JAPANESE VERB

ひく

弾く

to play, the piano or the guitar

Conjugation

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Say it firstHide the forms and test yourself

now, habits, and what is to come

Form	Polite	Plain
AffirmativeI play
NegativeI don’t play

finished actions

Form	Polite	Plain
AffirmativeI played
NegativeI didn’t play

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

可能形 · “can”

Form	Polite	Plain
AffirmativeI can play
NegativeI can’t play

たい形 · “want to”

Form	Polite	Plain
AffirmativeI want to play
NegativeI don’t want to play

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form	Polite	Plain
Let’slet’s play

条件形 · “if” and “when”

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form	Polite	Plain
PassiveI am played
CausativeI make someone play

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

Present and future

むすめはまいばんピアノを ひきます。

My daughter plays the piano every evening.
Past

けっこんしきで、ギターを ひいた。

I played the guitar at the wedding.
Te-form

なにかいっきょく ひいて ください。

Please play us a piece.
Potential

ベンはバイオリンが ひけます。

Ben can play the violin.
Want to

このきょくを、ピアノで ひきたい。

I want to play this piece on the piano.
Volitional

こんど、いっしょに ひこう。

Let's play together sometime.
Conditional

まいにち ひけば、かならずうまくなる。

If you play every day, you'll surely get better.
Commands and requests

よるおそくギターを ひかないで。となりにきこえるよ。

Don't play the guitar late at night. The neighbours can hear.
Passive and causative

こどものころ、ははにピアノをひかされた。

As a child I was made to play the piano by my mother.

ひく is for strings and keys, piano, guitar, violin; a flute or a trumpet is ふく, and drums たたく.

The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).