How are your Japanese verb conjugation skills? Do you know how to change the verb なおす into a command? Or how to make のる into the negative volitional form? For those of us that learned Japanese through textbooks, this may sound oh-so familiar. For others, who learned Japanese through other means, such as speaking and listening, these concepts will not be as clear. When it comes to knowing exactly why and how a verb conjugates the way it does, one of the most helpful ways to get acquainted with the material is through practice.
When it comes to knowing exactly why and how a verb conjugates the way it does, one of the most helpful ways to get acquainted with the material is through practice.
In the Japanese Conjugation City app, you're tested on conjugating various verbs into different forms. On the homepage, you can select conjugation forms that you would like to include in the tests. There are the basics, like polite and past form, but there are also more advanced options like causative passive and volitional. The vocabulary that is available ranges from JLPT N5 through N3. Although the app says it also includes N1 and N2 vocabulary, there wasn't an option to select them. These verbs are then randomly paired with the conjugations you selected to form quiz material. You can display the vocabulary in kanji, romaji, English and other forms, based on what you're trying to learn.
If you get an answer wrong, you can open an explanation that shows the rules of the conjugation form and the correct way to conjugate the verb. The explanation gives the answer away so make sure you're out of ideas when you decide to check. You can also see "lessons" before you take the tests. These are short summaries of the way that the conjugation works with different verbs.
After taking your tests, you can access your stats to see how well you've done with the conjugations and verbs. This is helpful information if you're planning on taking a test like the JLPT, because you can see which areas you're doing alright in and which areas require more practice. In this app, the rules of conjugation seem secondary and the tests take priority. If you're a complete beginner at conjugating verbs, this likely won't be the best place to start. However, if you're someone who wants to learn more about conjugating verbs in Japanese or practice your conjugation and vocabulary knowledge, this could be something you'll want to check out.