Four Japanese Verbs You Can’t Live Without (Seriously, You Can’t)

Alright, let’s be honest

When you first open a Japanese textbook, the sheer volume of verb conjugations looks less like a language and more like a tax form written by a sadist. But here’s the secret: you don’t need a thousand verbs to survive a conversation in Tokyo. You need four. Four little workhorses that carry the entire weight of daily life. I’m talking about いる (to exist, for living things), ある (to exist, for objects), する (to do), and 言う (to say). Master these, and you can order food, explain where your cat is, promise to email someone, and quote your boss—all without breaking a sweat.

Why these four? Because they’re not just verbs; they’re grammatical glue. する alone builds hundreds of nouns into actions (like 勉強する for “to study”). いる and ある are the backbone of possession and location. And 言う? Well, you can’t gossip without it, and gossip is a human right. So grab a drink, and let’s break down these pillars of Japanese. I promise, no conjugation tables that look like a subway map.

The Living vs. The Non-Living: いる and ある

This is the first cultural shock for English speakers. In Japanese, existence is a matter of life or death—grammatically speaking. If it breathes, it uses いる. If it’s a rock, a book, or a very still chair, it uses ある. Forgetting this is the fastest way to sound like you think your dog is a coffee table.

• 猫がいる — “There is a cat” (the cat is alive and judging you).
• 本がある — “There is a book” (it is not breathing. Probably).

You also use いる for people and even robots if they’re cute enough (looking at you, Doraemon). And here’s a pro tip: when you’re talking about having something, you don’t use a verb for “to have” at all. You say Xがある or Xがいる. So “I have a meeting” becomes 会議がある (literally, “a meeting exists”). It’s a very Zen way to look at ownership—nothing is truly yours; it just temporarily exists near you.

For audio, let’s practice the difference. Listen and repeat:

する: The Magic Verb That Does Everything

If する were a person, it would be that friend who can fix your sink, DJ a wedding, and file your taxes. It means “to do,” but it’s really a verb-maker. Take any noun, slap する on it, and boom—you have a verb. 勉強 (study) + する = 勉強する (to study). 運転 (driving) + する = 運転する (to drive). It’s the lazy person’s dream, and the Japanese use it constantly.

But beware: する is also used for things you don’t control. 音がする means “a sound is made” (you hear something), and 匂いがする means “a smell is emitted” (you smell something). You aren’t doing the smelling; the world is doing it to you. It’s a humble verb, and it reminds you that in Japanese, you’re often just a passive receiver of reality.