Out of all the verbs in Modern Japanese, there are only two that can be called truly irregular. These verbs are suru する and kuru 来る. Yet, even though they're called irregular, their conjugations are only minutely different from any other verbs. Meaning-wise, their basic usages are simple. As such, this lesson will not be as difficult as you might have thought.
| Nouns ・宿題 Shukudai – Homework ・上司 Jōshi – Boss/superior authority ・こと Koto – Thing/matter/event ・無理 Muri – Something unreasonable ・仕事 Shigoto – Job/work ・弟 Otōto – Little brother ・掃除 Sōji – Cleaning/sweeping ・皿洗い Sara’arai – Dish-washing ・研究 Kenkyū – Research/study ・不正行為 Fusei kōi – Malpractice/unfair practice ・息 Iki – Breath/breathing ・あくび Akubi – Yawn/yawning ・恋 Koi – (Romantic) love ・旅 Tabi – Travel/journey ・運転 Unten – Driving ・英文 Eibun – English text ・Tシャツ Tii-shatsu – T-shirt ・カレンダー Karendā – Calendar ・勉強 Benkyō – Study/studying ・フィンランド語 Finrandogo – Finnish ・広東語 Kantongo – Cantonese ・レンタル Rentaru – Rental ・ワイン Wain – Wine ・関税 Kanzei – Customs duties ・料金 Ryōkin – Fee/charge/fare ・手袋 Tebukuro – Gloves ・サラリーマン Sarariiman – Businessman ・ネクタイ Nekutai – Necktie ・靴 Kutsu – Shoe(s) ・眼鏡 Megane – Glasses ・帽子 Bōshi – Hat ・手錠 Tejō – Handcuffs ・匂い Nioi – Smell/scent ・味 Aji – Flavor/taste ・感じ Kanji – Feeling/sense ・量 Ryō – Quantity ・音 Oto – Sound ・気持ち Kimochi – Feeling ・家庭教師 Katei kyōshi – Private tutor ・料理人 Ryōrinin – Cook ・銀行員 Ginkōin – Bank clerk ・形 Katachi – Form/shape ・顔 Kao – Face ・目付き Metsuki – Expression of the eyes ・目 Me – Eye(s) ・格好 Kakkō – Appearance/posture ・振り Furi – Pretense/behavior/swing ・建物 Tatemono – Building ・スタンプ Sutampu – Stamp (on SNS) ・パチンコ Pachinko – Japanese pinball ・生け花 Ikebana – Flower arrangement ・スポーツ Supōtsu – Sport(s) ・野球 Yakyū – Baseball ・サッカー Sakkā – Soccer ・アメフト Amefuto – American football ・相撲 Sumō – Sumo wrestling ・水泳 Suiei – Swimming ・格闘技 Kakutōgi – Martial arts ・スキー Sukii – Skiing ・ゴルフ Gorufu – Golf ・テニス Tenisu – Tennis ・卓球 Takkyū – Ping pong ・子 Ko – Child ・CD Shiidii – CD ・春 Haru – Spring ・電車 Densha – (Electric) train ・連絡 Renraku – Communication ・返事 Henji – Response/reply ・嵐 Arashi – Storm ・雪 Yuki – Snow ・手紙 Tegami – Letter ・日 Hi – Day/sun | Pronouns ・私 Wata(ku)shi – I ・僕 Boku – I (male) ・彼 Kare – He Proper Nouns ・LINE Rain – LINE ・サンタさん Santa-san – Santa Adjective ・いい Ii – Good ・強い Tsuyoi – Strong ・甘い Amai – Sweet ・少ない Sukunai – Few/lacking/insufficient ・悲しい Kanashii – Sad ・丸いMarui – Round ・四角い Shikakui - Square ・可愛い Kawaii – Cute ・鋭い Surudoi – Sharp ・冷たい Tsumetai – Cold Adjectival Nouns ・変｛な｝Hen [na] – Weird ・ラフ｛な｝ Rafu [na] – Rough Demonstratives ・この Kono – This (adj.) ・その Sono – That (adj.) ・あの Ano – That (over there) (adj.) Number Phrases ・100円 Hyakuen – 100 yen ・2千円 Nisen’en – 2,000 yen ・5000円 Gosen’en – 5,000 yen ・2万円 Niman’en – 20,000 yen ・500ユーロ Gohyaku-yūro – 500 euro Adverbs ・今年 Kotoshi – This year ・今夜 Kon’ya – Tonight ・今朝 Kesa – This morning ・今回 Konkai – This time ・あまり Amari – Much ・おおよそ Ōyoso – About/approximately ・普通 Futsū – Usually ・昨日 Kinō – Yesterday ・やっと Yatto – Finally ・ついに Tsui ni – At last Ichidan (ru) Verbs ・着る Kiru – To wear ・付ける Tsukeru – To put on/append/turn on ・締める Shimeru – To fasten/wear ・かける Kakeru – To put on (glasses), etc. ・はめる Hameru - To put on (gloves, etc.)/insert Godan (u) Verbs ・かかる Kakaru – To cost, etc. ・穿く Haku – To wear (on legs) ・履く Haku – To wear (on feet) ・被るKaburu – To put on (one’s head), etc. ・脱ぐ Nugu – To take off ・取る Toru – To take ・遊ぶ Asobu – To have a good time ・やる Yaru – To do/play, etc. Suru-Verbs ・運転する Unten suru – To drive ・販売する Hambai suru – To sell/market ・注文する Chūmon suru – To order ・確保する Kakuho suru – To guarantee ・翻訳する Hon’yaku suru – To translate ・サインインする Sain’in suru – To sign-in ・キャンセルする Kyanseru suru – To cancel ・勉強する Benkyō suru – To study ・電話する Denwa suru – To call on the phone ・投票する Tōhyō suru – To vote ・混乱する Konran suru – To be confused ・構築する Kōchiku suru – To construct |
The basic meaning of suru する is “to do.” As the "to do" verb of Japanese, it is extensively used. Consequently, it also has many other usages that may or may not relate to the English understanding of “to do” as in actions.
Before we look at its most important usages, we will first learn how to conjugate it into its basic forms. As you can see from the chart below, it isn’t that different from other verbs.
Plain Conjugations
| Non-Past | Suru する | Past | Shita した |
| Negative | Shinai しない | Negative Past | Shinakatta しなかった |
As you can see, all you do is change /su/ to /shi/ and then add any of the endings you’ve learned thus far. To see how these forms look in practice, here are a few examples using suru する in the sense of “to do” in ways that don’t require additional considerations.
1. 僕は宿題をしなかった。
Boku wa shukudai wo shinakatta.
I didn’t do my homework.
2. 上司は不正行為をした。
Jōshi wa fusei kōi wo shita.
The boss did something illegal/improper.
3. 変なことをする。
Hen na koto wo suru.
To do something weird.
4. 無理はしない。
Muri wa shinai.
I won’t do anything unreasonable.
Polite Conjugations
| Non-Past | Shimasu します | Past | Shimashita しました |
| Negative | Shinai desu しないです Shimasen しません | Negative Past | Shinakatta desuしなかったです Shimasendeshita しませんでした |
Just as with other verbs, using -nai desu ないです and -nakatta desu なかったです instead of –masen ません and –masendeshita ませんでした is done in colloquial polite speech. In other words, they're not as polite as their latter counterparts, but they’re appropriate in lax situations.
5. いい仕事をしますね。
Ii shigoto wo shimasu ne.
You do a good job, don’t you.
6. 弟は掃除をしました。
Otōto wa sōji wo shimashita.
My little brother did cleaning.
7. 嫌なことはしないです。
Iya na koto wa shinai desu.
I won’t do anything unpleasant.
8. 皿洗いはしません。
Sara’arai wa shimasen.
I won’t do the dishes.
Note: With the use of the particle は instead of を, the speaker implies that he may be willing to do other tasks, just not the dishes.
9. 彼も宿題をしなかったです。
Kare mo shukudai wo shinakatta desu.
He too didn’t do his homework.
10. 私は今年、あまり研究をしませんでした。
Watashi wa kotoshi, amari kenkyū wo shimasendeshita.
I didn’t do much studies/research this year.
Firstly, suru する is “to do” in a much larger sense both grammatically and semantically speaking. In English, many words can be used as a noun or verb depending on context, but in Japanese, words usually can’t change their part of speech without some sort of change in appearance. For example, the noun for “yawn” is akubi あくび, but “to yawn” is akubi wo suru あくびをする. Even if “to do" is not used in any way in English, suru する is used to help a wide variety of nouns behave as verbs in this manner.
11. 息をする。
Iki wo suru.
To breathe.
12. 恋をする。
Koi wo suru.
To be in love
13. 旅をする。
Tabi wo suru.
To go on a journey.
Perhaps most importantly, suru する helps make countless words, many of Chinese origin, usable as verbs. For instance, unten 運転 means “driving,” but to say “to drive,” you say unten (wo) suru 運転（を）する. Whether you use wo suru をする or suru する is a discussion we'll leave for another time because it can get complicated, but before we move on to other meanings, here are more examples of “suru-verbs.”
| Hambai suru 販売する | To sell/market | Chūmon suru 注文する | To order |
| Kakuho suru 確保する | To guarantee | Hon’yaku suru 翻訳する | To translate |
| Sain’in suru サインインする | To sign-in | Kyanseru suru キャンセルする | To cancel |
| Benkyō suru 勉強する | To study | Denwa suru 電話する | To call on the phone |
| Tōhyō suru 投票する | To vote | Konran suru 混乱する | To be confused |
14. 英文を翻訳しました。
Eibun wo hon’yaku shimashita.
I translated the English sentences.
15. Tシャツを販売します。
Tii-shatsu wo hambai shimasu.
(I/we) will sell T-shirts.
16. カレンダーを注文しませんか。
Karendā wo chūmon shimasen ka?
How about ordering a calendar?
17. 今回は投票しませんでした。
Konkai wa tōhyō shimasendeshita.
I did not vote this time.
18. フィンランド語の勉強をしました。
Finrandogo no benkyo wo shimashita.
I did my Finnish studies.
19. 広東語を勉強しませんか。
Kantongo wo benkyō shimasen ka?
Why don’t you study Cantonese?
20. 今夜電話しますね。
Kon’ya denwa shimasu ne.
I’ll call you tonight, ok?
Grammar Note: In Ex. 18, the word benkyō 勉強 is used as a noun attached to the previous word with no to create the compound phrase “Finnish studies.” This is done to simply mention studying, and the studying incidentally happens to be for Finnish. However, simply saying “I study…” involves using benkyō 勉強 as a verb in benkyō suru 勉強する. You will see that manner suru-verbs can be rephrased to “X no Y wo suru,” with Y standing for what makes up the suru-verb.
Other Meanings of suru する
Now that we’ve seen to some extent how suru する can be used to mean “to do” and help nouns become verbs, it’s time to look at some of its other usages. It's important to note that not all usages will use wo を.
To Cost: When used to mean “to cost,” suru する can indicate the sticker price of something.
21. レンタルもおおよそ5000円します。
Rentaru mo ōyoso gosen’en shimasu.
Rental also costs about 5000 yen.
22. LINEスタンプは100円します。
Rain sutampu wa hyakuen shimasu.
LINE stamps cost 100 yen.
23. このワインは2千円もしません。
Kono wain wa nisen’en mo shimasen.
This wine doesn’t even cost 2000 yen.
The verb kakaru かかる is used to mean “to cost” as well, and it is used in contexts regarding costs beyond price tags on items. You could also just use the copula, da だ/desu です, to discuss charges and fees.
24. 関税は2万円かかりました。
Kanzei wa niman’en kakarimashita
The customs duties cost 20,000 yen.
25. その料金は500ユーロです。
Sono ryōkin wa gohyaku-yūro desu.
That fee is 500 euros.
To Wear (Accessories): To express “to wear,” you have a lot of options. You use suru する for accessories. The other “to wear” verbs, though, are important to know. While we’re at it, we will learn how to say “to take off,” which is also somewhat complicated.
| Part of the Body | To Wear | To Take Off |
| The upper body/torso | Kiru 着る (ichidan) |
Nugu 脱ぐ (godan) |
| Legs | Haku 穿く (godan) | |
| Feet | Haku 履く(godan) | |
| Head | Kaburu 被る (godan) | Nugu 脱ぐ/Toru 取る (godan) |
| Hands/fingers | Hameru はめる (ichidan) |
Toru 取る/Hazusu 外す (godan)
|
| General accessories | Suru する/Tsukeru 付ける (ichidan) | |
| Neckties, etc. | Shimeru 締める (ichidan)/Suru する | |
| Glasses, etc. | Kakeru かける (ichidan) |
Consequently, some of these verbs overlap with each other and create variation among speakers depending on what item you’re wearing.
26. 手袋を｛する・はめる・付ける｝。
Tebukuro wo [suru/hameru/tsukeru].
To wear gloves.
27. サラリーマンは普通、ネクタイを｛します・締めます｝。
Sarariiman wa futsū, nekutai wo [shimasu/shimemasu].
Businessmen usually wear neckties.
28. 靴を履く。
Kutsu wo haku.
To wear shoes.
29. ズボンを脱ぐ。
Zubon wo nugu.
To take off one’s pants.
30. 眼鏡はかけません。
Megane wa kakemasen.
I don’t wear glasses.
31. 帽子を｛取る・脱ぐ｝。
Bōshi wo [toru/nugu].
To take off one’s hat.
32. 手錠を外す。
Tejō wo hazusu.
To take off handcuffs.
To be Sensed: The sensing of natural phenomena can be expressed with suru する. In this usage, the particle wo を is not used.
33. 強い匂いがしました。
Tsuyoi nioi ga shimashita.
There was a strong scent.
34. 甘い味がしますね。
Amai aji ga shimasu ne.
It has a sweet taste, doesn’t it?
35. 量が少ない感じがしました。
Ryō ga sukunai kanji ga shimashita.
I felt that the amount was lacking.
36. 変な音がした。
Hen na oto ga shita.
There was a strange sound.
37. 悲しい気持ちがする。
Kanashii kimochi ga suru.
To have sad feelings.
To Be… (Occupation/Role): Whenever you want to say what you do as in what your job/role/occupation is, you typically use suru する. However, to use this correctly, you need to use the ending ～ている. This is used to show that what you ‘do’ is an ongoing state. Although we haven’t covered this grammar point yet, all you need to know now is to use “…wo shite imasu ～をしています” in this situation for generic, polite conversations.
38. 家庭教師をしています。
Katei kyōshi wo shite imasu.
I am a private tutor.
39. 料理人をしています。
Ryōrinin wo shite imasu.
I am a cook.
40. 銀行員をしています。
Ginkōin wo shite imasu.
I am a bank clerk.
To Be/Have: Another instance in which suru する may function as “to be” is in the sense of taking a certain state or condition. Key phrases to remember for this include the following.
| ～形をする ...katachi wo suru | To take the form of… | ～顔をする ...kao wo suru | To have…face |
| ～目付きをする ...metsuki wo suru | To have a…expression | ～目をする ...me wo suru | To have…eyes |
| ～格好をする ...kakkō wo suru | To have a…figure/appearance | ～振りをする ...furi wo suru | To pretend to be… |
Similarly to the grammar point above, to use these phrases in truly functioning sentences, you’ll need to use -te imasu ～ています to indicate the above phrases as an “ongoing state.” For general purposes, when before nouns, suru する should be changed to shita した. This is not the literal past tense, but we will revisit why this is grammatically so later in IMABI.
41. 彼はラフな格好をしていますね。
Kare wa rafu na kakkō wo shite imasu ne.
He has a rough appearance, doesn’t he?
42. ｛丸い・四角い｝形をした建物を構築する。
[Marui/shikakui] katachi wo shita tatemono wo kōchiku suru.
To construct a [round/square] shaped building.
43. あの子は可愛い顔をしていますね。
Ano ko wa kawaii kao wo shite imasu ne.
That kid has a cute face, doesn’t he/she?
44. 鋭い目付きをする。
Surudoi metsuki wo suru.
To have a sharp expression.
45. 冷たい目をする。
Tsumetai me wo suru.
To have cold eyes.
To Play: Although the word asobu 遊ぶ is often translated as "to play,” it is best translated as “to have a fun time.” As such, the act of playing some specific game or sport is expressed with suru する. In fact, suru する also encompasses doing general activities of any sort. In casual contexts, you may also use the verb yaru やる for this meaning.
46. パチンコをしませんか。
Pachinko wo shimasen ka?
Why not play pachinko (Japanese pinball)?
47. 生け花をします。
Ikebana wo shimasu.
I will practice flower arrangement.
Since sports (supōtsu スポーツ) are used frequently with this meaning, it’s best to learn the Japanese words for some of the most common sports out there.
| Baseball | Yakyū 野球 | American football | Amefuto アメフト |
| Soccer | Sakkā サッカー | Basketball | Basuke(ttobōru) バスケ（ットボール） |
| Sumo | Sumō 相撲 | Swimming | Suiei 水泳 |
| Martial arts | Kakutōgi 格闘技 | Gymnastics | Taisō 体操 |
| Skiing | Sukii スキー | Golf | Gorufu ゴルフ |
| Tennis | Tenisu テニス | Ping pong | Takkyū 卓球 |
48. アメフトを｛します・やります｝。
Amefuto wo [shimasu/yarimasu].
I’ll play American football.
49. スキーはしません。
Sukii wa shimasen.
I don’t ski.
50. 私は昨日、サッカーをしました。
Watashi wa kinō, sakkā wo shimashita.
I played soccer yesterday.
You may be wondering if kuru 来る will be as intricate as suru する, but rest assured, it’s extremely straightforward. It means “to come” and is used in much the same way as in English. The only difference is that in its basic understanding as a direction verb, it refers to entities coming toward the speaker. Movement away from the speaker, regardless of the situation, is expressed with iku 行く (to go).
Before we see example sentences, we need to know how to conjugate it and see just how irregular it really is. Don’t worry, though. It isn’t all that different from the other verbs.
| Plain Non-Past | Kuru くる | Polite Non-Past | Kimasu きます | |
| Plain Past | Kita きた | Polite Past | Kimashita きました | |
| Plain Negative | Konai こない | Polite Negative | Konai desu こないです | |
| Plain Neg. Past | Konakatta こなかった | Polite Neg. Past | Konakatta desu こなかったです | |
As you can see, the reason why it's irregular is because of what happens to the vowel after the initial /k/. Other than that, all the endings are the same as you’re used to.
51. 私が注文したCDが来ました。
Watashi ga chūmon shita shiidii ga kimashita.
The CD(s) I ordered have arrived/come.
52. 今朝サンタさんが来なかった。
Kesa Santa-san ga konakatta.
Santa didn’t come this morning.
53. ついに春が来た！
Tsui ni haru ga kita!
Spring has finally arrived/come!
54. 電車、来ないよ。
Densha, konai yo.
The train won’t come/hasn’t come!
55. 来る日も来る日も雪だった。
Kuru hi mo kuru hi mo yuki datta.
It was snow day after day.
56. 連絡が来ませんでした。
Renraku ga kimasendeshita.
No contact came.
57. 手紙が来なかったです。
Tegami ga konakatta desu.
A letter didn’t come.
58. 嵐が来たぞ！
Arashi ga kita zo!
The storm’s here!
Particle Note: Using zo ぞ at the end of the sentence is used in this casual context to draw attention to the situation at hand.
59. 返事も来なかった。
Henji mo konakatta.
Not even a reply has come.
60. やっとこの日が来ました！
Yatto kono hi ga kimashita!
This day has arrived/come at last!
寮に帰りませんか。
Why don't we go back to the dorms?