Why Te-Form Matters
The て form is probably the single most useful conjugation in Japanese. It's everywhere. Want to ask someone to do something? て form + ください. Want to say you're currently doing something? て form + いる. Want to chain multiple actions together? て form. Want to ask permission? て form + もいい.
Master this one form and you unlock a massive chunk of Japanese grammar.
Conjugation Rules
This is where te-form earns its reputation as a beginner hurdle. Unlike ます form (which is the same process for every verb), te-form has different rules depending on the verb's final sound. The good news: once you internalize the patterns, they become automatic.
U-verbs — Five Patterns
Verbs ending in う, つ, る → って
| Dictionary | Te-Form |
|---|---|
| 買う (kau) | 買って |
| 待つ (matsu) | 待って |
| 帰る (kaeru) | 帰って |
Verbs ending in く → いて
| Dictionary | Te-Form |
|---|---|
| 書く (kaku) | 書いて |
| 歩く (aruku) | 歩いて |
Verbs ending in ぐ → いで
| Dictionary | Te-Form |
|---|---|
| 泳ぐ (oyogu) | 泳いで |
| 急ぐ (isogu) | 急いで |
Verbs ending in す → して
| Dictionary | Te-Form |
|---|---|
| 話す (hanasu) | 話して |
| 押す (osu) | 押して |
Verbs ending in む, ぶ, ぬ → んで
| Dictionary | Te-Form |
|---|---|
| 飲む (nomu) | 飲んで |
| 遊ぶ (asobu) | 遊んで |
| 死ぬ (shinu) | 死んで |
Ru-verbs — Dead Simple
Drop る, add て:
| Dictionary | Te-Form |
|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べて |
| 見る (miru) | 見て |
| 起きる (okiru) | 起きて |
Irregular Verbs
| Dictionary | Te-Form |
|---|---|
| する | して |
| 来る (kuru) | きて |
| 行く (iku) | 行って |
Note: 行く is technically a u-verb ending in く, so you'd expect 行いて. But it's an exception that uses って instead.
Common Uses of Te-Form
Requests: て + ください = please do ~
- 聞いてください (please listen)
- Our lesson on polite requests and permission covers て + ください, てもいい, and てはいけない in one place
Ongoing action: て + いる = currently doing ~
- 食べている (is eating)
Linking actions: list multiple things in order
- 朝起きて、顔を洗って、ご飯を食べた (woke up, washed my face, and ate breakfast)
Permission: て + もいい = may I ~?
- 座ってもいいですか (may I sit down?)
Prohibition: て + はいけない = must not ~
- 走ってはいけません (you must not run)
A Memorization Trick
Many students use the "te-form song" set to a familiar melody. Group the endings by their て form result:
- って group: う, つ, る
- んで group: む, ぶ, ぬ
- いて: く
- いで: ぐ
- して: す
Sing it a few times and the patterns stick.
Example Sentences
-
ちょっと待ってください。 (chotto matte kudasai.) — Please wait a moment.
-
今テレビを見ている。 (ima terebi wo mite iru.) — I'm watching TV right now.
-
写真を撮ってもいいですか？ (shashin wo totte mo ii desu ka?) — May I take a photo?
-
朝起きて、シャワーを浴びて、学校に行った。 (asa okite, shawaa wo abite, gakkou ni itta.) — I woke up, took a shower, and went to school.
-
ここで食べてはいけません。 (koko de tabete wa ikemasen.) — You must not eat here.
-
日本に来て３年になります。 (nihon ni kite san-nen ni narimasu.) — It's been three years since I came to Japan.
-
急いで！ (isoide!) — Hurry up!
-
よく噛んで食べなさい。 (yoku kande tabenasai.) — Chew well when you eat.