© S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi1

• The table to the right shows te-forms of various grammatical categories.

• Place the pointer on a category name to hear how each representative form sounds.

Te-forms of various grammatical categories

Positive Negative

I-adjectives 高くて 高くなくて

Na-adjectives きれいで きれいじゃなくて

Nouns 学生で 学生じゃなくて

One-step verbs 食べて 食べないで／ 食べなくて

TA-RA-WA-line verbs 待って 待たないで ／ 待たなくて

BA-MA-NA-line verbs 読んで 読まないで ／ 読まなくて

KA-line verbs 歩いて 歩かないで ／ 歩かなくて

GA-line verbs 急いで 急がないで ／ 急がなくて

SA-line verbs 話して 話さないで ／ 話さなくて

© S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi2

• The table to the right shows te-forms of irregular verbs.

• Place the pointer on a category name to hear how each representative form sounds.

Te-forms of various grammatical categories

Positive Negative

“go” 行って 行かないで ／ 行かなくて

“do” して しないで ／ しなくて

“come” きて こないで／ こなくて

“exist” あって なくて

© S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi3

Productive patterns based on te-forms• To the right are representative uses of te-forms of i-adjectives. 高くてまずい It is expensive and not good-tasting.

たか

高くて買えない Because it is expensive, I cannot buy it. か

高くなくてよかった It was good that it wasn’t expensive.

高くてもいい It is OK for it to be expensive.

高くても買う Even if it is expensive, I will buy it.

安くなくてはいけない It has to be cheap.やす

© S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi4

Productive patterns based on te-forms• To the right are representative uses of te-forms of na-adjectives. きれいで安い It is clean and cheap.

簡単で誰でも使える Because it is simple, anyone can use it.かんたん だれ つか

簡単でいい It is good that it is simple.

きれいでなくてもいい It does not have to be clean.

きれいでなくても買う I will buy it even if it is not good-looking.

きれいでなくてはいけない It has to be clean.

© S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi5

Productive patterns based on te-forms• And here are representative uses of nominal te-forms.

学生でまずしい He is a student and poor.がくせい

学生で買えない Because she is a student, she cannot buy it.

学生でよかった It was good that I was a student.

学生でもいい Students will be fine.

学生でも買う Even a student will buy it.

学生でなくてはいけない They need to be students.

© S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi6

Productive patterns based on te-forms• To the right are representative uses of verbal te-forms.

書いてください Please write. か

書かないでください Please do not write.

書いて覚える I will write and memorize it. おぼ

書かないで覚える I will memorize it without writing.

書いてあげる I will write for you.

書いてやる I will write for someone “lower.”

書いてくれる She/he/they will write for me.

書いてくださる She/he/they will write for me.

書いてもらう I will ask her/him/them write for me.

© S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi7

Productive patterns based on te-forms• And here are more.

書いている I am writing.

書いて来る I will write and come. く

書いて行く I will write and go. い

書いておく I will write ahead of time.

書いてある I have written it in preparation.

書いてみる I will write and see.

書いてみせる I will write (to show it).

書いてしまう I will write (in an unexpected way.)

© S. Hamano and W. Kikuchi8

Productive patterns based on te-forms• And more.

書いてから after I write

書いてもいい It is OK to write.

書かなくてもいい It is OK not to write.

書いてはいけない You may not write.

書かなくてはいけない You must write.