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In this lesson, we'll look at the Godan verb class, commonly known as "u-verbs" as all such verbs end in this vowel. Although how these verbs conjugate is no different, the Godan bases are very different looking with lots of sound changes with certain conjugations. 50% of verbs fall into this class, so learning these rules will be quintessential.

Before we get into new content, let's recap on important terminology we've discussed thus far which will be relevant to the overall topic of this lesson. 

• Verb: A word that describes an action, state, or occurrence. It may constitute the predicate at the end of a sentence or be part of a noun-predicate when used as a participle/modifier. 
• Predicate: The part of a sentence that makes a statement about the subject. 
• Intransitive Verb: A verb that only takes a subject and does not take an object. Abbreviated in definitions as "intr." 
• Transitive Verb: A verb that takes both a subject and an object. Abbreviated in definitions as "trans."
• Auxiliary: An ending that helps construct verbal conjugations.
• Object: A noun that is directed by the main verb of the sentence.
• Direct Object: A word that receives the action of the main verb of the sentence.
• Case Particle: A particle that denotes a particular grammatical function/case.
• Base: One of the six forms that a verb may take which is then followed by endings (auxiliaries, etc.). 
• Terminal/Predicative Form: Known in Japanese as the Shūshikei 終止形, it marks the end of a complete sentence/the predicate. 
• Attributive Form: Known in Japanese as the Rentaikei 連体形, it is used to make a verb, adjective, etc. into a modifier that goes directly before a noun. 
• Basic Form: The basic form of any given phrase is utilized in plain speech and in many grammatical circumstances. The basic form encompasses both the predicative and the attributive forms in the context of verbs and adjectives. 

The non-past tense of a verb stands for either the present tense or future tense, but it also corresponds to the "to form" of verbs. No conjugation occurs to make the non-past in plain speech, but the basic form and its two iterations - the predicative form (終止形) and the attributive form (連体形) - are still in play. 

Godan verbs differ from Ichidan verbs in the fact that the stem ends in a consonant as opposed to a vowel. There are 9 different consonants that can be at the end of the stem, and each one forms a sub-type within Godan verbs.  

To the right-side in the first column, you will see the Japanese naming convention used for the 9 sub-types. Each sub-type is referred to by the first mora in the Table of 50 Sounds (五十音図) and gyō 行 means "line/row" in reference to said chart.

There are a few anomalies that can be gleamed from this chart. 

The first thing to take note of is the existence of /w/ in the stems of W-Type Godan verbs. The /w/ does surface in some conjugations, but it is thought that at one point, verbs like /kau/ were pronounced as [kawu]. 

The second thing to take note of is that the verb /shinu/ meaning "to die" is the only verb in Standard Japanese that ends in /nu/. As such, its conjugations will always be specifically noted out of necessity and not out of a need to sound morbid. 

1. 小説を書く。
Shōsetsu wo kaku.
To write a novel.

2. いつか死ぬ。
Itsuka shinu.
To one-day die.

3. 世界が変わる。
Sekai ga kawaru.
The world will change.

4. 美味しい食べ物を買う。
Oishii tabemono wo kau.
To buy delicious food. 

It's time to learn how the auxiliary verb -masu ます works with Godan verbs. Although it always attaches to the "continuative form" (Ren’yōkei 連用形), this base looks different with Godan verbs. This is because each base of a Godan verb corresponds to a different vowel that follows the stem. For the continuative form, the stem is followed by /i/. 

Grammar Note: Remember that the attributive form of -masu ます is not grammatical in basic polite speech, and so it cannot be placed before a noun.

5. 私はいつもパチンコで勝ちます。

Watashi wa itsumo pachinko de kachimasu.
I always win at pachinko.

6. 日本が変わります。
Nihon ga kawarimasu.
Japan will change.

7. スペイン語を話します。
Supeingo wo hanashimasu.
I speak Spanish.

8. よくマンガを読みます。
Yoku manga wo yomimasu.
I often read manga.

9. 全員死にます。
Zen’in shinimasu.
Everyone dies/will die.

To form the past tense in plain speech for Godan verbs, you still use the continuative form with the auxiliary verb -ta た. However, the stem of most sub-types undergoes a sound change. This does not happen with the other verb classes, and so we will be looking at each sub-type individually to learn the rules.

■K-Type Godan Verbs

• Drop the /k/ in the stem, attach /i/, then add -ta た.

■G-Type Godan Verbs

• Drop the /g/ in the stem, attach /i/, then add -da だ.
  ※ -ta た becomes voiced to compensate for /g/ being voiced. 

■S-Type Godan Verbs

• When the stem ends in /s/, the consonant does not drop when -ta た is attached. So, you attach -ta た normally in the same way you do -masu ます. 

■N/B/M-Type Godan Verbs

• Change the /n/, /b/, or /m/ in the stem to [n], delete the /i/ in the base, then add -da だ.
  ※-ta た becomes voiced to compensate for /g/ being voiced.

■T/R/W-Type Godan Verbs

• Change the /t/, /r/, or /w/ in the stem to a double t, delete the /i/ in the base, then add -ta た.

To familiarize yourself with these conjugation rules, we will look at new example verbs conjugated into the plain past tense. The only familiar verb in the chart will be shinu 死ぬ (to die) out of necessity. 

※ The verb iku 行く is irregular and conjugates like a T/R/W-type Godan verb.  Rather than being iita 行いた, it conjugates as itta 行った in the past tense. 
※ The verb iu 言う is irregular not because of how -ta た combines with it, but because the initial mora be pronounced as /yu/ instead of /i/ in this conjugation, especially in casual speech. 

10. アニソンを歌った。
Anison wo utatta.
I sang an anime song.

11. 悪口を言った人
Warukuchi wo itta/yutta hito
Person who said slander 

12. バターを売った。
Batā wo utta.
I sold butter. 

13. お金を貸した。
Okane wo kashita.
I lent money.

Conjugating Godan verbs into the past tense in polite speech is far easier than in plain speech because -masu ます doesn't conjugate irregularly with Godan verbs. Adding -ta た to it does not break any patterns you've learned thus far: you add -mashita ました to the continuative form of a Godan verb as is. 

18. 好きな香りを嗅ぎました。
Suki na kaori wo kagimashita.
I smelled a scent that I like.

19. タイプミスを直しました。
Taipumisu wo naoshimashita.
I fixed the typo(s).

20. 祖母は去年死にました。
Sobo wa kyonen shinimashita.
My grandmother died last year.

21. 竹を運びました。

Take wo hakobimashita.
I carried/transported bamboo.

22. 同じことを思いました。
Onaji koto wo omoimashita.
I thought the same thing.

Godan verbs possess the same two polite negative form constructions. The only difference is how their bases look. With that, the methods are summarized as follows:

• Method 1: Use the continuative form (連体形) ending in /i/ and attach the auxiliary verb -masu ます. Then, conjugate this ending into its irrealis form (未然形) mase- ませ to attach the negative auxiliary verb -n ん. Think /-imasen/. 
• Method 2: Once you conjugate the verb into its irrealis form (未然形) ending in /a/, attach the auxiliary adjective -nai ない and follow it with the polite marker desu です. Think /anai-desu/. 

31. 夫がまったく働きません。
My husband won’t work at all.

32. 僕は死にません！ (Male speech)
Boku wa shinimasen!
I won’t die!

34. 私はまだ帰りません。
Watashi wa mada kaerimasen.
I’m not going home yet.

37. ワニが動かなかった。
Wani ga ugokanakatta.
The crocodile didn’t move.

38. とどめを刺さなかった。
Todome wo sasanakatta.
I didn’t put an end to it.

39. ハリー・ポッターは死ななかった。
Harii Potta wa shinanakatta.
Harry Potter didn’t die.

40. 爪を噛まなかった。

Tsume wo kamanakatta.
I didn’t bite my nails.

As there is nothing irregular with how the polite marker auxiliary -masu ます behaves with Godan verbs, you are already familiar with the principles behind how the polite negative forms are created with them. 

• Method 1: First conjugate the verb into its continuative form (連用形), which ends in /i/ for Godan verbs. Then, conjugate -masu ます into its irrealis form (-masu ます →  mase- ませ) to add the negative auxiliary verb -n ん. Lastly, add -deshita でした directly to -masen ません. 
• Method 2: Treating the auxiliary adjective -nai ない as any other adjectival phrase, -nai ない becomes conjugated into its own continuative form (nakari- なかり) and is followed by -ta た to produce -nakatta なかった. Then, -desu です is attached to produce -nakatta-desu なかったです.
  
  
  Method 1: -masendeshita ませんでした (Proper Polite Form)

Method 2: -nakatta-desu なかったです (Casual Polite Form)

41. 薬を飲みませんでした。
Kusuri wo nomimasendeshita.
I didn’t take (the) medicine. 

42. 商品が届きませんでした。
Shōhin ga todokimasendeshita.
The item didn’t arrive.

43. カニは死にませんでした。
Kani wa shinimasendeshita.
The crab didn’t die.

44. タバコを吸いませんでした。
Tabako wo suimasendeshita.
I didn’t smoke.  

45. 彼女は本を読なかったです。
Kanojo wa hon wo yomanakatta desu.

She didn't read a/the book.

46. 多分死なかったです。
Tabun shinanakatta desu.

(He/she) probably didn't die.

47. あまり話さなかったです。 
Amari hanasanakatta desu.   
I didn’t talk/speak much.