Verb types Japanese

When you learn verbs, in order to use them correctly, it is important to know what
kinds of words and particles they require and what sort of restrictions they have.

する suru verbs
する suru is a verb that means to do, but it can be used with a variety of words. For
example:

 弟は毎日コンピューターゲームをしています。
Otōto wa mainichi konpyūtā gēmu o shite imasu.
My younger brother plays computer games every day.
 よくテニスと水泳をします。
Yoku tenisu to suiei o shimasu.
I often play tennis and swim.
 私はてんぷらにします。
Watashi wa tenpura ni shimasu.
I’ll have tempura.
 父は弁護士をしています。
Chichi wa bengoshi o shite imasu.
My father is a lawyer.
 いい匂いがしますね。
Ii nioi ga shimasu ne.
It smells good, doesn’t it?
 この椅子はグラグラしています。
Kono isu wa guragura shite imasu.
This chair wiggles.
 部屋をきれいにしてください。
Heya o kirei ni shite kudasai.
Please make your room clean (and neat).
 この靴は3万円しました。
Kono kutsu wa 30,000 en shimashita.
This pair of shoes cost 30,000 yen.

However, する suru also directly follows a noun that has a verb-like meaning. For
example, it can follow Chinese compounds or words borrowed from English. In many cases,
the particle を o can optionally intervene between these words and する suru:

掃除（を）する sōji (o) suru (to clean)

勉強（を）する benkyō (o) suru (to study)
コピー（を）する kopī (o) suru (to make a copy)
メモする memo suru (to take a note)
チェックインする chekkuin suru (to check in)
The intervening を o is not allowed if there is another instance of を o that marks a direct
object. So, in the following examples, sentences (a) to (c) are grammatical, but (d) is not:

(a) よく勉強します。Yoku benkyō shimasu. I study very hard.

(b) よく勉強をします。Yoku benkyō o shimasu. I study very hard.
(c) よく数学を勉強します。Yoku sūgaku o benkyō shimasu. I study mathematics very hard.
(d) よく日本語を勉強をします。Yoku nihongo o benkyō o shimasu. (Ungrammatical)

Existential verbs ある aru and いる iru

The verbs ある aru and いる iru literally mean to exist. To express the existence of
inanimate items, use ある aru. To express the existence of animate items such as people
and animals, use いる iru.

Items that exist are marked by the particle が ga, and the location is marked by the
particle に ni. However, one of them should be conveyed as the old shared information,
being marked by the topic particle は wa, so the other can be conveyed as the new
information. This makes the sentence clear and natural. If you want to convey the location
of an item as the new information, place the noun for the item at the beginning of the
sentence and mark it with the topic particle は wa, and then place the location noun and
mark it with the particle に ni. If you want to convey the existence of an item as the new
information, place the location noun at the beginning of the sentence and mark it with the
topic particle は wa, and then place the noun for the item and mark it with the particle が
ga.

 リビングルームにはテレビがあります。
Ribingurūmu ni wa terebi ga arimasu.
There is a TV in the living room.
(The existence of the TV is the new information.)
 この建物には警察官がいます。
Kono tatemono ni wa keisatsukan ga imasu.
There is a police officer in this building.
(The existence of the police officer is the new information.)
 警察官はあそこにいます。
Keisatsukan wa asoko ni imasu.
The police officer is over there.
(The location over there is the new information.)