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JAPANESE VERB

かえる

帰る

to go home, to go back

  • Godan verb (u-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI go home
NegativeI don’t go home

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI went home
NegativeI didn’t go home

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formgoing home, and…
Doing now (て います)I am going home
Please (て ください)please go home

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can go home
NegativeI can’t go home

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to go home
NegativeI don’t want to go home

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s go home

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I go home
  2. If, when (たら) if I go home

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) go home (do it)
  2. Plain command go home!
  3. Please don’t please don’t go home

Passive and causative

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

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am gone home
CausativeI make someone go home

How to use かえる

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

  1. Present and future

    きょう は なんじ に かえります か。

    What time are you going home today?

  2. Past

    ゆうべ は じゅうじ ごろ うち に かえりました。

    Last night I got home around ten.

  3. Te-form

    あめ だ から、 はやく かえって ください。

    It's raining, so please go home early.

  4. Potential

    しごと が おおくて、 まだ かえれません。

    I have so much work I can't go home yet.

  5. Want to

    つかれた から、 もう うち に かえりたい。

    I'm tired, I want to go home now.

  6. Volitional

    おそい から、 そろそろ かえろう か。

    It's late, shall we head home?

  7. Conditional

    はやく かえれば、 ばんごはん に まにあいます。

    If I leave early, I'll be in time for dinner.

  8. Commands and requests

    くらく なる まえ に かえりなさい。

    Come home before it gets dark.

  9. Passive and causative

    ぐあい の わるい ひと を さき に かえらせました。

    I let the person who felt unwell go home first.

Good to know

  • かえる is godan even though it ends in える: かえります, かえって, never かえて.
  • かえる is going back to where you belong: home, your country, the office.

Where you hear かえる

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Beginner Level 1

  • いつも ろくじ に かえります。 I always go home at six.
  • きのう よる おそく かえりました。 Yesterday I got home late at night.
  • らいしゅう カナダ へ かえります。 Next week I'll go back to Canada.

Japanese · Beginner Level 2

  • まいにち じゅうじ ごろ うち に かえります。 I go home around ten every day.
  • きのう は でんしゃ で かえりました。 I went home by train yesterday.
  • じゅぎょう の あとで、 うち に かえります。 I'll go home after class.
10
The River at Night

Beginner Level 1 · かえります · かえりません

Needs a subscription 25
A Day on Enoshima

Beginner Level 1 · かえりました

Needs a subscription 28
What Next?

Beginner Level 1 · かえりたく · かえりたく ありません。

Needs a subscription 1
The Morning After

Beginner Level 2 · かえりませんでした

Free 18
An Umbrella to Borrow

Beginner Level 2 · かえります

Needs a subscription 26
Kenta's Birthday

Beginner Level 2 · かえって ください

Needs a subscription 5
Demons Out

Beginner Level 3 · かえったら

Needs a subscription 7
Skiing

Beginner Level 3 · かえる

Needs a subscription 1
Just Talk Normally

Intermediate Level 1 · かえる

Free 2
Futsal

Intermediate Level 1 · かえらない · まだ かえらない。

Free 3
Monday Morning

Intermediate Level 1 · かえった

Needs a subscription 10
Halloween

Intermediate Level 1 · かえろう · もう かえろう。

Needs a subscription

And 3 more lessons.

Verbs like this one

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