or “ni” (に).

FIY, Related Post: =>  The Particle “e” and The Particle “ni"

The subjects are marked with a following “ga” (が) or “wa” (は), depending on the situation.

Example: 私わたしは日に本ほんへ行いきます。Watashi wa nihon e ikimasu. (I’m going to Japan.)

5. The Verbs of Activities Occurring at One Place

  • eat 食たべます tabemasu
  • sleep 寝ねます nemasu
  • work 働はたらきます hatarakimasu
  • meet (someone) 会あいます aimasu
  • teach 教おしえます oshiemasu
  • learn 習ならいます naraimasu
  • dine 食しょく事じします shokuji-shimasu
  • wait 待まちます machimasu
  • hurry 急いそぎます isogimasu
  • help 手て伝つだいます tetsudaimasu
  • talk 話はなします hanashimasu
  • use 使つかいます tsukaimasu
  • show 見みせます misemasu
  • make 作つくります tsukurimasu
  • cook 料りょう理りします ryoori-shimasu, ~を作つくります tsukurimasu
  • pay [money] 払はらいます haraimasu
  • lose なくします nakushimasu
  • be born 生うまれます umaremasu

We call these verbs, but not exclusively, the Verbs of Activities Occurring at One Place. The reason is they generally mean an activity which takes place at one place without moving to another place.

With these verbs, when we mention the location of occurrence, the word for the location is always followed by “de” (で).

FYI, Related Post: => The Particle “de” (で)

We again mark the subjects with “ga” (が) or “wa” (は), depending on the situation.

Example: 私わたしは飛ひ行こう機きで寝ねます。Watashi wa hikooki de nemasu. (I will sleep in the airplane.)

6. The Verbs of Moving About

  • walk 歩あるきます arukimasu
  • run 走はしります hashirimasu
  • drive (a car) (車くるまで) 走はしります hashirimasu
  • take a walk 散さん歩ぽします sanpo-shimasu
  • travel 旅行りょこうします ryokoo-shimasu
  • [Whales, salmon and other creatures that swim in wide space] swim 泳およぎます oyogimasu
  • give a tour [of a place] 案内あんないします annai-shimasu

We call these verbs, but not exclusively, the Verbs of Moving About. The reason is they generally mean an activity of moving in unlimited space.

With these verbs, we often mention the space we move around in. The word for the space is always followed by “o” (を).

FYI, Related Post => The Particle "o" (を)

We mark the subjects with “ga” (が) or “wa” (は), depending on the situation.

Example: 私わたしは公園こうえんを散さん歩ぽします。Watashi wa kooen o sampo-shimasu. (I take a walk in the park.)

7. The Verbs of Leaving a Place

  • leave, go out of [a place] 出でます demasu
  • graduate from [a school] 出でます demasu
  • get off/out [a vehicle] 降おります orimasu
  • run out, jump out of [a place] 飛とび出だします tobidashimasu

We call these verbs, but not exclusively, the Verbs of Leaving a Place. The reason is they generally mean an activity of leaving a place.

With these verbs, we often mention the place we leave. The word for the place is always followed by “o” (を).

FYI, Related Post => The Particle "o" (を)

The subjects are marked with “ga” (が) or “wa” (は), depending on the situation.

Example: 私わたしは喫きっ茶さ店てんを出でます。Watashi wa kissaten o demasu. (I will leave the coffeeshop.)

From our experience, these are the most confusing particles at the beginning, even at the intermediate level. We hope this helps you.

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