Eat, drink, sleep
The body's daily round — eating, drinking, going to bed, getting up, being tired — which comes up in nearly every how's-your-day exchange.
taberu
polite tabemasueat
食べる たべる 食べます
Eating anything and suggesting meals (nani taberu?), and it is the model ichidan verb for pattern drills.
mou gohan tabeta?
Have you eaten yet?
もうご飯食べた？
mou gohan o tabemashita ka?
Have you eaten yet?
もうご飯を食べましたか？
nomu
polite nomimasudrink; take (medicine)
飲む のむ 飲みます
Drinking anything, taking medicine (kusuri o nomu) and going out drinking (nomi ni iku).
kyou wa nani nomu?
What are you drinking today?
今日は何飲む？
kyou wa nani o nomimasu ka?
What are you having to drink today?
今日は何を飲みますか？
Medicine is nomu, never taberu.
neru
polite nemasusleep; go to bed
寝る ねる 寝ます
Going to bed and sleeping (nanji ni neta?), and also lying down.
kinou nanji ni neta?
What time did you go to bed last night?
昨日何時に寝た？
kinou nanji ni nemashita ka?
What time did you go to bed last night?
昨日何時に寝ましたか？
neteru = is asleep; neta = went to bed.
okiru
polite okimasuwake up; get up; happen
起きる おきる 起きます
Waking up or getting up (nanji ni okita?), and also events happening (nani ga okita?).
kesa nanji ni okita?
What time did you get up this morning?
今朝何時に起きた？
kesa nanji ni okimashita ka?
What time did you get up this morning?
今朝何時に起きましたか？
okiteru? = 'are you awake?'
tsukareru
polite tsukaremasuget tired
疲れる つかれる 疲れます
Getting tired, where the past tsukareta is the normal way to say 'I'm tired' right now.
kyou wa honto ni tsukareta.
I'm really wiped out today.
今日はほんとに疲れた。
kyou wa hontou ni tsukaremashita.
I'm really tired today.
今日は本当に疲れました。
Present tsukareru says something is tiring (kono shigoto tsukareru = this job wears you out); 'I'm tired' right now is tsukareta, a lasting state is tsukareteru.