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JAPANESE VERB

しゃべる

to chat, to talk

  • #23 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 chat
NegativeI don’t chat

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI chatted
NegativeI didn’t chat

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formchatting, and…
Doing now (て います)I am chatting
Please (て ください)please chat

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can chat
NegativeI can’t chat

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

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

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s chat

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

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

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

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

Passive and causative

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

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am chatted
CausativeI make someone chat

How to use しゃべる

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

  1. Present and future

    いもうと は いつも よく しゃべる。

    My little sister always talks a lot.

  2. Past

    きのう は ともだち と さんじかん も しゃべった。

    Yesterday I chatted with a friend for three whole hours.

  3. Te-form

    あの ふたり は さっき から ずっと しゃべって いる。

    Those two have been talking non-stop for a while.

  4. Potential

    おさけ を のむ と、 えいご が しゃべれます。

    When I drink, I can speak English.

  5. Want to

    こんや は ゆい と ゆっくり しゃべりたい。

    Tonight I want to have a good long chat with Yui.

  6. Volitional

    こんど おちゃ でも しながら しゃべろう。

    Let's chat over tea or something sometime.

  7. Conditional

    かれ と しゃべれば、 きっと すき に なる よ。

    If you talk to him, you'll surely like him.

  8. Commands and requests

    えいが の あいだ は しゃべらないで ください。

    Please don't talk during the movie.

  9. Passive and causative

    ひみつ を みんな に しゃべられて しまった。

    My secret got blabbed to everyone.

Good to know

  • しゃべる is godan, like はしる: しゃべります, しゃべって.
  • しゃべる is the casual, chatty cousin of はなす; with people you are polite to, use はなす.

Verbs like this one

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