Te-Form (1) - basics

Rule

Verbs

The easiest way to identify whether to use て or で is by looking at the preceding kana. If the plain (dictionary) form of the verb finishes in ぐ, ぬ, ぶ, or む, then で will be used. る-Verbs never use で.

Ending	Ending Te-Form	Verb	Te-Form	Hiragana
る verbs
(い・え)る	て	食べる	食べて	たべて
う verbs
う つ る	って	歌う 打つ 座る	歌って 打って 座って	うたって うって すわって
む ぶ ぬ	んで	休む 飛ぶ 死ぬ	休んで 飛んで 死んで	やすんで とんで しんで
く	いて	歩く	歩いて	あるいて
ぐ	いで	泳ぐ	泳いで	およいで
す	して	話す	話して	はなして
Irregular Verbs
		する	して
		行く	行って	いって
		来る	来て	きて

Adjectives and nouns

Form	Word	Word Te-Form
いA + い く + て	おもしろい	おもしろくて
なA + で	しずか	しずかで
N + で	猫	猫で

Song

A common way to remember this form is by a song. Here is one sung by Hatsune Miku.

Ending	Te-Form
う・つ・る	って
む・ぶ・ぬ	んで
く	いて
ぐ	いで
いく	いって
くる	きて
する	して
す	して

Basic functions

Connection

The most basic function of the Te-Form: form connection between verbs.

Example

食べて寝ねる。 To eat, then sleep.

This also works with いA, なA, and nouns.

Example

あの自転車じてんしゃは便利べんりで軽かるい。 That bicycle is useful and light.

Reasons

Used primarily for reasons beyond control of the speaker.

Example

大雨でバスが止まりました。 The bus stopped with rain. (the reason is the rain)

Manners

Highlights something being used, whether a tool, a circumstance, a situation, etc.

Examples

私はご飯はんを急いそいで食べる。 I eat food in a hurry.

ハサミで野菜やさいを切きります。 I cut my vegetables using scissors.

Sequence and non-sequence

Only for verbs.

て sequence

Used to list a sequence of events that happen one after another. Must be used for ordered sequence of what is being said!

Example

パンを買って、食べた。 I bought some bread, then ate it.

て non-sequence

The particle can also contrast things that have some sort of relationship. It can mean something like “and” or “while”, but is not really similar to “but”: it always has the same weight in the sentence, as opposed to expressions like けど・のに, etc.

Examples

朝は雨が降ふって夕ゆう方がたは晴はれた。 It rained this morning, and then it cleared up in the afternoon. (there is no particular emphasis on either event).

朝は雨が降ったけど夕方は晴れた。 It rained this morning, but then it cleared up in the afternoon. (there is emphasis on the fact that it stopped raining).

てから

Used to say that something will happen after something else : “after doing (A), (B)“. Only for verbs.

Example

洗せん濯たくをしてから、出かける。 After doing the laundry, I will go out.

⚠ Simple present (るから) and past (たから) have a meaning closer to “because” or “since”.

States

ている form

Plain	Polite
ている	ています
てる	てます

ている is often shortened to てる. This applies to all tenses, including てる, てて, てた, and even てます. Only for verbs.

Sometimes ている can become しとる (like in manga).

1/ State of existence: is being done

Used to convey a constant state of the verb being done, executed, etc. It is continuing to exist in a specific state.

Example

今ラーメンを食べています。 I am eating ramen now.

2/ State of existence: has been done

Expresses “existing in a of state of having been done”. In English, a different tense would have been used, but in Japanese it is also Te-form.

Examples

お前はもう死んでいる。 You are already dead.

クラスは始まっている。 The class has already started. (existing in the state of having started)

お母さんは今買い物に行っています。 My mom went out to go shopping. (existing in the state of having gone)

先生がめちゃ怒おこっている。 My teacher is very angry. (existing in the state of having gotten angry)

Then, how to differentiate from the past form? Think about if the action can happen twice. For example, something cannot start twice, so it will use ている. The same applies for dying. This will not work for all verbs, but for the majority.

Example

ピアノが落おちている。 The piano has fallen. (existing in the state of having fallen) Something has fallen and is already on the ground, so it cannot fall again. ている will be used.

3/ State of existence: frequent and repeated action

Used for the repetition of common activities. They are not continuing per se, but are occurring at such a frequency that they are considered to be continuous. For example: going to work, having a hobby, doing sports, etc.

You can see it as “continuing to exist in a specific state”. Expression of time are often used with this meaning.

Examples

私は毎日ギターを弾ひいている。 I play my guitar everyday (hobby).

毎まい晩ばん９時に寝ねている。 I sleep at 9 every night (habit).

彼かれは学校で働はたらいている。 He works at a school (regular activity).

ていた・ていました

Means that something was happening, someone was doing something. If an object has changed state and is still in the state, it can also be used, for example a broken window. Only for verbs.

ていた can be shortened to てた, and ていました to てました.

Example

勉強べんきょうをしていたけど、今は休やすんでいる。 I was studying but am taking a break right now.

てある

Shares with ている the meaning of being in an ongoing state, meaning that something has been done. It is also similar to a simple past form. However, the nuance is that this form is only used with transitive verbs on inanimate objects, meaning either:

• the action has been done intentionally (focuses on a person’s intention),
• the focus is the resulting state of the action.

Examples

明日の弁べん当とうはもう作ってある。 Tomorrow’s lunch has already been prepared.

ドアが開あけてある。 The door has been left open (intentionally).

Only for transitive verbs.

ておく

Means to do something in advance, to complete something in preparation for something. If used in past form ておいた, means that the completed action was in preparation for the current situation. Only for verbs.

Can be shortened as とく.

Example

メロンパンを買っておく。 I’ll buy a melon pan (in preparation for a something, for example a picnic).

まだ～ていません

This means “still have not done something”. Only for verbs.

Example

このゲームはまだしていない。 I haven’t played this game yet.