Requirements for creating or revising verb entries in je-dict-1. Covers transitivity, aspect/ている behavior, particle patterns, and collocations.
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, include all of the following:
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").
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:
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.
Explicitly state what ている means for this verb:
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:
Reference list of verbs with non-obvious ている behavior:
Resultative state (ている = "is in the state of having done X"):
Knowledge/cognitive state (ている = current mental state):
Habitual (ている = regularly does X):
Show which particles the verb takes:
PARTICLE PATTERNS:
- [noun]が[verb] - [meaning]
- [noun]を[verb] - [meaning]
- [noun]に[verb] - [meaning]
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)
Mark as: Casual / Neutral / Formal
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
Link to honorific alternatives:
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]
See the example-sentences skill for complete requirements including:
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:
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: ある, いる, なる, できるconsumption: 食べる, 飲む, 使う, 買うaction: Fallback for verbs not fitting other categoriespython3 build/verify_furigana.py <entry_id> shows "✓ OK"verb-conjugations skill)