Japanese Verb Suru: How to Use する Correctly

Understanding the Japanese Verb する (Suru)

If you've been learning Japanese for more than a week, you've definitely run into する (suru). This little verb shows up everywhere, and honestly, it's one of the most useful things you'll learn in Japanese. The basic meaning is "to do," but that barely scratches the surface of what this verb can actually do for you.

Here's the thing: する (suru) works differently from most Japanese verbs. While regular verbs stand on their own, suru has this superpower where it can attach to nouns and turn them into verbs. Pretty cool! This means you can take a noun like 勉強 (benkyou, study) and slap する on the end to get 勉強する (benkyou suru, to study). Boom, instant verb.

The verb suru belongs to a special category of irregular verbs in Japanese. There are only two truly irregular verbs in the language: する (suru, to do) and 来る (kuru, to come). Everything else follows predictable patterns, but these two? They do their own thing with conjugation, which means you need to memorize their forms separately.

What is a Suru Verb Exactly?

Let me give you a simple but complete definition: a suru verb is any noun that can combine with する to create a verb phrase. These are sometimes called "verbal nouns" because they function as nouns on their own but become verbs when paired with する.

The beauty of this system is that Japanese can quickly create new verbs from nouns, especially loan words from other languages. When English words get adopted into Japanese, they often become suru verbs. For example, コピー (kopii, copy) becomes コピーする (kopii suru, to copy), and ダウンロード (daunroodo, download) becomes ダウンロードする (daunroodo suru, to download).

You'll see this pattern constantly in modern Japanese. The language keeps evolving, and new suru verbs pop up all the time as technology and culture introduce new concepts.

Basic Conjugation of する (Suru)

Alright, let's get into the conjugation tables. Since suru is irregular, you really need to memorize these forms. They don't follow the standard verb rules.

Present/Future Tense:

Are suru and shimasu the same? Yes and no. They're the same verb, but します (shimasu) is the polite form while する (suru) is the plain form. You'd use shimasu in formal situations, with people you don't know well, or with superiors. You'd use suru with friends, family, or in casual writing.

Past Tense:

Te-form:

This form gets used constantly for connecting sentences, making requests, and forming other grammatical patterns. When you see ている (te iru) or ていた (te ita), these are continuous or ongoing action markers. So している (shite iru) means "is doing" and していた (shite ita) means "was doing."

When to use ていた specifically? Use it when you want to describe an ongoing action that was happening in the past. Like 昨日、宿題をしていた (kinou, shukudai wo shite ita, Yesterday, I was doing homework).

Volitional Form:

Conditional:

Passive:

Causative:

The passive and causative forms show up in more advanced grammar patterns. The causative form especially gets used when you're talking about making someone do something or letting them do something.

How Suru Verbs Work with Nouns

The standard pattern is simple: noun + する = verb. The noun comes first, then you attach する.

Here are some super common examples:

You can also use the particle を (wo) between the noun and する. This makes the noun a direct object of the verb. So you might see 勉強をする (benkyou wo suru) instead of just 勉強する. Both mean the same thing: "to study." The を version is slightly more formal and emphasizes the noun as the object of doing.

This answers a common question: nani wo suru means "do what?" Here, 何 (nani, what) is the direct object marked by を, and you're literally asking "what will you do?"

The を (Wo) Particle with Suru

The particle を can appear in different positions with suru verbs, which confuses a lot of learners.

Pattern 1: 勉強する (benkyou suru) Pattern 2: 勉強をする (benkyou wo suru) Pattern 3: 日本語を勉強する (nihongo wo benkyou suru, to study Japanese)

In Pattern 3, を marks 日本語 (nihongo, Japanese language) as the object of studying. You're studying Japanese specifically. The noun 勉強 stays attached to する without を because they form a single verb unit.

You can also say: 日本語の勉強をする (nihongo no benkyou wo suru, to do studying of Japanese). Here, の (no) connects Japanese to studying, and を marks the whole thing as the direct object.

Both ways work fine. Japanese has flexibility in how you structure these phrases.

Why Sometimes する Disappears

Here's something that trips people up: sometimes you'll see just the noun without する in contexts where you'd expect the full verb. Discord, for example, translates "Create Channel" to just チャンネルを作成 (channeru wo sakusei), why the lack of する here?

This happens in titles, headings, buttons, and short commands where space is limited or where the meaning is obvious from context. It's like how English might say "Exit" on a sign instead of "Please exit here." The する is implied but dropped for brevity.

In full sentences, you'd definitely include it: チャンネルを作成する (channeru wo sakusei suru, to create a channel). But in UI elements or headings, Japanese often drops particles and verb endings to keep things compact.

Common Suru Verbs You Need to Know

Let me give you a practical list of suru verbs you'll use all the time. These cover everyday activities and are great for beginners working toward JLPT N5 level.

Daily Activities:

Communication:

Work and Study:

Actions:

Loan Word Suru Verbs:

The kanji for する is 為る, but honestly, you'll almost never see it written that way. Everyone uses the hiragana する. The kanji version looks super formal and old-fashioned.

Example Sentences in Different Tenses

Let me show you how suru verbs work in actual sentences across different tenses and forms.

Present/Future:

Past:

Negative:

Te-form (continuous):

With まで (made): The particle まで (made, until) shows up in time expressions. How to use まで in a sentence? It marks the endpoint of an action or time period.

Example: 夜まで勉強する (yoru made benkyou suru, I'll study until night) Another: 駅まで散歩した (eki made sanpo shita, I walked to the station)

Comparing する (Suru) with 来る (Kuru)

Since both suru and kuru are irregular verbs, it helps to see them side by side. While suru means "to do," 来る (kuru) means "to come."

Present forms:

Past forms:

Te-forms:

Negative:

Both verbs break the rules in their own ways. You just have to memorize their conjugations because they won't follow the patterns you learn for regular verbs.

Grammar Tips for Using Suru Correctly

A few practical tips that'll help you use suru verbs without making common mistakes:

First, remember that not every noun can become a suru verb. Some nouns just don't work that way. You can't randomly attach する to any noun and expect it to make sense. The noun needs to be a verbal noun, something that represents an action or state that can be "done."

Second, when you're using を with suru verbs, think about what you're actually marking as the direct object. If you say 日本語を勉強する (nihongo wo benkyou suru), the を marks Japanese as what you're studying. If you say 勉強をする (benkyou wo suru), the を marks studying itself as the action you're doing.

Third, pay attention to whether a verb is a suru verb or a regular verb. Some concepts have both options. For example, 着く (tsuku) is a regular verb meaning "to arrive," while 到着する (touchaku suru) is a suru verb also meaning "to arrive." The suru version tends to sound more formal or technical.

Fourth, when conjugating suru verbs, you only conjugate the する part. The noun stays the same. So 勉強する becomes 勉強した (benkyou shita) in past tense, 勉強して (benkyou shite) in te-form, and so on. The 勉強 never changes.

Practical Usage for Beginners

If you're just starting out with Japanese, focus on memorizing maybe 10 to 15 common suru verbs first. Don't try to learn every possible combination. Start with the ones you'll actually use in daily conversation: 勉強する (benkyou suru, to study), 料理する (ryouri suru, to cook), 買い物する (kaimono suru, to shop), 仕事する (shigoto suru, to work), and 電話する (denwa suru, to call).

Practice conjugating these verbs in different tenses until the patterns feel natural. Write out full conjugation tables for する if that helps you memorize. The irregular conjugation will feel weird at first, but after you've used it a few dozen times, your brain will start to automate it.

Try making simple sentences using suru verbs with different time expressions. Use 今日 (kyou, today), 明日 (ashita, tomorrow), 昨日 (kinou, yesterday), 毎日 (mainichi, every day), and まで (made, until) to practice different contexts.

Listen for suru verbs when you're watching Japanese content or reading. You'll start noticing them everywhere once you know what to look for. Pay attention to whether people use を or not, and in what contexts.

The more you encounter suru in real Japanese, the more intuitive it becomes. Grammar tables are useful for reference, but actual exposure is what makes this verb feel natural to use.

Moving Forward with Suru

The verb する opens up a huge portion of Japanese vocabulary. Once you understand how it works, you can recognize and use hundreds of verbs that follow this pattern. Every time you learn a new verbal noun, you automatically know how to turn it into a verb.

This system also makes Japanese surprisingly flexible for adopting new words. When a new concept enters the language, it can quickly become a suru verb without needing to create entirely new verb forms. That's why you see so many loan words functioning as suru verbs in modern Japanese.

Keep practicing the conjugation patterns, build up your vocabulary of common suru verbs, and pay attention to how they're used in context. The grammar might seem tricky at first, but suru is one of those foundational elements that everything else builds on.

Anyway, if you want to practice recognizing suru verbs in real Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension lets you look up words instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You can save suru verbs you encounter to review later. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.