Japanese Grammar 10 – Plain Form & Negative · N5

📋 Formation Reference — Plain Form & Negative ない

How to form the dictionary (plain present) form and the plain negative ない for all verb groups. Press ▶ to hear examples.

GROUP 1 — う-VERBS (change final kana to あ-row + ない)

Dictionary Form	ない Form	Rule
かく kaku	かかない kakanai	く → かない
はなす hanasu	はなさない hanasanai	す → さない
まつ matsu	またない matanai	つ → たない
のむ nomu	のまない nomanai	む → まない
かう kau	かわない kawanai	う → わない (special!)

GROUP 2 — る-VERBS (drop る, add ない)

Dictionary Form	ない Form	Rule	▶
たべる taberu	たべない tabenai	drop る, add ない
みる miru	みない minai	drop る, add ない

GROUP 3 — IRREGULAR VERBS (memorise)

Dictionary Form	ない Form	Note	▶
する suru	しない shinai	irregular — memorise
くる kuru	こない konai	irregular — memorise

WHEN TO USE PLAIN FORM

[VERB plain] とおもう

[verb plain] to omou

→ "I think that [verb]…" — plain form before grammar patterns

🗣 Example Sentences

See how the plain form and ない work in context. Press ▶ to hear each sentence.

CASUAL SPEECH (plain present)

Example

あしたいく？

Ashita iku?

Are you going tomorrow? (casual)

あしたいく？

ashita iku ?

→ Dictionary form used as a casual yes/no question.

Example

まだきめない。

Mada kimenai.

I haven't decided yet.

PLAIN NEGATIVE ない

Example

あさごはんをたべない。

Asagohan wo tabenai.

I won't eat breakfast.

あさごはんをたべない

asagohan wo tabenai

→ G2 verb: たべる → drop る → たべ + ない

Example

にほんごがわからない。

Nihongo ga wakaranai.

I don't understand Japanese.

Example

かれはあまりはなさない。

Kare wa amari hanasanai.

He doesn't talk much.

Example

おさけをのまないひとです。

Osake wo nomanai hito desu.

He/she is a person who doesn't drink.

PLAIN FORM IN PATTERNS

Example

あめがふらないといいね。

Ame ga furanai to ii ne.

I hope it doesn't rain.

Example

しゅくだいをださないと。

Shukudai wo dasanai to.

I have to submit homework.

ない-form と

nai-form to

→ Casual way to say "I have to (do something)."

📋 Quick-Reference Cheatsheet ▼

G1: う-verb → あ-row + ない (exception: う → わない)

✅ CORRECT

かわない

kawanai

don't buy

Verbs ending in う replace う with わない, NOT あない.

❌ COMMON MISTAKE

かあない

kaanai

(intended: don't buy)

Never apply the standard あ-row rule to う-ending verbs.

G2: る-verb → drop る, add ない

✅ CORRECT

たべない

tabenai

don't eat

G2 is simple: remove る and attach ない directly.

❌ COMMON MISTAKE

たべらない

aberanai

(intended: don't eat)

G2 verbs do not use the あ-row. Just drop る.

G3: Irregular — memorise する→しない, くる→こない

✅ CORRECT

しない / こない

shinai / konai

don't do / don't come

These two verbs are fully irregular. There is no rule — just learn them.

❌ COMMON MISTAKE

するない / くらない

surunai / kuranai

(intended: don't do / don't come)

Applying G1/G2 rules to irregular verbs produces non-words.

～ないでください — polite negative request

✅ CORRECT

はなさないでください

hanasanaide kudasai

Please don't speak.

Add でください after the ない-form (without the い: ないで).

ℹ️ CASUAL VERSION

はなさないで

hanasanaide

Don't speak. (casual)

Drop ください for a casual negative request.

A — Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Use ▶ to hear the Japanese.

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1 / 10

B — Listen & Choose the Meaning

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then choose the correct English meaning.

D — Listen & Write in Romaji

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then type what you heard in romaji.

💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (おう = ou / oo). Double consonants → write them twice (きって = kitte).

📖 Grammar Deep Dive ▼

Plain form is not rude — it's register, not disrespect

Dictionary form is used in casual speech with equals, close friends, and family. It only sounds rude when used with someone who expects polite ます/です forms. Context determines register, not the form itself.

あしたくる？

Ashita kuru?

Are you coming tomorrow? (casual, between friends)

ない is an い-adjective — it conjugates further

Because ない behaves like an い-adjective, it follows い-adjective conjugation patterns: • ない → なかった (plain past negative) • ない → なくて (te-form, used to link clauses)

[verb] なかった

[verb stem] nakatta

→ "[verb] did not happen." (plain past negative)

きのうたべなかった。

Kinou tabenakatta.

I didn't eat yesterday.

ある is special — its negative is ない, not あらない

The verb ある (to exist, for inanimate things) does not form its negative with the standard G1 rule. Its plain negative is simply ない — the same word used to negate all verbs.

おかねがない。

Okane ga nai.

I don't have money. / There is no money.

～ないで — "without doing" (negative te-form)

Add で after the ない-form (dropping the final い → ないで) to mean "without doing X" or as a casual negative request.

[verb] ないで [result]

[verb] naide [result]

→ "Without [verb]-ing, [result]."

たべないでねた。

Tabenaide neta.

I slept without eating.

Plain form before と — conditional / automatic result

When the plain form (positive or negative) is followed by と, it describes an automatic or natural result: "if/when X happens, Y always follows." This is different from the volitional conditionals ば or たら.

[plain form] と [result]

[plain form] to [result]

→ "If/when [X], [Y] naturally happens."

ボタンをおすと、でんきがつく。

Botan wo osu to, denki ga tsuku.

If you press the button, the light turns on.

📝 Key Vocabulary ▼

Japanese	Romaji	English
あさごはん	asagohan	breakfast
あめ	ame	rain
しゅくだい	shukudai	homework
おさけ	osake	alcohol / sake
にほんご	nihongo	Japanese language
ボタン	botan	button
でんき	denki	electricity / light
ひと	hito	person
しゅうまつ	shuumatsu	weekend
あした	ashita	tomorrow