Classical Japanese conjugation

  • mizen-kei (MZ) - irrealis form
    • used for things which are not happening or didn't happen. The opposite of the realis (IZ) form.
    • modern equivalent: -nai stem
    • example: 読ま, 本は読まない
  • ren'you-kei (RY) - adverbial form
    • used to connect to other yougen words or clauses (sentences)
    • modern equivalent: -masu stem
    • example: 読み 本を読み始めた
  • shuushi-kei (SS) - final form
    • used at the end of affirmative sentences
    • modern equivalent: dictionary/plain form
    • example: 読む, 毎日本を読む
  • rentai-kei (RT) - attributive form
    • used to connect to taigen words or clauses, used to describe nouns.
    • no modern equivalent, merged with SS
    • example: 読む, 本を読むつもりです
  • izen-kei (IZ) - realis form
    • NOTE: when talking about modern Japanese it's usually called katei-kei (conditional form) instead
    • used for events which have happened or are happening. The opposite of the irrealis (MZ) form.
    • modern equivalent: conditional (-ba) stem
    • example: 読め, 本を読めばいい
  • meirei-kei (MR) - imperative form
    • used as imperative, to tell someone else to do something
    • modern equivalent: imperative form
    • example: 読め, 本を読め

Conjugation tables

Verbs

ichidan nidan yodan