Quote:
Originally Posted by RickOShay
Yeah, I agree. In my first Japanese text book way back when.. it never taught us those terms.. the verbs were simply referred to as るverbs and うverbs. So every time I tried to explain to Japanese people that I had no idea how to conjugate verbs ending in dictionary form る that I was unfamiliar with, they could never understand what I meant. I had to draw it out for them.
BTW.. is there anyway you have heard of to tell which they are for the ones that end in dictionary form る other than through experience？
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You've got the guideline really wrong.
Every verb that does not end in /eru/ or /iru/ is definitely a godan verb. Most that end in /eru/ or /iru/ are ichidan verbs. It's not /ru/ verbs, but /eru/ and /iru/ verbs.
For example, 止まる is a godan verb even though it ends in る. On the other hand, 止める is an ichidan verb because it ends in /eru/, and in general, verbs that end in /eru/ are ichidan.
There are exceptions, such as 帰る, which ends in /eru/ but is a godan.
In general, here's what you should be thinking, provided it's not instinctive at this point:
1. Do I know whether this verb is ichidan or godan already? If so, stop. If not, continue to #2.
2. Does it end in /eru/ or /iru/? If no, it is godan. If yes, it's probably ichidan.
Here's a good example of why you have to just memorize some of them:
いる (to exist)->います
いる (to need)->いります
One other thing to note: It's entirely possible natives don't know these terms ichidan and godan. I wouldn't be surprised if Sashimister wasn't aware of this distinction. Since Japanese people don't have to learn the rule, they don't need the terms. It's more of a linguistics thing.
It's like how native English speakers don't (in general) learn certain terms for English (past pluperfect, e.g.), but can just use the rules without being taught them.