Japanese reference
比べる
くらべる
to compare
Regular · 32 form tables
Rows describe verb forms and levels of politeness. Honorific and humble forms are labeled separately. Strong commands appear under additional forms.
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Basic
Non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form | くらべる (kuraberu)compare |
| Polite, masu | くらべます (kurabemasu)compare |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | くらべない (kurabenai)do not compare |
| Polite negative | くらべません (kurabemasen)do not compare |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | くらべた (kurabeta)compared |
| Polite past | くらべました (kurabemashita)compared |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | くらべなかった (kurabenakatta)did not compare |
| Polite past negative | くらべませんでした (kurabemasendeshita)did not compare |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | くらべて (kurabete)comparing (and then) |
| Polite te-form | くらべまして (kurabemashite)comparing (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | くらべている (kurabeteiru)be comparing |
| Polite te-iru | くらべています (kurabeteimasu)be comparing |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | くらべれば (kurabereba)if you compare |
| Rare literary polite conditional | くらべますれば (kurabemasureba)if you compare (rare and literary). In ordinary polite conversation, use the plain conditional and make the main clause polite |
Conditional, tara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, tara | くらべたら (kurabetara)if you compare |
| Polite conditional, tara | くらべましたら (kurabemashitara)if you compare |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | くらべられる (kuraberareru)can compare |
| Polite potential | くらべられます (kuraberaremasu)can compare |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | くらべよう (kurabeyou)let's compare! |
| Polite volitional | くらべましょう (kurabemashou)let's compare! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | くらべたい (kurabetai)want to compare |
| Polite desire, tai | くらべたいです (kurabetaidesu)want to compare |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | くらべられる (kuraberareru)be compared |
| Polite passive | くらべられます (kuraberaremasu)be compared |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | くらべさせる (kurabesaseru)make or let someone compare |
| Polite causative | くらべさせます (kurabesasemasu)make or let someone compare |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | くらべさせられる (kurabesaserareru)be made to compare |
| Polite causative-passive | くらべさせられます (kurabesaseraremasu)be made to compare |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | くらべるな (kuraberuna)do not compare! |
| Polite negative request | くらべないでください (kurabenaidekudasai)please do not compare |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | くらべます (kurabemasu)compare |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | くらべません (kurabemasen)do not compare |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | くらべました (kurabemashita)compared |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | くらべませんでした (kurabemasendeshita)did not compare |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | くらべてください (kurabetekudasai)please compare |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | くらべないでください (kurabenaidekudasai)please do not compare |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | くらべましょう (kurabemashou)let's compare! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | くらべてもいい (kurabetemoii)may compare |
| Polite permission | くらべてもいいです (kurabetemoiidesu)may compare |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | くらべてはいけない (kurabetehaikenai)must not compare |
| Polite prohibition | くらべてはいけません (kurabetehaikemasen)must not compare |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | くらべなさい (kurabenasai)compare (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | くらべてみる (kurabetemiru)try to compare |
| Polite try doing | くらべてみます (kurabetemimasu)try to compare |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | くらべてしまう (kurabeteshimau)compare completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | くらべてしまいます (kurabeteshimaimasu)compare completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | くらべておく (kurabeteoku)compare in advance |
| Polite preparation | くらべておきます (kurabeteokimasu)compare in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | くらべたことがある (kurabetakotogaaru)have the experience of: compared |
| Polite past experience | くらべたことがあります (kurabetakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: compared |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | くらべると (kuraberuto)whenever you compare |
| Polite automatic result | くらべますと (kurabemasuto)whenever you compare |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | くらべるなら (kuraberunara)if you mean to compare |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | くらべるだろう (kuraberudarou)probably compare |
| Polite probability | くらべるでしょう (kuraberudeshou)probably compare |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | くらべろ (kurabero)compare! |
| Polite request | くらべてください (kurabetekudasai)please compare |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.