Verb Entry Requirements

Reminder: Write each entry individually by hand. Do not use scripts to mass-produce entries. See entry-guidelines skill.

When creating or revising VERB entries, work from the sections below as an inventory — not a checklist to clear every time. Verb-entry notes typically run 2–3 sections (~400–1,000 chars for single-sense entries; see vocabulary-notes for the full length table). Transitivity is almost always included; aspect/ている is included only when the behavior is non-obvious; medium-priority sections (register, negative usage, keigo) are included only when they add something the gloss and examples don't.

Conjugation Field (REQUIRED)

Every verb entry must include a conjugation field with the full set of conjugated forms. See the verb-conjugations skill for the complete specification.

After creating a verb entry, run python3 build/add_conjugations.py to generate the conjugation data, or include it directly. Also ensure metadata.tags.verb_class is set (e.g., "godan-ku", "ichidan", "suru").

Required Sections (HIGH PRIORITY)

1. Transitivity Information

Every verb MUST specify transitivity and its pair:

TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: Intransitive ({自動詞|じどうし}) / Transitive ({他動詞|たどうし})
- Pair: [pair verb with reading] (if exists)
- Pattern: Xが[verb] / Xを[verb]

Common pairs to know:

• 開く/開ける, 閉まる/閉める, 始まる/始める, 終わる/終える
• 出る/出す, 入る/入れる, 付く/付ける, 消える/消す
• 割れる/割る, 壊れる/壊す, 決まる/決める, 変わる/変える

〜がる verbs (adjective + がる: 嫌がる, 痛がる, 寂しがる …): tag transitivity by whether the verb takes a を object in normal use (curator ruling 2026-10-01). Transitive: 嫌がる, 欲しがる, 怖がる, かわいがる, 面白がる, 煙たがる (Xを嫌がる). Intransitive: 痛がる, 寂しがる, 強がる, 恥ずかしがる, 悔しがる (Xが痛がる); an occasional を naming where the feeling is located (耳を痛がる) does not make the verb transitive. Verbs where がる is part of the root (上がる, 曲がる, 繋がる) are ordinary verbs, not this pattern.

Pair linking: Use prominent_see_also (NOT cross_references) to link transitive/intransitive pair verbs. The note field should indicate what the target entry is ("transitive" or "intransitive"). Always verify the back-link exists on the pair entry.

2. Aspect/ている Behavior (when non-obvious)

Explicitly state what ている means for this verb only when it's non-obvious — typically for stative/resultative verbs in the reference list below, or verbs where ている produces a state rather than an ongoing action. For ordinary action verbs where ている means "is doing X" in the expected way, this section can be omitted.

ASPECT:
- Type: Telic (has endpoint) / Atelic (ongoing)
- ている meaning: Resulting state / Ongoing action / Both
- Example: [verb]ている = [meaning]

Critical verbs needing aspect notes:

• 知る → 知っている means "know" (state), not "is learning"
• 結婚する → 結婚している means "is married" (state)
• 死ぬ → 死んでいる means "is dead" (state)
• 持つ → 持っている means "have" (state)

Reference list of verbs with non-obvious ている behavior:

Resultative state (ている = "is in the state of having done X"):

• {結婚|けっこん}する → {結婚|けっこん}している = is married
• {死|し}ぬ → {死|し}んでいる = is dead
• {座|すわ}る → {座|すわ}っている = is seated
• {立|た}つ → {立|た}っている = is standing
• {持|も}つ → {持|も}っている = has/possesses
• {着|き}る → {着|き}ている = is wearing
• {住|す}む → {住|す}んでいる = lives (at)
• {太|ふと}る → {太|ふと}っている = is fat/overweight
• {痩|や}せる → {痩|や}せている = is thin
• {開|あ}く → {開|あ}いている = is open
• {閉|し}まる → {閉|し}まっている = is closed
• {壊|こわ}れる → {壊|こわ}れている = is broken
• {決|き}まる → {決|き}まっている = is decided
• {似|に}る → {似|に}ている = resembles
• {慣|な}れる → {慣|な}れている = is accustomed
• {疲|つか}れる → {疲|つか}れている = is tired
• {落|お}ちる → {落|お}ちている = is on the ground (has fallen)
• {並|なら}ぶ → {並|なら}んでいる = is lined up
• {曲|ま}がる → {曲|ま}がっている = is bent/curved
• {混|こ}む → {混|こ}んでいる = is crowded
• {起|お}きる → {起|お}きている = is awake
• {売|う}れる → {売|う}れている = is popular / sells well
• {届|とど}く → {届|とど}いている = has arrived (is there)
• {始|はじ}まる → {始|はじ}まっている = has started (is underway)
• {終|お}わる → {終|お}わっている = is over/finished

Knowledge/cognitive state (ている = current mental state):

• {知|し}る → {知|し}っている = knows (negative: {知|し}らない, NOT {知|し}っていない)
• {覚|おぼ}える → {覚|おぼ}えている = remembers
• {信|しん}じる → {信|しん}じている = believes
• {分|わ}かる → {分|わ}かっている = understands (already)

Habitual (ている = regularly does X):

• {勤|つと}める → {勤|つと}めている = works at / is employed at
• {通|かよ}う → {通|かよ}っている = attends regularly / commutes to
• {付|つ}き{合|あ}う → {付|つ}き{合|あ}っている = is dating / is in a relationship

3. Core Particle Patterns

Show which particles the verb takes:

PARTICLE PATTERNS:
- [noun]が[verb] - [meaning]
- [noun]を[verb] - [meaning]
- [noun]に[verb] - [meaning]

4. Common Collocations

List 2-3 typical noun pairings:

COMMON PATTERNS:
- {時間|じかん}がかかる (takes time)
- {手間|てま}がかかる (takes effort)
- {お金|おかね}がかかる (costs money)

Medium Priority Sections

5. Register Label

Mark as: Casual / Neutral / Formal

6. Negative Usage Notes

State when the verb is NOT used:

WHEN NOT USED:
- {降|ふ}る: Only for precipitation, never for objects falling
- Use {落|お}ちる for objects dropping

7. Keigo Cross-References (for common verbs)

Link to honorific alternatives:

• {食|た}べる → {召|め}し{上|あ}がる / いただく
• {来|く}る → いらっしゃる

Template for Notes Section

Important: Follow the formatting guidelines in the vocabulary-notes skill for proper structure.

[Verb] is [transitivity type]. The transitive/intransitive pair is [pair verb].

ASPECT (ている):
[explanation of aspect behavior]

COMMON PATTERNS:
- [collocation 1]
- [collocation 2]
- [collocation 3]

[Any register notes, negative usage, or keigo references]

Example Sentences

See the example-sentences skill for complete requirements including:

• Minimum counts: 5 examples per sense (basic/core) or 3 (general)
• Progressive length: Examples should get longer from first to last
• Vocabulary restrictions by tier
• Quality standards and formatting

Sense Numbers in Examples

For verbs with multiple senses, each example must include a sense_numbers field:

"examples": [
  {
    "id": "00001_verb_ex1",
    "japanese": "...",
    "english": "...",
    "sense_numbers": [1]
  }
]

Verb-specific guidelines:

• Each example should clearly demonstrate the sense it's tagged with
• Transitivity-related examples typically share the same sense
• Figurative vs. literal uses often require different sense numbers
• Idiomatic expressions may warrant their own sense
• Show particle patterns ({noun}を{verb}, {noun}に{verb}, etc.)
• Demonstrate ている usage where relevant

Required Tags for Verbs

All verb entries must include these tags in metadata.tags:

"metadata": {
  "tags": {
    "pos": ["verb-godan"],           // verb-godan, verb-ichidan, verb-suru, verb-kuru, verb-irregular
    "transitivity": "transitive",    // REQUIRED for verbs: transitive, intransitive, or both
    "formality": "neutral",          // formal, neutral, informal, vulgar
    "politeness": "plain",           // honorific, humble, polite, plain
    "semantic": ["movement"]         // Choose appropriate category
  }
}

Transitivity tag values:

• transitive: Takes a direct object (他動詞) - Xを[verb]
• intransitive: No direct object (自動詞) - Xが[verb]
• both: Can be used both ways (rare, e.g., 増える/増やす patterns in one verb)

Semantic categories for verbs:

• movement: 行く, 来る, 歩く, 走る, 泳ぐ
• communication: 話す, 聞く, 言う, 読む, 書く
• cognition: 思う, 知る, 考える, 覚える, 忘れる
• existence: being, existing, appearing, disappearing, remaining only: ある, いる, 存在する, 現れる, 消える, 残る, 生じる. A verb of becoming or changing state (なる, 変わる, 固まる) takes change; a verb of making takes creation; anything else takes its subject tag (curator ruling 2026-10-01)
• consumption: 食べる, 飲む, 使う, 買う
• action: Fallback for verbs not fitting other categories

Quality Checklist for Verbs

• All kanji have furigana (headword, examples, AND notes)
• Verify: python3 build/verify_furigana.py <entry_id> shows "✓ OK"
• Tags complete: pos, transitivity, verb_class, formality, politeness, semantic
• Conjugation field present with full forms (see verb-conjugations skill)
• Transitivity clearly marked (自動詞/他動詞)
• Pair verb identified (if exists)
• Aspect/ている behavior explained
• Core particle patterns shown
• At least 2 collocations listed
• Examples show the verb in natural contexts
• Irregular conjugations noted (行く→行って, etc.)
• All examples have valid sense_numbers