13 This is why it is essential to learn such changes of verbs (called "inflections") when studying Japanese. It may seem difficult, but actually it is easy if you get a hold of the rules as you familiarize yourself with them. Today, I will give you some advice. It is true that there are so many verb forms if you count complex cases like "nom-e-na-katta-node", but there are only few basic forms . The most basic forms are the following 4 types. I will describe them using the verbs "nomu" (drink) and "taberu" (eat). (1)Dictionary form (e.g. "nomu" "taberu")(2)Masu-form (e.g. "nomimasu" "tabemasu")(3)Nai-form (e.g. "nomanai" "tabenai")(4)Te-form (e.g. "nonde" "tabete")(1) is the infinitive form, which you find in a dictionary, (3) is the negative form, (2) and (4) are the most frequently used forms. Now, I will call them the four basic forms. (The four basic forms are not "Nomimasu/nomimashita/ nomimasen/ nomimasendeshita" that you learned at the very beginning. These are categorized in group (2). Besides group (2), there are groups (1) (3) and (4).) Once you learn the four basic forms, it is not difficult to apply them to other forms. On the other hand, without learning them, it is difficult to improve. Learning the four basic forms especially, te-form, which is the most complicated is the most important point at the very beginning stages of studying Japanese. When I mentioned earlier that "the stage when you learn the basics of verb inflection is the most important", I meant the stage at which you learn these four basic forms. This stage is the first turning point to success or failure in studying Japanese. Don't worry, though. There are rules for inflection (please learn them in a class), so once you learn the rules, there is no problem. It is only when you do not learn the rules, or underestimate the importance of them, that can lead you to failure (and I must say that I am writing this text for those students who I meet once in a while). The four basic forms
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