Japanese reference
習う
ならう
to learn (from a teacher); to take lessons
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 | ならう (narau)learn |
| Polite, masu | ならいます (naraimasu)learn |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | ならわない (narawanai)do not learn |
| Polite negative | ならいません (naraimasen)do not learn |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | ならった (naratta)learned |
| Polite past | ならいました (naraimashita)learned |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | ならわなかった (narawanakatta)did not learn |
| Polite past negative | ならいませんでした (naraimasendeshita)did not learn |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | ならって (naratte)learning (and then) |
| Polite te-form | ならいまして (naraimashite)learning (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | ならっている (naratteiru)be learning |
| Polite te-iru | ならっています (naratteimasu)be learning |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | ならえば (naraeba)if you learn |
| Rare literary polite conditional | ならいますれば (naraimasureba)if you learn (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 | ならったら (narattara)if you learn |
| Polite conditional, tara | ならいましたら (naraimashitara)if you learn |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | ならえる (naraeru)can learn |
| Polite potential | ならえます (naraemasu)can learn |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | ならおう (naraou)let's learn! |
| Polite volitional | ならいましょう (naraimashou)let's learn! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | ならいたい (naraitai)want to learn |
| Polite desire, tai | ならいたいです (naraitaidesu)want to learn |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | ならわれる (narawareru)be learned |
| Polite passive | ならわれます (narawaremasu)be learned |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | ならわせる (narawaseru)make or let someone learn |
| Polite causative | ならわせます (narawasemasu)make or let someone learn |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | ならわせられる (narawaserareru)be made to learn |
| Polite causative-passive | ならわせられます (narawaseraremasu)be made to learn |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | ならうな (narauna)do not learn! |
| Polite negative request | ならわないでください (narawanaidekudasai)please do not learn |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | ならいます (naraimasu)learn |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | ならいません (naraimasen)do not learn |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | ならいました (naraimashita)learned |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | ならいませんでした (naraimasendeshita)did not learn |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | ならってください (narattekudasai)please learn |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | ならわないでください (narawanaidekudasai)please do not learn |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | ならいましょう (naraimashou)let's learn! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | ならってもいい (narattemoii)may learn |
| Polite permission | ならってもいいです (narattemoiidesu)may learn |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | ならってはいけない (narattehaikenai)must not learn |
| Polite prohibition | ならってはいけません (narattehaikemasen)must not learn |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | ならいなさい (narainasai)learn (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | ならってみる (narattemiru)try to learn |
| Polite try doing | ならってみます (narattemimasu)try to learn |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | ならってしまう (naratteshimau)learn completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | ならってしまいます (naratteshimaimasu)learn completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | ならっておく (naratteoku)learn in advance |
| Polite preparation | ならっておきます (naratteokimasu)learn in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | ならったことがある (narattakotogaaru)have the experience of: learned |
| Polite past experience | ならったことがあります (narattakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: learned |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | ならうと (narauto)whenever you learn |
| Polite automatic result | ならいますと (naraimasuto)whenever you learn |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | ならうなら (naraunara)if you mean to learn |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | ならうだろう (naraudarou)probably learn |
| Polite probability | ならうでしょう (naraudeshou)probably learn |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | ならえ (narae)learn! |
| Polite request | ならってください (narattekudasai)please learn |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.