Te Form Japanese: How to Make It and When to Use It
The te form Japanese beginners meet early is a verb form that ends in て (te) or で (de). It links actions together and builds new meanings, such as polite requests with ください (kudasai) and actions happening now with います (imasu). You make it from the dictionary form of a verb, and the ending you need depends on how that verb ends.
What is the te form in Japanese?
On its own, the te form has no tense. It works like a joining piece. The verb at the end of the sentence carries the tense and the politeness, and the te form connects other words to it.
For example, 食べる (taberu, to eat) becomes 食べて (tabete). You rarely end a polite sentence with tabete alone, but you will see it inside many common patterns.
How do you make the te form? A chart by ending
Japanese verbs fall into three groups. Godan verbs (also called u-verbs) change their last sound. Ichidan verbs (ru-verbs) simply swap る for て. Then there are two irregular verbs.
| Verb ending | Te form ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| う, つ, る (u, tsu, ru) | って (tte) | 会う (au, to meet) → 会って (atte) 待つ (matsu, to wait) → 待って (matte) |
| む, ぶ, ぬ (mu, bu, nu) | んで (nde) | 読む (yomu, to read) → 読んで (yonde) 遊ぶ (asobu, to play) → 遊んで (asonde) |
| く (ku) | いて (ite) | 書く (kaku, to write) → 書いて (kaite) |
| ぐ (gu) | いで (ide) | 泳ぐ (oyogu, to swim) → 泳いで (oyoide) |
| す (su) | して (shite) | 話す (hanasu, to speak) → 話して (hanashite) |
| Ichidan る (ru) | て (te) | 食べる (taberu, to eat) → 食べて (tabete) 見る (miru, to see) → 見て (mite) |
The two irregular verbs are worth learning by heart, because you will use them constantly.
- する (suru, to do) → して (shite)
- 来る (kuru, to come) → 来て (kite)
Which verbs break the te form rules?
One godan verb does not follow the chart. 行く (iku, to go) ends in く, so you might expect iite. Its te form is 行って (itte). This is the only common exception among godan verbs, so it is a good one to remember on its own.
There is also a trap with verbs that end in iru or eru. Most of them are ichidan, but some are godan and take って. 帰る (kaeru, to go home) becomes 帰って (kaette), not kaete. 入る (hairu, to enter) becomes 入って (haitte). When you learn a new verb ending in iru or eru, check which group it belongs to.
How do beginners use the te form?
Here are three patterns you can use straight away.
1. Asking politely with ~てください (te kudasai)
ちょっと待ってください。
Chotto matte kudasai.
Please wait a moment.
Our page on how to say wait in Japanese shows more ways to use this phrase, and the one on how to say please in Japanese explains when ください fits.
2. Talking about something happening now with ~ています (te imasu)
今、本を読んでいます。
Ima, hon o yonde imasu.
I am reading a book now.
The same pattern can also describe a state that continues, so you will meet it often.
3. Linking actions in order
朝起きて、ご飯を食べます。
Asa okite, gohan o tabemasu.
In the morning I get up and eat.
起きる (okiru, to get up) is an ichidan verb, so it becomes 起きて (okite). Only the last verb, 食べます (tabemasu), shows that the sentence is polite and in the present.
These patterns are usually taught for N5, the first JLPT level. Our guide to the JLPT levels from N5 to N1 explains where they fit.
How LanguaCards helps with Japanese verbs
The te form is much easier when you already know each verb's dictionary form well. In LanguaCards, Japanese words are grouped by JLPT level, from N5 to N1, so verbs like 食べる and 待つ come up early. Every card has audio, with a female or male voice, and romaji is shown under the Japanese until you choose to switch it off. Reviews bring each word back before you would forget it. You can start with full access for the first 24 hours, and there are no ads.