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.