Japanese 3: Te-Form (て形) for Beginners
After verbs and adjectives, we learn one of the most versatile forms in Japanese: the te-form (て形).
Why the Te-Form Matters So Much
Imagine saying: “I wake up, shower, eat breakfast, and go to school.” In English, commas can chain the actions. What about Japanese?
The て (te) form is the “magic glue” that links actions and clauses. It also powers:
- ✅ Polite requests (“Please help me”)
- ✅ Ongoing actions (“I am studying”)
- ✅ Asking permission (“May I come in?”)
- ✅ Prohibition (“Do not smoke here”)
- ✅ And much more
Te-form is a foundation for roughly 30% of everyday conversation grammar. Master it and your Japanese jumps a level.
1. How to Form Te from Verbs (Doushi 動詞)
Before using te-form, form it from the dictionary form. Rules differ by verb group.
A. Group 1 (Godan 五段) — Full Rules
Group 1 has 6 change patterns by ending. This is the hardest set—watch carefully.
| Dictionary ending | Change | Dictionary example | Te-form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -う, -つ, -る | → って | 買う (kau) | 買って | buy |
| 待つ (matsu) | 待って | wait | ||
| 帰る (kaeru) | 帰って | go home | ||
| -む, -ぬ, -ぶ | → んで | 読む (yomu) | 読んで | read |
| 死ぬ (shinu) | 死んで | die | ||
| 遊ぶ (asobu) | 遊んで | play | ||
| -く | → いて | 書く (kaku) | 書いて | write |
| 聞く (kiku) | 聞いて | listen | ||
| -ぐ | → いで | 泳ぐ (oyogu) | 泳いで | swim |
| -す | → して | 話す (hanasu) | 話して | speak |
⚠️ IMPORTANT EXCEPTION:
- 行く (iku / go) → 行って (itte) — NOT 行いて!
💡 Memory tip: う-つ-る → TTE, む-ぬ-ぶ → NDE, く → ITE (except 行く!), ぐ → IDE, す → SHITE!
B. Group 2 (Ichidan 一段) — Easiest
Super simple: drop る and add て.
| Dictionary form | Te-form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べて | eat |
| 見る (miru) | 見て | see |
| 寝る (neru) | 寝て | sleep |
| 起きる (okiru) | 起きて | wake up |
| 教える (oshieru) | 教えて | teach |
C. Group 3 (Fukisoku 不規則 / irregular)
Only these two special verbs break the rules:
| Dictionary form | Te-form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| する (suru) | して | do |
| 来る (kuru) | 来て (kite) | come |
2. Five Main Uses of Te-Form
Once you can form te-form, learn how to use it.
A. Linking Actions in Sequence
Use te-form to chain actions that happen one after another.
Example 1: Morning routine 朝起きて、顔を洗って、朝ご飯を食べます。 (Asa okite, kao o aratte, asagohan o tabemasu) (In the morning I wake up, wash my face, and eat breakfast.)
Example 2: Weekend activities 昨日、友達に会って、映画を見て、レストランで食べました。 (Kinou, tomodachi ni atte, eiga o mite, resutoran de tabemashita) (Yesterday I met a friend, watched a movie, and ate at a restaurant.)
B. Making Requests (~てください)
Formula: te-form + ください
This is the most common polite request pattern.
Examples:
-
ちょっと待ってください。 (Chotto matte kudasai) Please wait a moment.
-
これを教えてください。 (Kore o oshiete kudasai) Please teach me this.
-
窓を開けてください。 (Mado o akete kudasai) Please open the window.
C. Ongoing State / Progressive (~ている)
Formula: te-form + います/いる
Similar to English progressive (“I am …ing”). This pattern is extremely common in daily talk.
Ongoing-action examples:
-
今、私は勉強をしています。 (Ima, watashi wa benkyou o shite imasu) (Right now I am studying.)
-
何をしていますか？ (Nani o shite imasu ka?) What are you doing?
-
彼は音楽を聞いています。 (Kare wa ongaku o kiite imasu) (He is listening to music.)
Did you know? ~ている is not only “currently doing.” For some verbs it marks a result state—something already happened and the result still holds.
- 私は東京に住んでいます。(Watashi wa Toukyou ni sunde imasu) = I live in Tokyo. (Not “I am living right now” as a temporary act—a lasting fact.)
- 彼を知っています。(Kare o shitte imasu) = I know him. (“Knowing” is the result of learning.)
- 結婚しています。(Kekkon shite imasu) = I am married. (Status, not an action in progress.)
This distinction shows up constantly in real conversation.
D. Permission (~てもいい)
Formula: te-form + もいいです
Used to ask for or give permission.
Dialog: A: ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか？ (Koko de shashin o totte mo ii desu ka?) May I take a photo here?
B: はい、いいですよ。 (Hai, ii desu yo) Yes, you may.
More examples:
- この本を借りてもいいですか？ (Kono hon o karite mo ii desu ka?) May I borrow this book?
E. Prohibition (~てはいけない)
Formula: te-form + はいけません
Means “must not” / “do not.”
Examples:
-
ここで遊んではいけません。 (Koko de asonde wa ikemasen) You must not play here.
-
タバコを吸ってはいけません。 (Tabako o sutte wa ikemasen) You must not smoke.
-
嘘を言ってはいけません。 (Uso o itte wa ikemasen) Do not lie.
3. Te-Form for Adjectives (Keiyoushi 形容詞)
Te-form can also link adjectives!
i-Adjectives (い形容詞)
Rule: Replace い with くて
| Base form | Te-form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大きい (ookii) | 大きくて | big and… |
| 高い (takai) | 高くて | expensive and… |
| 美味しい (oishii) | 美味しくて | tasty and… |
Example sentence: この部屋は広くて、明るいです。 (Kono heya wa hirokute, akarui desu) (This room is spacious and bright.)
na-Adjectives (な形容詞)
Rule: Add で
| Base form | Te-form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 綺麗 (kirei) | 綺麗で | pretty and… |
| 静か (shizuka) | 静かで | quiet and… |
| 親切 (shinsetsu) | 親切で | kind and… |
Example sentence: 彼女は綺麗で、優しいです。 (Kanojo wa kirei de, yasashii desu) (She is pretty and kind.)
4. Common Beginner Mistakes
Here are mistakes beginners make with te-form very often. Learn them so you can skip those traps.
Mistake 1: Forgetting the 行く exception
Many beginners write “行いて” because they follow -く → -いて. 行く is the only exception to that rule.
- ✗ 行いて (WRONG)
- ✓ 行って (CORRECT — itte)
Mistake 2: Treating every -る verb as ichidan
From Part 2: verbs like 帰る (kaeru / go home) are godan, not ichidan!
- ✗ 帰て (WRONG — ichidan pattern)
- ✓ 帰って (CORRECT — godan: -る → -って)
Mistake 3: Using bare te-form as a full polite sentence
Te-form is not a standalone polite sentence. Follow it with something (ください, います, もいい, and so on) or use it to link to the next clause.
- ✗ “食べて.” (Depends—this is casual/informal)
- ✓ “食べてください” or “食べて、寝ました” (CORRECT — something follows)
5. Practice: Check Your Understanding
Change the verbs below into te-form and build the requested patterns.
Q1: Change 書く (kaku / write) into te-form.
Answer: 書いて (kaite)
Q2: Make a request: “Please read this book.”
Answer: この本を読んでください。 (Kono hon o yonde kudasai.)
Q3: Translate: “I am eating sushi.”
Answer: 私は寿司を食べています。 (Watashi wa sushi o tabete imasu.)
Q4: Translate: “May I sit here?”
Answer: ここに座ってもいいですか？ (Koko ni suwatte mo ii desu ka?)
Q5: Describe your morning routine with te-form (at least 3 chained actions).
Sample answer: 朝起きて、シャワーを浴びて、コーヒーを飲みます。 (Asa okite, shawaa o abite, koohii o nomimasu.)
6. New Vocabulary Used
| Form | Romaji | Meaning | Word class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 起きる | okiru | wake up | ichidan verb |
| 洗う | arau | wash | godan verb |
| 朝ご飯 | asagohan | breakfast | noun |
| 会う | au | meet | godan verb |
| 映画 | eiga | movie | noun |
| 待つ | matsu | wait | godan verb |
| 教える | oshieru | teach | ichidan verb |
| 窓 | mado | window | noun |
| 開ける | akeru | open | ichidan verb |
| 勉強する | benkyou suru | study | suru verb |
| 音楽 | ongaku | music | noun |
| 写真 | shashin | photo | noun |
| 撮る | toru | take a photo | godan verb |
| 借りる | kariru | borrow | ichidan verb |
| 遊ぶ | asobu | play | godan verb |
| タバコ | tabako | cigarette/tobacco | noun |
| 吸う | suu | smoke/inhale | godan verb |
| 嘘 | uso | lie | noun |
| 言う | iu | say | godan verb |
| 広い | hiroi | spacious | i-adjective |
| 明るい | akarui | bright | i-adjective |
| 優しい | yasashii | kind | i-adjective |
| 住む | sumu | live | godan verb |
| 知る | shiru | know | godan verb |
| 結婚する | kekkon suru | marry | suru verb |
| 座る | suwaru | sit | godan verb |
| 書く | kaku | write | godan verb |
Conclusion
Great work—you have now learned one of the most important Japanese forms: te-form.
Recap of the five main uses:
- ✅ Link sequential actions
- ✅ Make requests (~てください)
- ✅ Mark ongoing actions (~ている)
- ✅ Ask/give permission (~てもいいです)
- ✅ State prohibitions (~てはいけません)
With te-form, you already cover about 30% of everyday conversation grammar. It also underpins many intermediate patterns later: ~てある (result of an action), ~ておく (do in advance), ~てあげる (do a favor).
Remember ~ている is not only “currently doing”—for some verbs it marks a result state, such as “live in” (住んでいる), “know” (知っている), or “be married” (結婚している). That nuance separates beginners from stronger learners.
Practice tips:
- Describe your daily routine with te-form
- Make 5 requests with ~てください
- Say what you are doing now with ~ています
Related reading:
頑張って！ (Ganbatte / Keep going!)
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