Japanese grammar · Elementary (A2)
The te-form
How to make the te-form for every verb group, how it joins sentences, and ～てから, ～てみる and ～てしまう.
What the te-form does
The te-form ends in て (-te) or で (-de). On its own it has no tense; it links a verb to what comes next. It is the base for many of the most useful patterns in Japanese, so it is worth learning well.
You'll use it to join actions (“I got up and had a shower”), to ask for things (～てください, please do), to ask for permission (～てもいいですか, may I), and to say what is going on now (～ています). The table shows the main patterns.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ～てください (-te kudasai) | please do | (Chotto matte kudasai) Please wait a moment. |
| ～てもいいですか (-te mo ii desu ka) | may I? | (Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka) May I take a photo? |
| ～ています (-te imasu) | be doing; a lasting state | (Ima, ame ga futte imasu) It's raining now. |
| ～て、～ (-te, …) | and then | (Eki ni itte, densha ni norimasu) I go to the station and get on the train. |
| ～てから (-te kara) | after doing | (Gohan o tabete kara dekakemasu) I'll go out after I eat. |
Making the te-form
Ru-verbs are easy: drop る and add て. U-verbs change according to their last sound, and the table groups them by ending. Remember that some verbs ending in -iru or -eru are u-verbs: (kaeru, go home) gives (kaette), not 帰て.
There is one exception among the u-verbs: (iku, go) becomes (itte), not 行いて. The irregular verbs give (shite) and (kite). The plain past (た-form) is made in exactly the same way, with た and だ: (nonde) → (nonda).
| Dictionary form ends in | te-form ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| る (ru-verbs) | て | → (taberu → tabete, eat), → (miru → mite, see) |
| う, つ, る (u-verbs) | って | → (kau → katte, buy), → (matsu → matte, wait), → (kaeru → kaette, go home) |
| む, ぶ, ぬ | んで | → (nomu → nonde, drink), → (asobu → asonde, play), → (shinu → shinde, die) |
| く | いて | → (kaku → kaite, write), → (kiku → kiite, listen) |
| ぐ | いで | → (oyogu → oyoide, swim), → (isogu → isoide, hurry) |
| す | して | → (hanasu → hanashite, speak) |
| (iku), the exception | って | → (iku → itte, go) |
| (suru), (kuru) | irregular | → (suru → shite, do), → (kuru → kite, come) |
Joining actions: ～て、～て
Several te-forms in a row list actions in the order they happen, like “and then” in English. Only the last verb shows the tense and the politeness: (asa okite, shawā o abite, kaisha ni ikimashita, I got up, had a shower and went to work).
Adjectives and nouns have te-forms too, for joining descriptions: い-adjectives change い to くて (, yasukute oishii, cheap and tasty), and な-adjectives and nouns take で (, shizuka de kirei, quiet and pretty).
- 朝起きて、シャワーを浴びて、会社に行きました。Asa okite, shawā o abite, kaisha ni ikimashita.I got up, had a shower and went to work.
- 新宿で電車を降りて、バスに乗ってください。Shinjuku de densha o orite, basu ni notte kudasai.Get off the train at Shinjuku and take a bus.
- この店は安くておいしいです。Kono mise wa yasukute oishii desu.This restaurant is cheap and good.
～てから: after doing
The te-form + (kara) means “after doing”, and it makes clear that the first action is finished before the second one starts: (te o aratte kara tabemasu, I wash my hands before I eat, literally “after washing my hands I eat”).
It is often used for instructions and plans where the order matters. A simple ～て only lists what happens; ～てから stresses “first this, then that”.
- 手を洗ってから食べましょう。Te o aratte kara tabemashō.Let's wash our hands before we eat.
- 仕事が終わってから、ジムに行きます。Shigoto ga owatte kara, jimu ni ikimasu.I go to the gym after work.
- 切符を買ってから、改札を通ってください。Kippu o katte kara, kaisatsu o tōtte kudasai.Buy a ticket first, then go through the ticket gate.
～てみる: try and see
The te-form + (miru, to see) means “do something and see what it's like”: (tabete mimasu, I'll try it). It's for trying something new, not for making an effort. In shops you'll need (kite mite mo ii desu ka, may I try it on?).
～てみたい (-te mitai) is “I'd like to try”, and ～てみてください (-te mite kudasai) is a friendly “give it a try”.
- これ、着てみてもいいですか。Kore, kite mite mo ii desu ka.May I try this on?
- 納豆を食べてみました。Nattō o tabete mimashita.I tried nattō.
- いつか北海道に行ってみたいです。Itsuka Hokkaidō ni itte mitai desu.I'd like to go to Hokkaido some day.
～てしまう: all done, or oops
The te-form + (shimau, to finish, to put away) has two uses. It can mean that an action is completely finished: (zenbu tabete shimaimashita, I ate it all). More often, it shows regret: something happened that you didn't want, often by mistake: (saifu o wasurete shimaimashita, I've gone and forgotten my wallet).
In casual speech, てしまう shortens to ちゃう and でしまう to じゃう: (wasurechatta, I forgot), (nonjatta, I drank it all).
- 財布を忘れてしまいました。Saifu o wasurete shimaimashita.I've forgotten my wallet.
- レポートはもう書いてしまいました。Repōto wa mō kaite shimaimashita.I've already finished writing the report.
- 電車の中で寝ちゃった。Densha no naka de nechatta.I fell asleep on the train.