There are two kinds of verbs in Japanese, (1) the be-verbs, "da" or "desu", and (2) common verbs ending with the "~ u" sound.
As for the be-verbs (is, are, am), "da" is used for the informal present tense and "desu" is for the formal present tense. There is no grammatical subject-verb agreement in Japanese. "Da" is used for the present tense of the to be-verb (is, are, am) regardless of the person and number of the subject. For example, it is used in all of the following three situations like, "I am a student (Watashi wa gakusei da)", "He is a student (Kare wa gakusei da)" and "We are students (Watashitachi wa gakusei da)".
Beside the be-verbs, all other verbs in Japanese end with the vowel "~ u". Japanese verbs conjugate according to the suffixes that is attached to the verb stem. Verb endings are changed to indicate past tense, negation, passive and causative mood.
The rules for conjugation in Japanese verbs are simpler compared to some languages, such as English or French. The conjugation patterns are not affected by gender, person (such as the first ~, second ~, and third person), or the number (singular and plural).
Here is a list of the basic Japanese verbs and their pronunciation. I focus on the non-past tense in my list. It is the plain form that is used in informal situations. It is also the form listed in dictionaries . It is equivalent to both future and past tense in English.
(there) is; be; have
aru
ある
be (for living things)
iru
いる
do; make
suru
する
do; perform
okonau
行う
make; manufacture
tsukuru
作る
be possible; ready; good at
dekiru
できる
begin
hajimaru
始まる
raise
okosu
起こす
continue
tsuzuku
続く
repeat
kurikaesu
繰り返す
stop
tomaru
止まる
give up
yameru
やめる
omit
habuku
省く
finish
owaru
終わる
end
sumu
済む
advance; progress
susumu
進む
be late
okureru
遅れる
increase
fueru
増える
decrease
heru
減る
be left over; have spare
amaru
余る
remain
nokoru
残る
suffice
tariru
足りる
lack; be short of
kakeru
欠ける
cross
kosu
越す
go
iku
行く
come
kuru
来る
go out
deru
出る
enter
hairu
入る
take out
dasu
出す
put in
ireru
入れる
return; come back
kaeru
帰る
ask
tazuneru
たずねる
answer
kotaeru
答える
mention
noberu
述べる
make noise
sawagu
騒ぐ
shine
hikaru
光る
stand out
medatsu
目立つ
appear
arawareru
現れる
open
akeru
開ける
close
shimeru
閉める
give
ageru
あげる
receive
morau
もらう
take
toru
取る
catch
tsukamaeru
捕まえる
get
eru
得る
lose
ushinau
失う
look for
sagasu
探す
find
mitsukeru
見つける
pick up
hirou
拾う
throw away
suteru
捨てる
drop
ochiru
落ちる
use
tsukau
使う
handle, treat
atsukau
扱う
carry
hakobu
運ぶ
hand over
watasu
渡す
deliver
kubaru
配る
return
kaesu
返す
approach
yoru
寄る
cross
wataru
渡る
pass
tooru
通る
hurry
isogu
急ぐ
run away
nigeru
逃げる
chase
ou
追う
hide
kakureru
隠れる
lose one's way
mayou
迷う
wait
matsu
待つ
move
utsuru
移る
turn; face
muku
向く
rise
agaru
上がる
go down
sagaru
下がる
incline; lean
katamuku
傾く
shake; sway
yureru
揺れる
fall down
taoreru
倒れる
hit
ataru
当たる
collide
butsukaru
ぶつかる
separate from; leave
hanareru
離れる
meet
au
会う
run into; meet by chance
deau
出会う
welcome
mukaeru
迎える
send off
miokuru
見送る
take with; accompany
tsureteiku
連れて行く
call; send for
yobu
呼ぶ
pay; supply; put back
osameru
納める
put; leave
oku
置く
line up; queue
narabu
並ぶ
settle; tidy up
matomeru
まとめる
collect
atsumaru
集まる
divide
wakeru
分ける
disperse
chiru
散る
be disordered
midareru
乱れる
be rough; stormy
areru
荒れる
extend
hirogaru
広がる
spread
hiromaru
広まる
swell; inflate
fukuramu
ふくらむ
attach; turn on
tsuku
付く
go out; put out; erase
kieru
消える
pile up; load
tsumu
積む
pile up
kasaneru
重ねる
press down; suppress
osaeru
押える
place (thing) between
hasamu
はさむ
stick; paste on
haru
貼る
put together
awaseru
合わせる
bend
magaru
曲がる
break; snap
oru
折る
be torn; tear
yabureru
破れる
break; destroy
kowareru
壊れる
get well; correct
naoru
直る
tie
musubu
結ぶ
bind; tie
shibaru
縛る
wind; coil
maku
巻く
surround
kakomu
囲む
turn; rotate
mawaru
回る
hang
kakeru
掛ける
decorate
kazaru
飾る
take out; outstrip
nuku
抜く
be disconnected; come off
hazureru
はずれる
become slack; loosen
yurumu
ゆるむ
leak
moreru
もれる
dry
hosu
干す
be soaked
hitasu
浸す
mix
majiru
混じる
extend; stretch
nobiru
伸びる
shrink; shorten
chijimu
縮む
include; contain
fukumu
含む
want; need
iru
いる
ask for; want
motomeru
求める
show; indicate
shimesu
示す
examine; investigate
shiraberu
調べる
make sure
tashikameru
確かめる
recognize; approve
mitomeru
認める
