Ichidan verb
変えるかえる
kaeruAlso read かえる: 帰る (go home), 替える (replace), 返る (come back). All 4 words
変える (かえる, kaeru) — to change — is an ichidan verb: 変えて (te-form), 変えた (past), 変えない (negative), 変えます (polite).
It is transitive: it takes a direct object. It also means to alter; to transform.
How 変える conjugates · ichidan verb
Drop the る, then add the ending.
Nothing else moves: every ending attaches straight to the stem 変え. That is what makes ichidan the easy class.
変える
dropsstem + ending
変えない変えないnegative · I don't change it.
変えます変えますpolite present
変えて変えてte-form · I change it and …
変えた変えたpast · I changed it.
変えられる変えられるpotential · I can change it.
変えれば変えればif · If I change it, ...
変えよう変えようvolitional · Let's change it.
No sound changes and no vowel rows. The catch is telling ichidan from godan: plenty of godan verbs end in る too.
N5 N tags give the JLPT level at which the game starts quizzing a form.
PLAIN
| Form | Conjugation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| present N5 | 変える かえる kaeru | |
| past N5 I changed it. | 変えた かえた kaeta | |
| negative N5 I don't change it. | 変えない かえない kaenai | |
| te-form N5 I change it and … | 変えて かえて kaete | |
| past negative N4 I didn't change it. | 変えなかった かえなかった kaenakatta | |
| volitional N4 Let's change it. | 変えよう かえよう kaeyou | |
| potential N3 I can change it. | 変えられる かえられる kaerareru | |
| cond. ば N3 If I change it, ... | 変えれば かえれば kaereba | |
| cond. たら N3 When I change it, ... | 変えたら かえたら kaetara | |
| passive N2 It gets changed. | 変えられる かえられる kaerareru | |
| causative N2 I let someone change it. | 変えさせる かえさせる kaesaseru | |
| imperative N1 Change it! | 変えろ かえろ kaero |
POLITE
| Form | Conjugation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| present N5 | 変えます かえます kaemasu | |
| past N5 I changed it. | 変えました かえました kaemashita | |
| negative N5 I don't change it. | 変えません かえません kaemasen | |
| past negative N4 I didn't change it. | 変えませんでした かえませんでした kaemasendeshita | |
| volitional N4 Let's change it. | 変えましょう かえましょう kaemashou |
ASPECT
| Form | Conjugation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| ている N4 I'm changing it. | 変えている かえている kaeteiru | |
| ていた N4 I was changing it. | 変えていた かえていた kaeteita | |
| ています N4 I'm changing it. | 変えています かえています kaeteimasu | |
| ていました N4 I was changing it. | 変えていました かえていました kaeteimashita |