JBP Vol. 1/ Lesson 17

“te-form” introduction

How to form the “te-form”

1. Determine the group of a verb

The “te-form” is a one of Japanese verb’s conjugation and te-forms are very important part of Japanese grammar. All the verbs presented so far have been in, or derived from, the “masu-form”. Now we’ll learn how to form the “te-form”.

Japanese verbs are divided into three classes according to their conjugations: Regular 1, Regular 2, and Irregular. In order to determine the group of a verb, we should focus a syllable right before “ます／masu” at the end.

かいますもちますとりますのみますよびます

ききますかしますたべますきますします

kai masu

mochi masu

tori masu

nomi masu

yobi masu

kiki masu

kasi masu

tabe masu

ki masu

shi masu

(to buy)

(to hold)

(to take)

(to drink)

(to cal l )

(to hear)

(to lend)

(to eat)

(to come)

(to do)

Regular 1

If you find a verb with a syllable right before “ます” as in the chart below, it belongs to Regular 1. You drop the syllable with “ます” off and replace them as shown as in the example below in order to form the “te-from”.

かきますkaki masu

Ex. かきます かきます かいてkaki te

You’ll find a chart on the following page that shows more verbs in Regular 1. The most left row in the chart indicates lesson number that each verb appears on the textbook. Verbs with “＊” in the low are not in the textbook.

“いきます” is an exception with the syllable ”き” before “ます”. It conjugates to “って”, not to “いて” as in the example.

te - Form/ Regular 1L ます - Form masu-Form Conjugations て - Form te-Form Meaning

10 かいます kai masu

い i

→ って → tte

か って ka tte to buy11 あいます ai masu あ って a tte to meet13 にあいます niai masu にあ って nia tte suit, look good on13 もらいます morai masu もら って mor atte to receive, be given

17 まちます machi masu ち chi

ま って ma tte to wait16 もちます mochi masu も って mo tte to hold, carry

6 かえります kaeri masu

り ri

かえ って kae tte to go home, return8 あります ari masu あ って a tte there is/are11 おくります okuri masu おく って oku tte to send16 とります tori masu と って to tte to take (photo/copy)

10 のみます nomi masu み mi

→ んで → nde

の んで no nde to drink10 よみます yomi masu よ んで yo nde to read

17 よびます yobi masu び bi

よ んで yo nde to call＊ あそびます asobi masu あそ んで aso nde to play

＊ しにます shini masu に ni し んで shi nde to die

10 ききます kiki masu き ki

→ いて → ite

き いて ki ite to listen, hear10 かきます kaki masu か いて ka ite to write

＊ いそぎます isogi masu ぎ gi → いで　 ide いそ いで iso ide to hurry

16 かします kashi masu し shi → して shite

か して ka shite to lend16 けします keshi masu け して ke shite to turn off

6 いきます iki masu き ki → って tte い って i tte to go

Let’s try to memorize the chart below to make it easier for Regular 1 verbs.

Regular 2If a verb doesn’t have a syllables right before “ます” as in Regular 1, it belongs to Regular 2. You just drop “ます” off and replace it to “て” as in the example below in order to form the te-froms for Regular 2 verbs.

たべますtabe masu

Ex. たべます たべます たべてtabe te

Below is a chart that shows more verbs in Regular 2. L ます - Form masu-Form Conjugations て - Form Meaning

8 います i masu

ます → て masu → te

いて i te there is/are10 みます mi masu みて mi te to watch, look, see10 たべます tabe masu たべて tabe te to eat13 あげます age masu あげて age te to give16 つけます tsuke masu つけて tsuke te to turn on16 あけます ake masu あけて ake te to open16 しめます shime masu しめて shime te to close, shut

＊

＊

With verbs like “います” and “みます”, we can not drop a syllable with “ます” off and replace them as shown as in Regular 1 because there’s only one syllable except “ます”. That’s why these verbs can not be Regular 1 even they have “い” or “み” right before “ます”.

いますi masu

Ex. asReg. 1

います います ってtte(?)

Irregular

There are only two verbs in Irregular, “きます” and ”します”. You just drop “ます” off and replace it to “て” as in the example below in order to form the te-froms for Irregular just same as Regular 2 verbs.

きますki masu

Ex. きます きます きてki te

Below is a chart that shows more verbs in Irregular . L ます - Form masu-Form Conjugations て - Form Meaning

6 きます ki masu ます → て masu → te

きて ki te to come6 します shi masu して shi te to do

Drill : Fill blanks with te-forms for each verb.masu-form te-form English Terms

かいます kai masu to buy

あいます ai masu to meet

にあいます niai masu suit, look good on

もらいます morai masu to receive, be given

まちます machi masu to wait

もちます mochi masu to hold, carry

かえります kaeri masu to go home, return

あります ari masu there is/are

おくります okuri masu to send

とります tori masu to take (photo/copy)

いきます iki masu to go

のみます nomi masu to drink

よみます yomi masu to read

よびます yobi masu to call

あそびます asobi masu to play

しにます shini masu to die

masu-form te-form English Terms

います i masu there is/are

みます mi masu to watch, look, see

たべます tabe masu to eat

あげます age masu to give

つけます tsuke masu to turn on

あけます age masu to open

しめます shime masu to close, shut

masu-form te-form English Terms

きます ki masu to come

します shi masu to do

masu-form te-form English Terms

ききます kiki masu to listen, hear

かきます kaki masu to write

いそぎます isogi masu to hurry

かします kasi masu to lend

けします keshi masu to turn off