The All Important -te Form (in Romanji) -te forms are what makes Japanese unique. They act as past-tense, present-tense, and future-tense all in one and support many grammatical functions. examples

Find English Teachers

Storm Kesocascay

The All Important -te Form (in Romanji) -te forms are what makes Japanese unique. They act as past-tense, present-tense, and future-tense all in one and support many grammatical functions. examples of usage: [-te form verb] kudasai? (Can you/will you/would you,ect) [-te form verb] aru/iru/arimasu/imasu. (is doing/will do) Verbs are separated into three parts with these parts separated further. The first set of categories are: One-step, Five-step, and irregular. One-step verbs are quite simple; they just need one step to make a -te form. (these commonly end with -ru. Taberu, neru, ireru, shimeru, ect, are all one-step. With One-step verbs, just take off -ru and replace it with -te. Taberu = Tabete Neru = Nete Ireru = irete Shimeru = shimete. One-steps, when put into -masu form, are simple as well; take -ru off and place -masu. Tabete/Taberu = Tabemasu Nete/neru = nemasu Irete/ireru = iremasu Shimete/shimeru = shimemasu. Five-step verbs are more complicated; the -te form depends on the last syllable. If the last syllable is -su, "turn it up" to a shi syllable and add -te. Kesu = Keshite naosu=naoshite otosu=otoshite kasu=kashite. To put a Five-step verb from -te to -masu, take off -te and replace it with -masu. Kesu/keshite=keshimasu Naosu/naoshite=naoshimasu. Otosu/otoshite=otoshimasu Kasu/kashite=kashimasu. Five-step verbs ending with -ku in plain form lose their -k sound and is replaced with -ite. Kaku=kaite tsuku=tsuite kiku=kiite To put these in -masu, turn -ku into -ki and add masu. Kaku/Kaite=Kakimasu. Tsuku/tsuite=tsukimasu Kiku/Kiite=kikimasu. A Five-step ending in -gu works like a One-step or Five-step -ku, but add -ide Oyogu=oyoide Isogu=isoide Kogu=koide. To put these in -masu, change -gu to -gi and add masu. Oyoide/oyogu=oyogimasu Isogu/isoide=isogimasu. A Five-step verb ending in -mu, -nu or -bu has a -te form of -nde. Yomu=yonde Nomu=nonde Shinu=Shinde (the only -nu verb) Fumu=funde. To put these in -masu, change -mu, -nu, -bu to -mi, -ni, -bi. Yomu=Yomimasu Nomu=Nomimasu All verbs ending with aru, uru, oru, (and some with iru or eru) receive a -tte form. Take -ru off. Aru/arimasu=atte Uru/urimasu=utte. -Masu works like the One-steps. The last class are Five-step verbs that end in vowels. (au, iu, uu, ou) These receive a -tte form as well. Arau/araimasu=aratte iimasu/iu/itte Nuguu/nuguimasu=nugutte. For -te, take of -u and replace it with -tte For -masu, change -u ti -i and add -masu. Irregular Verbs in next entry.

Jun 22, 2012 1:03 PM

Corrections · 1

Oh yeah, let me say before I get another message asking the same thing: you cannot use these in everyday speech, only with other conjugations. Example: you can say "kono mizu wo nonde ii desu ka?" ("is it ok to drink this water?") but you can't say "kono mizu wo nonde". Only "Kono muzi wo nomu/nomimasu" ("I'm drinking this water") or "Kono mizu wo nonde iru/imasu" (same) Also, when wa or wo is used, don't put wa after the verb. Kono mizu wo nonde wa ii desu ka? sounds confusing. it sounds like "As for this water, as for drinking it, is it ok?" why add another topic? You have two choices; 1: put ga after the verb (but that goes mainly in iru/aru sentences. I personally don't recommend it because it still sounds weird.) or 2: let -te function as the particle. I recommend that.

June 24, 2012

Want to progress faster?

Join this learning community and try out free exercises!