JAPANESE VERB

しらべる

調べる

to look up, to check

Conjugation

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now, habits, and what is to come

Form	Polite	Plain
AffirmativeI look up
NegativeI don’t look up

finished actions

Form	Polite	Plain
AffirmativeI looked up
NegativeI didn’t look up

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

可能形 · “can”

Form	Polite	Plain
AffirmativeI can look up
NegativeI can’t look up

たい形 · “want to”

Form	Polite	Plain
AffirmativeI want to look up
NegativeI don’t want to look up

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form	Polite	Plain
Let’slet’s look up

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 looked up
CausativeI make someone look up

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

Present and future

しらないことばはスマホで しらべます。

I look up words I don't know on my phone.
Past

えきまでのいきかたを しらべた。

I looked up how to get to the station.
Te-form

けいさつはじこのげんいんを しらべて いる。

The police are investigating the cause of the accident.
Potential

ネットでなんでも しらべられる じだいです。

These days you can look up anything online.
Want to

このはなのなまえを しらべたい。

I want to look up the name of this flower.
Volitional

あとでやすいホテルを しらべよう。

Let's look for a cheap hotel later.
Conditional

しらべれば すぐわかることだよ。

It's something you'd find out right away if you looked it up.
Commands and requests

ひとにきくまえに、じぶんで しらべなさい。

Look it up yourself before asking people.
Passive and causative

こっきょうでかばんのなかをしらべられた。

At the border they went through my bag.

しらべる is to look into something you don't know yet; たしかめる is to make sure of what you think you know.

The same pattern, on other verbs: ichidan verb (ru-verb).