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JAPANESE VERB

まなぶ

学ぶ

to learn, to study

  • #337 most used
  • 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 learn
NegativeI don’t learn

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI learned
NegativeI didn’t learn

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formlearning, and…
Doing now (て います)I am learning
Please (て ください)please learn

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can learn
NegativeI can’t learn

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

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

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s learn

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

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

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

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

Passive and causative

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

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am learned
CausativeI make someone learn

How to use まなぶ

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

  1. Present and future

    こども は あそび から たくさん まなびます。

    Children learn a lot from play.

  2. Past

    この しっぱい から おおく を まなんだ。

    I learned a lot from this failure.

  3. Te-form

    むすめ は だいがく で ほうりつ を まなんで いる。

    My daughter is studying law at university.

  4. Potential

    この ほん から、 れきし の おもしろさ が まなべます。

    From this book you can learn how interesting history is.

  5. Want to

    にほん の ぶんか を もっと まなびたい。

    I want to learn more about Japanese culture.

  6. Volitional

    せんぱい の やりかた を みて まなぼう。

    Let's learn by watching how the seniors do it.

  7. Conditional

    わかい うち に まなべば、 はやく みにつく。

    If you learn while you're young, it sticks quickly.

  8. Commands and requests

    ひと の いい ところ を まなびなさい。

    Learn from people's good points.

  9. Passive and causative

    せんせい は こども たち に しぜん から まなばせた。

    The teacher let the children learn from nature.

Good to know

  • まなぶ is to learn, a little more serious than ならう (to take lessons) and べんきょう する (to study).
  • しっぱい から まなぶ: to learn from your mistakes.

Verbs like this one

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