grammar - chapter 5
A. -Te Form of Verbs
This form of verbs is used to string verb sequences together. A verb is translated into the te form from its dictionary/plaza in form (I.e., it's form without -ます on the end). In the te-form, verbs have no tense. Once a verb is connected to another verb with the te form, the second verb determines the tense of the whole word.
The te form can be applied to all verb types. The guidelines to follow for each verb type are depicted below. First, however, a brief reminder of the verb types:
Type I: U verbs (verbs ending with -う)
Some examples of u verbs are: たつ、こまる、つかう、とる
Note that つ and る are possible endings, as well. Many Japanese verbs end with る, which can make translating into the te form a bit tricky, as verbs ending in る are found in two categories. In this instance, a verb ending in る is considered to be an u verb when the character preceding it ends in one of these three vowels: a, u, o.
The examples above can illustrate this when written in romaji: ta-tsu, ko-ma-ru, tsu-ka-u, to-ru. In each instance, the u character (I.e., the last hiragana character to make up the word) follows a character whose consonant is attached to an a, u, or o vowel. In other words, when you go to translate a verb to the te form, you will know it is an u verb because it will be preceded by any of the following characters:
あ か さ ま な は た ら や
う、 く す む ぬ ふ つ る ゆ
お、 こ、 そ、 も の ほ と ろ よ
Type II: Iru/eru verbs (verbs ending with -いる/-える)
Some examples of iru/eru verbs are: おきる、ねる、あける、しめる
For these verb types, る will always appear at the end (and this is how it can be easily confused for a Type I verb). In this category, a verb is considered to be an iru/eru verb when the hiragana character preceding it ends in one of two vowels: i, or e.
The examples above can illustrate this when written in romaji: o-ki-ru, ne-ru, a-ke-ru, shi-me-ru. In each instance, the ru character (I.e., the last hiragana character to make up the word) follows a character whose consonant is attached to an i or e vowel. In other words, when you go to translate a verb to the te form, you will know it is an iru/eru verb because it will be preceded by any of the following characters:
い き ち に み ひ し り
え け て ね め へ せ れ
Type III: Irregular Verbs
The two most common irregular verbs are する and くる.
Now that you know the three verb types, here are the guidelines for how to translate them into the te form:
U verbs: drop the u and add って
Some examples:
たつ --> たって. Note that the preceding characters remain the same.
こまる --> こまって. It is just the last character that changes.
つかう --> つかって
とる --> とって
Iru/eru verbs: drop the ru and add て
Some examples:
おきる --> おきて
ねる --> ねて
あける --> あけて
しめる --> しめて
Irregular verbs:
The irregular verbs are transformed as follows:
する --> して
くる --> きて
There is also a song to help you remember how verb endings are transformed. This is for う Verbs only!
てform Song の歌 (Sung to the tune of "Oh My Darling, Clementine")
う つ る って
む ぶ ぬ んで
く いて
ぐ いで
Some exceptions (する して, くる きて) (OR いく いって、かえる かえって)
す して
Te Form Review
This form of verbs is used to string verb sequences together. A verb is translated into the te form from its dictionary/plaza in form (I.e., it's form without -ます on the end). In the te-form, verbs have no tense. Once a verb is connected to another verb with the te form, the second verb determines the tense of the whole word.
The te form can be applied to all verb types. The guidelines to follow for each verb type are depicted below. First, however, a brief reminder of the verb types:
Type I: U verbs (verbs ending with -う)
Some examples of u verbs are: たつ、こまる、つかう、とる
Note that つ and る are possible endings, as well. Many Japanese verbs end with る, which can make translating into the te form a bit tricky, as verbs ending in る are found in two categories. In this instance, a verb ending in る is considered to be an u verb when the character preceding it ends in one of these three vowels: a, u, o.
The examples above can illustrate this when written in romaji: ta-tsu, ko-ma-ru, tsu-ka-u, to-ru. In each instance, the u character (I.e., the last hiragana character to make up the word) follows a character whose consonant is attached to an a, u, or o vowel. In other words, when you go to translate a verb to the te form, you will know it is an u verb because it will be preceded by any of the following characters:
あ か さ ま な は た ら や
う、 く す む ぬ ふ つ る ゆ
お、 こ、 そ、 も の ほ と ろ よ
Type II: Iru/eru verbs (verbs ending with -いる/-える)
Some examples of iru/eru verbs are: おきる、ねる、あける、しめる
For these verb types, る will always appear at the end (and this is how it can be easily confused for a Type I verb). In this category, a verb is considered to be an iru/eru verb when the hiragana character preceding it ends in one of two vowels: i, or e.
The examples above can illustrate this when written in romaji: o-ki-ru, ne-ru, a-ke-ru, shi-me-ru. In each instance, the ru character (I.e., the last hiragana character to make up the word) follows a character whose consonant is attached to an i or e vowel. In other words, when you go to translate a verb to the te form, you will know it is an iru/eru verb because it will be preceded by any of the following characters:
い き ち に み ひ し り
え け て ね め へ せ れ
Type III: Irregular Verbs
The two most common irregular verbs are する and くる.
Now that you know the three verb types, here are the guidelines for how to translate them into the te form:
U verbs: drop the u and add って
Some examples:
たつ --> たって. Note that the preceding characters remain the same.
こまる --> こまって. It is just the last character that changes.
つかう --> つかって
とる --> とって
Iru/eru verbs: drop the ru and add て
Some examples:
おきる --> おきて
ねる --> ねて
あける --> あけて
しめる --> しめて
Irregular verbs:
The irregular verbs are transformed as follows:
する --> して
くる --> きて
There is also a song to help you remember how verb endings are transformed. This is for う Verbs only!
てform Song の歌 (Sung to the tune of "Oh My Darling, Clementine")
う つ る って
む ぶ ぬ んで
く いて
ぐ いで
Some exceptions (する して, くる きて) (OR いく いって、かえる かえって)
す して
Te Form Review
B. -Ta-Form of Verbs
The -ta form of verbs is the plain form of verbs when they are conjugated into the past tense. You will recognize the polite form of past tense in verbs because there is ました on the end. The sentences below illustrate this, using the verb かう, to buy.
でんわをかいました。 [Polite form] I bought a phone.
でんわをかった。 [Plain form] I bought a phone.
To translate the dictionary form of a verb into the past tense, you follow the same rules as the -te form. The only difference is that instead of て, you write た. Here are some examples to illustrate:
Plain form -te form (no tense) -ta form (past tense)
U verbs
to stand たつ たって たった bought
to be at a loss こまる こまって こまった was at a loss
to use つかう つかって つかった used
to take とる とって とった took
Iru/eru verbs
to wake up おきる おきて おきた woke up
to sleep ねる ねて ねた slept
to open あける あけて あけた opened
to close しめる しめて しめた closed
Irregular verbs
to do する して した did
to come くる きて きた came
You can also consult page 121 in your SFJ Notes book for a chart that compares the two.
Ta Form Flashcards
The -ta form of verbs is the plain form of verbs when they are conjugated into the past tense. You will recognize the polite form of past tense in verbs because there is ました on the end. The sentences below illustrate this, using the verb かう, to buy.
でんわをかいました。 [Polite form] I bought a phone.
でんわをかった。 [Plain form] I bought a phone.
To translate the dictionary form of a verb into the past tense, you follow the same rules as the -te form. The only difference is that instead of て, you write た. Here are some examples to illustrate:
Plain form -te form (no tense) -ta form (past tense)
U verbs
to stand たつ たって たった bought
to be at a loss こまる こまって こまった was at a loss
to use つかう つかって つかった used
to take とる とって とった took
Iru/eru verbs
to wake up おきる おきて おきた woke up
to sleep ねる ねて ねた slept
to open あける あけて あけた opened
to close しめる しめて しめた closed
Irregular verbs
to do する して した did
to come くる きて きた came
You can also consult page 121 in your SFJ Notes book for a chart that compares the two.
Ta Form Flashcards
C. Expressing Requests using --てください
To ask someone to please do something, or to request something from someone, attach -てください to the verb. This is done by adding -ください to the -te form of a verb. Some examples to illustrate:
U verbs
to use つかう つかって たうかってください please use
to take とる とって とってください please take
Iru/eru verbs
to open あける あけて あけてください please open
to close しめる しめて しめてください please close
Irregular verbs
to do する して してください please do
to come くる きて きてください please come
In other words, ください is just an addition to the -te form which you’ve already practiced.
There are different ways that we use “please” in English, just as there is in Japanese. The sentences below illustrate this.
A. To request an object
えんぴつをください。 Please (give me) the pencil.
それをください。 Please (give me) that.
B. To request a behaviour/action
きいてください。 Please listen.
すわってください。 Please sit.
Te Form + Making Requests Flashcards
To ask someone to please do something, or to request something from someone, attach -てください to the verb. This is done by adding -ください to the -te form of a verb. Some examples to illustrate:
U verbs
to use つかう つかって たうかってください please use
to take とる とって とってください please take
Iru/eru verbs
to open あける あけて あけてください please open
to close しめる しめて しめてください please close
Irregular verbs
to do する して してください please do
to come くる きて きてください please come
In other words, ください is just an addition to the -te form which you’ve already practiced.
There are different ways that we use “please” in English, just as there is in Japanese. The sentences below illustrate this.
A. To request an object
えんぴつをください。 Please (give me) the pencil.
それをください。 Please (give me) that.
B. To request a behaviour/action
きいてください。 Please listen.
すわってください。 Please sit.
Te Form + Making Requests Flashcards
D. The Explanatory Ending
The explanatory ending is used for two purposes: (1) to request an explanation; or (2) to provide an explanation.
To request or provide an explanation, んです is simply added to the plain form of a verb. The verb can be in present or future tense.
Some examples:
だいがくへいくんですか。 Are you going to the university?
はい、クラスがあるんです。 Yes, I have class.
きのうプールへいったんですか。 Did you go to the pool yesterday?
はい、わたしとともだちをおよいだんです。 Yes, I went swimming with a friend.
It is important to remember that んです is different from なんです. なんです represents a question word response.
The explanatory ending is used for two purposes: (1) to request an explanation; or (2) to provide an explanation.
To request or provide an explanation, んです is simply added to the plain form of a verb. The verb can be in present or future tense.
Some examples:
だいがくへいくんですか。 Are you going to the university?
はい、クラスがあるんです。 Yes, I have class.
きのうプールへいったんですか。 Did you go to the pool yesterday?
はい、わたしとともだちをおよいだんです。 Yes, I went swimming with a friend.
It is important to remember that んです is different from なんです. なんです represents a question word response.
E. Why? Question Word
どうして is a question word used to ask why. Recall that question words do not need a particle. Often, when someone responds to a どうして question, their sentence ends with んです.
どうしてゆうびんきょうくへいったんですか。Why did you go to the post office?
ともだちにてがみをだしたんです。Because I mailed a letter to my friend.
どうして is a question word used to ask why. Recall that question words do not need a particle. Often, when someone responds to a どうして question, their sentence ends with んです.
どうしてゆうびんきょうくへいったんですか。Why did you go to the post office?
ともだちにてがみをだしたんです。Because I mailed a letter to my friend.
F. Structure Particle で
There are three things the structure particle can indicate:
A. location/place of action
B. method/means/transportation
C. extent
The purpose of each particle can be understood through the context of the sentence, and where the particle is placed within the sentence. Each of these three purposes is further explored in the examples below.
A. Location/Place of action
This is similar to the English "at", when speaking about a location where you were when the action took place.
としょかんでべんきょうしました。 X としょかんをべんきょうしました。
I studied at the library. X I studied the library.
In the examples above, the speaker wants to talk about the location where he/she studied. The first example demonstrates the correct way to talk about this. However, in the second example, a change in the particle (を) dramatically changes the sentence meaning. If the speaker wanted to indicate what he/she was studying while in the library, the sentence would look as follows:
としょかんでにほんごをべんきょうしました。
The word attached to で can appear anywhere in the sentence. Since the particle を requires that a subject and verb be immediately attached to it, としょかんで is placed at the beginning of the sentence.
B. Method/Means by which someone performs an action
We commonly think of method means in English as "by [doing something]", "in [a certain way]", or "with [something]".
Some examples to illustrate these different ways to phrase means/method can be found below:
にほんごでてがみをかきました。I wrote the letter in Japanese.
バスでだいがくへいきました。 I went to the university by bus.
えんぴつでテストをかきました。I wrote the test with a pencil.
Again, the word attached to で can appear anywhere in the sentence. Since the particle を requires that a subject and verb be immediately attached to it, means で is placed at the beginning of the sentence.
C. Extent
This appears after an expression of quantity, such as the number of objects in a bundle. Indicating extent does not describe the cost of something. Rather, you need the extent (or quantity) to determine the cost.
このペンは4つで350円です。 These pens are 4 (the extent) for 350 yen.
ぜんぶで1000円です。 It costs 1000 yen altogether (the extent).
There are three things the structure particle can indicate:
A. location/place of action
B. method/means/transportation
C. extent
The purpose of each particle can be understood through the context of the sentence, and where the particle is placed within the sentence. Each of these three purposes is further explored in the examples below.
A. Location/Place of action
This is similar to the English "at", when speaking about a location where you were when the action took place.
としょかんでべんきょうしました。 X としょかんをべんきょうしました。
I studied at the library. X I studied the library.
In the examples above, the speaker wants to talk about the location where he/she studied. The first example demonstrates the correct way to talk about this. However, in the second example, a change in the particle (を) dramatically changes the sentence meaning. If the speaker wanted to indicate what he/she was studying while in the library, the sentence would look as follows:
としょかんでにほんごをべんきょうしました。
The word attached to で can appear anywhere in the sentence. Since the particle を requires that a subject and verb be immediately attached to it, としょかんで is placed at the beginning of the sentence.
B. Method/Means by which someone performs an action
We commonly think of method means in English as "by [doing something]", "in [a certain way]", or "with [something]".
Some examples to illustrate these different ways to phrase means/method can be found below:
にほんごでてがみをかきました。I wrote the letter in Japanese.
バスでだいがくへいきました。 I went to the university by bus.
えんぴつでテストをかきました。I wrote the test with a pencil.
Again, the word attached to で can appear anywhere in the sentence. Since the particle を requires that a subject and verb be immediately attached to it, means で is placed at the beginning of the sentence.
C. Extent
This appears after an expression of quantity, such as the number of objects in a bundle. Indicating extent does not describe the cost of something. Rather, you need the extent (or quantity) to determine the cost.
このペンは4つで350円です。 These pens are 4 (the extent) for 350 yen.
ぜんぶで1000円です。 It costs 1000 yen altogether (the extent).
G. Days of the Week
When speaking about the days of the week, it is important to understand the difference between a relative and definite point in time. A relative point in time means that its definition can change based on what day, week, or month it is. For example, speaking about "today", "tomorrow" or "yesterday" can only make sense if we know what "today" is. A definite point in time is a concrete reference to a day (i.e.; Monday, Tuesday, etc.) or a month (i.e.; January, February, etc.).
When you speak about a definite point in time, you must use the particle に to in essence indicate a location in time. There is no particle attached to relative points in time. See the examples below for clarification.
きょうはなんようびですか。What day is it today?
もくようびです。Thursday.
どようびにパーティーへいきます。I will go to the party on Saturday.
きのいきました。I went yesterday.
When speaking about the days of the week, it is important to understand the difference between a relative and definite point in time. A relative point in time means that its definition can change based on what day, week, or month it is. For example, speaking about "today", "tomorrow" or "yesterday" can only make sense if we know what "today" is. A definite point in time is a concrete reference to a day (i.e.; Monday, Tuesday, etc.) or a month (i.e.; January, February, etc.).
When you speak about a definite point in time, you must use the particle に to in essence indicate a location in time. There is no particle attached to relative points in time. See the examples below for clarification.
きょうはなんようびですか。What day is it today?
もくようびです。Thursday.
どようびにパーティーへいきます。I will go to the party on Saturday.
きのいきました。I went yesterday.