JLPT N4 Verb Conjugation: The Complete Verb List and Guide

2026/07/13

Verbs carry most of the meaning in JLPT N4 questions. To pass, you need two things: recognize the JLPT N4 verbs on sight, and conjugate them fast. 

In this guide, you will find how many verbs to learn, which forms to memorize and a complete verb list organized by group. 

How Many Verbs Do You Need to Know for JLPT N4?

You need around 300 to 350 JLPT N4 verbs. 

The most complete lists count 346 verbs, because they include the verbs you already learned at N5. 

Lists limited to new N4 vocabulary are shorter, usually between 200 and 250 verbs.

Here is how the full 346-verb count breaks down:

• Group 1 (Godan): 176 verbs
• Group 2 (Ichidan): 103 verbs
• Group 3 (Irregular): 67 verbs, almost all of them する compounds

Learn these verbs together with their kanji. Most of them are written with characters from the JLPT N4 kanji list, so studying both at the same time saves you review time.

JLPT N4 Verb Forms to Memorize

The verb forms to memorize first for N4 are the four plain forms. At N5, you mostly used the polite ます form. At N4, plain forms become essential. They appear in casual conversation and inside most grammar structures.

The four plain forms are:

• Dictionary form (present positive): 飲む
• Nai-form (present negative): 飲まない
• Ta-form (past positive): 飲んだ
• Nakatta-form (past negative): 飲まなかった

On top of the plain forms, the N4 exam tests conjugations that express ability, intention, and condition. 

Learn the te-form (飲んで), the potential form (飲める), the volitional form (飲もう), the tai-form (飲みたい), and the conditional forms ば and たら. The passive, causative, and imperative forms complete the set. Y

ou will meet these forms in almost every pattern of the JLPT N4 grammar list, so verbs and grammar should be studied hand in hand.

JLPT N4 Verb Conjugation Rules to Know

Conjugating JLPT N4 verbs always follows the same logic. First identify the verb group, then apply the rule of that group.

To identify the group, look at the sound before ます. 

• If it is an “e” sound, like 食べます, the verb is 100% Group 2. 
• If it is an “i” sound, like 飲みます, the verb is Group 1 in about 95% of cases.
• For dictionary forms ending in る, check the vowel before る. If it is /a/, /u/, or /o/, as in 分かる or 作る, the verb is Group 1. 
• If it is /e/ or /i/, the verb is probably Group 2, with a few frequent exceptions like 入る, 走る, and 帰る, which are Group 1.

Group 1 verbs conjugate by shifting their last syllable across the five vowel lines of the kana chart. Take 聞く (to listen): 聞かない, 聞きます, 聞く, 聞ける, 聞こう. One special case to remember: verbs ending in う take わ in the nai-form, so 買う becomes 買わない.

Group 2 verbs are easier. Drop る and attach the new ending: 食べる becomes 食べない, 食べた, or 食べられる. Nothing else changes.

Group 3 contains only two irregular verbs, する and 来る. They follow no pattern, but they are so frequent that you will memorize their forms naturally.

For the te-form and ta-form of Group 1 verbs, sound changes apply. Both forms follow the same rules:

• う, つ, る → って / った (買う → 買って)
• む, ぶ, ぬ → んで / んだ (飲む → 飲んで)
• く → いて / いた (書く → 書いて)
• ぐ → いで / いだ (泳ぐ → 泳いで)
• す → して / した (話す → 話して)

Finally, the nakatta-form is simple: replace ない with なかった, exactly like the past form of an i-adjective. These conjugations appear constantly in JLPT N4 reading passages, so drill them until they become automatic.

List of All Verbs for the JLPT N4, Grouped by Verb Group

This list of N4 verbs is organized by verb group, so you always know which conjugation rule to apply. 

The tables below gather the most frequent JLPT N4 verbs of each group. 

Group 1 Verbs (Godan)

Verb	Reading	Meaning
行く	いく	to go
帰る	かえる	to return, to go home
歩く	あるく	to walk
走る	はしる	to run
会う	あう	to meet
言う	いう	to say, to tell
思う	おもう	to think
書く	かく	to write
聞く	きく	to listen, to ask
話す	はなす	to speak
読む	よむ	to read
飲む	のむ	to drink
買う	かう	to buy
使う	つかう	to use
待つ	まつ	to wait
持つ	もつ	to hold, to have
立つ	たつ	to stand up
座る	すわる	to sit down
住む	すむ	to live (in)
働く	はたらく	to work
泳ぐ	およぐ	to swim
作る	つくる	to make
切る	きる	to cut
知る	しる	to know
乗る	のる	to get on, to ride
死ぬ	しぬ	to die
分かる	わかる	to understand
入る	はいる	to enter

Group 2 Verbs (Ichidan)

Verb	Reading	Meaning
食べる	たべる	to eat
見る	みる	to see, to watch
見せる	みせる	to show
見つける	みつける	to find
起きる	おきる	to get up
寝る	ねる	to sleep
出る	でる	to leave
開ける	あける	to open
入れる	いれる	to put in
あげる	あげる	to give
くれる	くれる	to give (to me)
できる	できる	to be able to
教える	おしえる	to teach
考える	かんがえる	to think, to consider
おぼえる	おぼえる	to memorize
忘れる	わすれる	to forget
借りる	かりる	to borrow
調べる	しらべる	to check, to investigate
始める	はじめる	to start
続ける	つづける	to continue

Group 3 Verbs (Irregular)

Only する and 来る are irregular, but する combines with dozens of nouns to create new Japanese verbs at this level.

Verb	Reading	Meaning
する	する	to do
来る	くる	to come
説明する	せつめいする	to explain
質問する	しつもんする	to ask a question
予約する	よやくする	to make a reservation
練習する	れんしゅうする	to practice
じゅんびする	じゅんびする	to prepare
しょうかいする	しょうかいする	to introduce
連らくする	れんらくする	to contact
出発する	しゅっぱつする	to depart
そうじする	そうじする	to clean
料理する	りょうりする	to cook
りょ行する	りょこうする	to take a trip
そつ業する	そつぎょうする	to graduate

Memorizing JLPT N4 verbs on your own is possible, but conjugating them naturally in conversation takes guided practice. At Nihongo Online School, you learn with private teachers who adapt every lesson to your level, your goals, and your schedule. Lessons are fully online and flexible, so you can prepare for the JLPT at your own pace, wherever you live.