Japanese reference
覚える
おぼえる
to learn; to memorize
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 | おぼえる (oboeru)learn |
| Polite, masu | おぼえます (oboemasu)learn |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | おぼえない (oboenai)do not learn |
| Polite negative | おぼえません (oboemasen)do not learn |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | おぼえた (oboeta)learned |
| Polite past | おぼえました (oboemashita)learned |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | おぼえなかった (oboenakatta)did not learn |
| Polite past negative | おぼえませんでした (oboemasendeshita)did not learn |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | おぼえて (oboete)learning (and then) |
| Polite te-form | おぼえまして (oboemashite)learning (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | おぼえている (oboeteiru)remember |
| Polite te-iru | おぼえています (oboeteimasu)remember |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | おぼえれば (oboereba)if you learn |
| Rare literary polite conditional | おぼえますれば (oboemasureba)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 | おぼえたら (oboetara)if you learn |
| Polite conditional, tara | おぼえましたら (oboemashitara)if you learn |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | おぼえられる (oboerareru)can learn |
| Polite potential | おぼえられます (oboeraremasu)can learn |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | おぼえよう (oboeyou)let's learn! |
| Polite volitional | おぼえましょう (oboemashou)let's learn! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | おぼえたい (oboetai)want to learn |
| Polite desire, tai | おぼえたいです (oboetaidesu)want to learn |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | おぼえられる (oboerareru)be learned |
| Polite passive | おぼえられます (oboeraremasu)be learned |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | おぼえさせる (oboesaseru)make or let someone learn |
| Polite causative | おぼえさせます (oboesasemasu)make or let someone learn |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | おぼえさせられる (oboesaserareru)be made to learn |
| Polite causative-passive | おぼえさせられます (oboesaseraremasu)be made to learn |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | おぼえるな (oboeruna)do not learn! |
| Polite negative request | おぼえないでください (oboenaidekudasai)please do not learn |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | おぼえます (oboemasu)learn |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | おぼえません (oboemasen)do not learn |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | おぼえました (oboemashita)learned |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | おぼえませんでした (oboemasendeshita)did not learn |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | おぼえてください (oboetekudasai)please learn |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | おぼえないでください (oboenaidekudasai)please do not learn |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | おぼえましょう (oboemashou)let's learn! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | おぼえてもいい (oboetemoii)may learn |
| Polite permission | おぼえてもいいです (oboetemoiidesu)may learn |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | おぼえてはいけない (oboetehaikenai)must not learn |
| Polite prohibition | おぼえてはいけません (oboetehaikemasen)must not learn |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | おぼえなさい (oboenasai)learn (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | おぼえてみる (oboetemiru)try to learn |
| Polite try doing | おぼえてみます (oboetemimasu)try to learn |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | おぼえてしまう (oboeteshimau)learn completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | おぼえてしまいます (oboeteshimaimasu)learn completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | おぼえておく (oboeteoku)learn in advance |
| Polite preparation | おぼえておきます (oboeteokimasu)learn in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | おぼえたことがある (oboetakotogaaru)have the experience of: learned |
| Polite past experience | おぼえたことがあります (oboetakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: learned |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | おぼえると (oboeruto)whenever you learn |
| Polite automatic result | おぼえますと (oboemasuto)whenever you learn |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | おぼえるなら (oboerunara)if you mean to learn |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | おぼえるだろう (oboerudarou)probably learn |
| Polite probability | おぼえるでしょう (oboerudeshou)probably learn |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | おぼえろ (oboero)learn! |
| Polite request | おぼえてください (oboetekudasai)please learn |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.