引く ひく hiku (to pull) 出す だす dasu (to take out) 引き出し ひきだし hikidashi (a pull and take out → a drawer)

Group 2 conjugations to eat to see Rentaikei 食べる taberu 見る miru Ren'youkei 食べ tabe 見 mi

Group 4 conjugations to write to buy to wait to lend Rentaikei 書く kaku 買う kau 待つ matsu 貸す kasu Ren'youkei 書き kaki 買い kai 待ち machi 貸し kashi

Irregular verbs to do to come Rentaikei する suru 来る kuru Ren'youkei し shi 来 ki

Irregular conjugations to speak to give to do Rentaikei 仰る ossharu 下さる kudasaru 為さる nasaru Ren'youkei 仰い osshai 下さい kudasai 為さい nasai

Irregular conjugations there is/are / to come / to go (living beings) there is/are (objects) Rentaikei いらっしゃる irassharu 御座る gozaru en'youkei いらっしゃい irasshai 御座い gozai

Verbal adjectives to be large to be new Rentaikei 大きい ōkii 新しい atarashii Ren'youkei 大きく ōkiku 新しく atarashiku

Verbal adjective to be good (irregular) Rentaikei いい/良い ii / yoi Ren'youkei よく/良く yoku

Special combinations with the ren’youkei and other verbs

The Ren’youkei and extensions

Ren’youkei + eru (える)

Ren'youkei Ren'youkei + える (eru) 買い (kai) 買える (kaeru) 書き (kaki) 書ける (kakeru) 泳ぎ (oyogi) 泳げる (oyogeru) 出し (dashi) 出せる (daseru) 待ち (machi) 待てる (materu) 死に (shini) 死ねる (shineru) 遊び (asobi) 遊べる (asoberu) 飲み (nomi) 飲める (nomeru) 入り (hairi) 入れる (haireru)

Ren’youkei + sou (そう)

Ren’youkei + ta (た)

Present tense Past tense 買う kau 買った katta 書く kaku 書いた kaita 泳ぐ oyogu 泳いだ oyoida 出す dasu 出した dashita 行きます ikimasu 行きました ikimashita 待つ matsu 待った matta 死ぬ shinu 死んだ shinda 遊ぶ asobu 遊んG asonda 飲む nomu んだ nonda 入る hairu 入った haitta いる iru いた ita 食べる taberu 食べた tabeta 出る deru 出た deta 見る miru 見た mita する suru した shita 来る kuru 来た kita 行く iku 行った itta だ (da)

Ren’youkei + tai (たい)

Ren’youkei + tara (たら)

Present tense Conditional form 買う kau 買ったら kattara 書く kaku 書いたら kaitara 泳ぐ oyogu 泳いだら oyoidara 出す dasu 出したら dashitara 行きます ikimasu 行きましたら ikimashitara 待つ matsu 待ったら mattara 死ぬ shinu 死んだら shindara 遊ぶ asobu 遊んだら asondara 飲む nomu 飲んだら nondara 入る hairu 入ったら haittara 行く iku 行ったら ittara いる iru いたら itara 食べる taberu 食べたら tabetara 出る deru 出たら detara 見る miru 見たら mitara する suru したら shitara 来る kuru 来たら kitara だ (da)

Present tense Conditional form 高い takai 高かったら takakattara 大きい ookii 大きかったら ōkikattara 新しい atarashii 新しかったら atarashikattara 小さい chiisai 小さかったら chiisakattara

Ren’youkei + tari (たり)

Present tense Alternating form 買う kau 買ったり kattari 書く kaku 書いたり kaitari 泳ぐ oyogu 泳いだり oyoidari 出す dasu 出したり dashitari 行きます ikimasu 行きましたり ikimashitari 待つ matsu 待ったり mattari 死ぬ shinu 死んだり shindari 遊ぶ asobu 遊んだり asondari 飲む nomu 飲んだり nondari 入る hairu 入ったり haittari 行く iku 行ったり ittari いる iru いたり itari 食べる taberu 食べたり tabetari 出る deru 出たり detari 見る miru 見たり mitari する suru したり shitari 来る kuru 来たり kitari

Ren’youkei + ppanashi (っぱなし)

Ren’youkei + tarou (たろう)

Ren’youkei + te (て)

Combinations with particles

Ren’youkei + na (な)

Ren’youkei + nagara (ながら)

Ren’youkei + masu (ます)

Theconjugation (連用形), also called the continuative form, is used to combine verbs. It is the basis for most extensions like the -te form and the past tense. It has quite a lot of contraction which is why theis often hard to identify. If you cannot identify the conjugation from the five main conjugations, chances are that it is a contraction with theThecan also be used to make nouns out of verbs and to combine two sentences.弟は琢郎と言い兄は太郎と言います。My younger brother is called Takuro and my older brother Taro.When combined with certain verbs special meanings are associated with the main verb.Ren’youkei + 込む (komu): to insert書き込む かきこむ kakikomu to fill out (a form) (書く kaku = to write)取り込む とりこむ torikomu to be busy (取る toru = to take)乗り込む のりこむ norikomu to board (a train) (乗る noru = to ride)振り込む ふりこむ furikomu to transfer (money) (振る furu = to shake)Ren’youkei + 過ぎる (sugiru): “too” or to overdo something飲み過ぎる のみすぎる nomisugiru to drink too much (飲む/nomu = to drink)高すぎる* たかすぎる takasugiru to be too expensive (高い/takai = to be expensive)* Note that when combining sugiru with verbal adjectives the い (i) is dropped instead of using the ren’youkei.Ren’youkei + 過ごす (sugosu): to do something too long寝過ごす ねすごす nesugosu to oversleep (寝る/neru = to sleep)乗り過ごす のりすごす norisugosu to miss your stop (乗る/noru = to ride)Many more exist, when encountering combinations of verbs you should always consult a dictionary.Thecan be combined with the following extensions. In some cases, contractions occur. See the most important combinations below.The+ える (eru) is the short potential form and is translated as “to be able to” or “to can”. The+ える (eru) can only be used with group 4 (or) verbs. This combination further results in a contraction where the final “i” from theform is dropped. Group 2 verbs add ことができる (koto ga dekiru) to theconjugation to achieve the potential form, this form can also be applied to group 4 verbs.The contraction works as follows:買い (kai =) → 買い+える (kai +eru) → 買える (kaeru =The addition える (eru) comes from the verb 得る (eru), meaning “to acquire”. The combination of 書く (kaku), meaning “to write”, and 得る (eru), meaning “to acquire”, would translate to “to acquire the writing” or “to be able to write”. When adding 得る (eru), a group 2 verb, to the ren’youkei the resulting verbs are also conjugated as group 2 verbs.日本でアメリカの車を買えますか。Can you buy American cars in Japan?ペンがあったら書けた。If I had a pen I would have been able to write it.There are a few verbs where no contractions occur:あり得る (arieru) and 起こり得る (okorieru)それがあり得ない!That can’t be! / That’s impossible!君にも起こり得る。It can happen to you too.The ren’youkei + そう(な) (sou na), often followed by a form of “de aru” (da / desu) is one of several ways of describing an impression you have. It can be translated as “it looks like”.雨が降りそうだ。It looks like it’s going to rain.雨が降りそうな気がします。I have the feeling it will rain.When combining そう(な) (sou na) with a verbal adjective the く (ku) is dropped:濃く (koku = ren’youkei) → 濃くそう(な)(koku +sou na) → 濃そう(な) (kosou na)新しそうだ。 (Atarashisou da.)It looks new.おいしそうなさしみです。It’s tasty looking sashimi.Two exceptions exist among the verbal adjectives: ない (nai), meaning “there isn’t” and いい (ii), meaning “to be good”. With these two verbal adjectives the く (ku) is replaced with さ (sa):なく (naku = ren’youkei) → なくそう(な)(naku +sou na) → なさそう(な) (nasasou na)よく (yoku= ren’youkei) → よくそう(な)(yoku +sou na) → よさそう(な) (yosasou na)田中君が来なさそうだ。It looks like Tanaka won’t be coming.よさそうな辞書だ。The dictionary looks like it’s a good one.: そう (sou) is a “na-nominal” or non-conjugated adjective. To find out more about conjugated and non-conjugated adjectives check the adjectives page.: do not confuse the “ren’youkei + そう(な)” (sou na) with the “rentaikei + そう (sou)”, or the demonstrative pronoun “そう”.The+ た (ta) describes an action which has been completed, which, for all practical purposes, can be translated as the past tense. The resulting verb is considered to be, and used as, a rentaikei conjugation.ゴキブリを見た。I saw a cockroach.怖かった。It was scary.もう潰しました。I’ve squashed it already.The ～た (-ta) form, as it is also known, of group 4 (or yodan katsuyou) verbs, undergoes contractions in many cases. For verbal adjectives, the ren’youkei is combined with the verb あった (atta) to achieve the past tense. This combination also undergoes a contraction.Here’s one example of how the contractions work:買い (kai = ren’youkei) → 買い+た(kai +ta) → 買った (katta = past tense)～い (i) → ～った (tta) 買う (kau) buy → 買った (katta) bought～き (ki) → ～いた (ita) 書く (kaku) write → 書いた (kaita) wrote～ぎ (gi) → ～いだ (ida) 泳ぐ (oyogu) swim → 泳いだ (oyoida) swam～ち (chi) → ～った (tta) 待つ (matsu) wait → 待った (matta) waited～に (ni) → ～んだ (nda) 死ぬ (shinu) die → 死んだ (shinda) died～び (bi) → ～んだ (nda) 遊ぶ (asobu) play → 遊んだ (asonda) played～み (mi) → ～んだ (nda) 飲む (nomu) drink → 飲んだ (nonda) drank～り (ri) → ～った (tta) 入る (hairu) enter → 入った (haitta) enteredThere is only one exception:行き (iki = ren’youkei) → 行き+た(iki +ta) → 行った (itta = past tense)Present tense: Past tense:行く (iku) go → 行った (itta) wentAll other Group 4 verbs and all Group 2 verbs are regular, and so are the irregular verbs する (suru) and 来る (kuru).The past tense of だ (da) is だった (datta). だった is a contraction of であった (de atta).ある aru あった attaである de aru であった de attaだ da だった dattaです desu でした deshitaThe ～た (-ta) form of verbal adjectives is formed by adding あった (atta) to the ren’youkei conjugation. This combination then undergoes the following contraction:なく (naku = ren’youkei) → なく+あった(naku +atta) → なかった (nakatta = past tense)高い takai 高かった takakatta大きい ōkii 大きかった ōkikatta新しい atarashii 新しかった atarashikatta小さい chiisai 小さかった chiisakattaThe auxiliary verb for the negative form ない (nai) is also a verbal adjective. Therefore, as shown in the example above, the negative form of verbs and verbal adjectives undergo the same contraction as other verbal adjectives.買わない kawanai 買わなかった kawanakatta行かない ikanai 行かなかった ikanakatta食べない tabenai 食べなかった tabenakatta大きくない ōkikunai 大きくなかった ōkikunakattaThe auxiliary verbs for the politeness です (desu) and ren’youkei + ます (masu) behave normally when conjugated into the ～た (-ta) form. However, in combination with verbal adjectives and negative forms some erratic behaviour occurs.To put the negative form ～ません (-masen) in the past tense, the past tense of the verb です (desu) is added behind it. To put the polite form of verbal adjectives in the past tense, the verbal adjective is put in the past tense while です (desu) remains unchanged.買います kaimasu 買いました kaimashitaです desu でした deshita買いません kaimasen 買いませんでした kaimasen deshita書きません kakimasen 書きませんでした kakimasen deshita食べません tabemasen 食べませんでした tabemasen deshita来ません kimasen 来ませんでした kimasen deshita大きいです ōkii desu 大きかったです ōkikatta desu大きくないです ōkikunai desu 大きくなかったです ōkikunakatta desu買わないです kawanai desu 買わなかったです kawanakatta desu買いたいです kaitai desu 買いたかったです kaitakatta desuThe+ たい (tai) means “to want”, and expresses the desire of the “first and second person”: I, you, or we. The auxiliary verb たい (tai) is a verbal adjective like ない (nai) and is conjugated accordingly.Unlike with extensions like+ て (te) and+ た (ta), there are no contractions with たい (tai). The ～たい (-tai) form cannot be used with verbal adjectives.見たい。I want to see it.読みたいです。I want to read it.Interestingly both が (ga) and を (wo) can be used for the object of desire.何が食べたいですか。What would you like to eat?何を食べたいですか。What would you like to eat?The version with を (wo) is more common, but both are equally correct. There are however instances where が (ga) cannot be used:When combined with compound verbs:ページが印刷したい。(incorrect!)ページを印刷したい。I want to print the page.When the object indicates a point of departure or the location of an action:この通りが歩きたい。(incorrect!)この通りを歩きたい。I want to walk along this street.When the object isn’t placed directly in front of the main (or closing) verb:家が来年買いたい。(incorrect!)家を来年買いたい。I want to buy a house next year.When the sentence is an expression or saying:足が洗いたい。(incorrect!)足を洗いたい。I want to leave the life of crime. (Literally: I want to wash my feet.)In combination with certain constructions:スーツケースが置いておきたい。(incorrect!)スーツケースを置いておきたい。I want to put the suitcases down.When using verbs that describe inflicting damage or harm:骨が折りたくない。(incorrect!)骨を折りたくない。I don’t want to break any bones.The+ たい (tai) can only be made polite by adding です (desu) to it. You cannot add たい to the polite verb ます (masu).インドに行きましたい。(incorrect!)インドに行きたいです。I want to go to India.The+ たい (tai) can only be made polite by adding ない (nai) to theconjugation of たい (tai). You cannot add たい to theconjugation of ない (nai).あれを食べなくたい。(incorrect!)あれを食べたくない。I don’t want to eat that.The+ たら (tara) is one of several conditional forms, translated as “if” or “when”. Besides its conditional function, it is often used to describe an assumption, usually referring to a specific situation, or to an action which has been completed.The+ たら (tara) can also be used to describe an observation or conclusion. In this case, it can be translated as “Now that I…” (often encountered as+ てみたら (te mitara)), or as “when” or “while”, describing a coincidence or one-off occurrence).Other uses of the ren’youkei + たら (tara) are asking for permission or giving recommendations, while on occasion it can be translated as “how about…”.The+ たら is never found at the end of a sentence. It always ends the conditional clause, followed by the main clause.高かったら買わない。If it’s expensive I won’t buy it.説明を読んでみたらすぐ分かります。When you’ve read the instructions you will understand.このようにやったらどうですか。How about if you do it like this?どうしたらいいでしょうか。What would be the best way to do this? (Literally: If I do it how, will it be ok?)The ren’youkei + たら (tara) of group 4 (or yodan katsuyou) verbs, undergoes contractions in many cases. For verbal adjectives, the ren’youkei is combined with the verb あったら (attara). This combination also undergoes a contraction.Here’s one example of how the contractions work:買い (naku =) → 買い +(kai +) → 買ったら (kattara)～い (i) → ～ったら (ttara) 買う (kau) buy → 買ったら (kattara) when you buy～き (ki) → ～いたら (itara) 書く (kaku) write → 書いたら (kaitara) when you write～ぎ (gi) → ～いだら (idara) 泳ぐ (oyogu) swim → 泳いだら (oyoidara) when you swim～ち (tsi) → ～ったら (ttara) 待つ (matsu) wait → 待ったら (mattara) when you wait～に (ni) → ～んだら (ndara) 死ぬ (shinu) die → 死んだら (shindara) when you die～び (bi) → ～んだら (ndara) 遊ぶ (asobu) play → 遊んだら (asondara) when you play～み (mi) → ～んだら (ndara)飲む (nomu) drink→ 飲んだら (nondara) when you drink～り (ri) → ～ったら (ttara) 入る (hairu) enter → 入ったら (haittara) when you enterThere is only one exception:行き (iki =) → 行き +(iki +) → 行ったら (ittara)行く (iku) go → 行ったら (ittara) when you goAll other group 4 verbs and all group 2 verbs are regular, as are the irregular verbs する (suru) and 来る (kuru).The conditional form of だ (da) is だったら (dattara). だったら is a contraction of であったら (de attara).ある aru あったら attaraである de aru であったら de attaraだ da だったら dattaraです desu でしたら deshitaraThe ～たら (-tara) form of verbal adjectives is formed by adding あったら (attara) to the ren’youkei conjugation. This combination then undergoes the following contraction:なく (naku =) → なく +(naku +) → なかったら (nakattara)The+ たり (tari) is used to describe alternating actions. This form can be translated as “sometimes I do this, sometimes I do that”, “off and on” or “what with…”.When there is only one occurrence of the ren’youkei + たり (tari) in the sentence, then the verb to which it is attached is representative for a series of similar actions.The ren’youkei + たり (tari) is used as a noun. To give it the function of a verb the last occurrence is followed by a form of the verb する (suru), meaning “to do”.本を読んだりテレビを見たりします。Sometimes I read books and sometimes I watch TV.雨が降ったり止んだりした。It rained off and on.仕事をしたりで外国へ行く時間がない。br />What with work and all I don’t have the time to go abroad.安かったり高かったりして困る。Then it’s cheap, then it’s expensive, I just don’t know anymore.The ren’youkei + たり (tari) of group 4 (or yodan katsuyou) verbs, undergoes contractions in many cases. For verbal adjectives, the ren’youkei is combined with the verb あったり (attari). This combination also undergoes a contraction.Here’s one example of how the contractions work:買い (naku =) → 買い +(kai +) → 買ったり (kattari)～い (i) → ～ったり (ttari) 買う (kau) buy → 買ったり (kattari) alternately buy～き (ki) → ～いたり (itari) 書く (kaku) write → 書いたり (kaitari) alternately write～ぎ (gi) → ～いだり (idari) 泳ぐ (oyogu) swim → 泳いだり (oyoidari) alternately swim～ち (tsi) → ～ったり (ttari) 待つ (matsu) wait → 待ったり (mattari) alternately wait～に (ni) → ～んだり (ndari) 死ぬ (shinu) die → 死んだり (shindari) alternately die～び (bi) → ～んだり (ndari) 遊ぶ (asobu) play → 遊んだり (asondari) alternately play～み (mi) → ～んだり (ndari) 飲む (nomu) drink → 飲んだり (nondari) alternately drink～り (ri) → ～ったり (ttari) 入る (hairu) enter → 入ったり (haittari) alternately enterThere is only one exception:行き (iki = ren’youkei) → 行き +たり (iki +tari) → 行ったり (ittari)行く (iku)go → 行ったり (ittari)alternately goAll other group 4 verbs and all group 2 verbs are regular, as are the irregular verbs する (suru) and 来る (kuru).The ren’youkei + たり (tari) form of だ (da) is だったり (dattari). だったり is a contraction of であったり (de attari).ある aru あったり attariである de aru であったり de attariだ da だったり dattariです desu でしたり deshitariThe ～たり (-tari) form of verbal adjectives is formed by adding あったり (attari) to theconjugation. This combination then undergoes the following contraction:なく (naku =) →) → なかったり (nakattari)高い takai 高かったり takakattari大きい ōkii 大きかったり ōkikattari新しい atarashii 新しかったり atarashikattari小さい chiisai 小さかったり chiisakattariShowing 1 to 4 of 4 entriesPreviousNextThe ren’youkei + っぱなし (ppanashi) describes leaving something in its current state.コートを着っぱなし寝た。 (Kooto wo kippanashi neta.)I slept with my coat still on.This form occurs mostly in the spoken language. For more formal uses and the written language, the rentaikei + まま (mama) is used.コートを着るまま寝ました。 (Kooto wo kiru mama neta.)I slept with my coat still on.The rentaikei + たろう (tarou) is the past tense of the subjunctive form, with the function of the dubitative form. In normal English, it should be translated into “probably did”.花を買ったろう。He’s probably bought the flowers.新しかったろう。It was probably new.雨が降りましたろう。It has probably rained.赤かったろうです。It was probably red.The ren’youkei + たろう (tarou) of group 4 (or yodan katsuyou) verbs, undergoes contractions in many cases. For verbal adjectives, the ren’youkei is combined with the verb あったろう (attarou). This combination also undergoes a contraction.Here’s one example of how the contractions work:買い (naku = ren’youkei) → 買い +たろう (kai +tarou) → 買ったろう (kattarou)～い (i) → ～ったり (ttari) 買う (kau) buy → 買ったろう (kattarou) He probably bought.～き (ki) → ～いたり (itari) 書く (kaku) write → 書いたろう (kaitarou) He probably wrote.～ぎ (gi) → ～いだり (idari) 泳ぐ (oyogu) swim → 泳いだろう (oyoidarou) He probably swam.～ち (tsi) → ～ったり (ttari) 待つ (matsu) wait → 待ったろう (mattarou) He probably waited.～に (ni) → ～んだり (ndari) 死ぬ (shinu) die → 死んだろう (shindarou) He probably died.～び (bi) → ～んだり (ndari) 遊ぶ (asobu) play → 遊んだろう (asondarou) He probably played.～み (mi) → ～んだり (ndari)飲む (nomu) drink→ 飲んだろう (nondarou) He probably drank.～り (ri) → ～ったり (ttari) 入る (hairu) enter → 入ったろう (haittarou) He probably entered.There is only one exception:行き (iki =) →) → 行ったろう (ittarou)行く (iku) go → 行ったろう (ittarou) He probably went.All other Group 4 verbs and all Group 2 verbs are regular, as are the irregular verbs する (suru) and 来る (kuru).買う kau 買ったろう kattarou書く kaku 書いたろう kaitarou泳ぐ oyogu 泳いだろう oyoidarou出す dasu 出したろう dashitarou待つ matsu 待ったろう mattarou死ぬ shinu 死んだろう shindarou遊ぶ asobu 遊んだろう asondarou飲む nomu 飲んだろう nondarou入る hairu 入ったろう haittarou行く iku 行ったろう ittarouいる iru いたろう itarou食べる taberu 食べたろう tabetarou出る deru 出たろう detarou見る miru 見たろう mitarouする suru したろう shitarou来る kuru 来たろう kitarouThe conditional form of だ (da) is だったろう (dattarou). だったろう is a contraction of であったろう (de attarou).ある aru あったろう attarouである de aru であったろう de attarouだ da だったろう dattarouです desu でしたろう deshitarouThe ～たろう (-tarou) form of verbal adjectives is formed by adding あったろう (attarou) to the ren’youkei conjugation. This combination then undergoes the following contraction:なく (naku =) →) → なかったろう (nakattarou)高い takai 高かったろう takakattarou大きい ōkii 大きかったろう ōkikattarou新しい atarashii 新しかったろう atarashikattarou小さい chiisai 小さかったろう chiisakattarouThe+ て (te) is used to combine verbs and verbal adjectives, and to create subordinate clauses. When using the+ て (te) to combine verbs or create clauses て can be used for successive and simultaneous actions, and can also indicate a causal relation.お風呂に入って寝る。I’m going to take a bath and go to bed.寿司を食べて日本酒を飲んだ。He ate sushi and drank sake.車が高くて買わなかった。The car was expensive, so I didn’t buy it.The tense of the ren’youkei + て (te) is the same as the tense of the main (or closing) verb.The ren’youkei + て (te) is one of the most common grammatical Japanese forms and can adopt many special functions when combined with particles or certain verbs.～te kara ～te wa ～te mo～te ageru ～te inai ～te kuru ～te hoshii～te aru ～te iru ～te kureru ～te miru～te itadaku ～te oku ～te shimau ～te morau～te iku ～te kudasaru ～te nai ～te yaruThe ～て (-te) form, as it is also known, of group 4 (or) verbs, undergoes contractions in many cases.Here’s one example of how the contractions work:買い (kai = ren’youkei) → 買い +て (kai +te) → 買って (katte)～い (i) → ～って (tte) 買う (kau) buy → 買って (katte) buying～き (ki) → ～いて (ite) 書く (kaku) write → 書いて (kaite) writing～ぎ (gi) → ～いで (ide) 泳ぐ (oyogu) swim → 泳いで (oyoide) swimming～ち (tsi) → ～って (tte) 待つ (matsu) wait → 待って (matte) waiting～に (ni) → ～んで (nde) 死ぬ (shinu) die → 死んで (shinde) dying～び (bi) → ～んで (nde) 遊ぶ (asobu) play → 遊んで (asonde) playing～み (mi) → ～んで (nde)飲む (nomu) drink→ 飲んで (nonde) drinking～り (ri) → ～って (tte) 入る (hairu) enter → 入って (haitte) enteringThere is only one exception:行き (iki = ren’youkei) → 行き +て (iki +te) → 行って (itte)行く(iku) go → 行って(itte) goingAll other Group 4 verbs, all Group 2 verbs, and all verbal adjectives are regular, and so are the irregular verbs する (suru) and 来る (kuru).買う kau 買って katte書く kaku 書いて kaite泳ぐ oyogu 泳いで oyoide出す dasu 出して dashite行きます ikimasu 行きまして ikimashite待つ matsu 待って matte死ぬ shinu 死んで shinde遊ぶ asobu 遊んで asonde飲む nomu 飲んで nonde入る hairu 入って haitte行く iku 行って itteいる iru いて ite食べる taberu 食べて tabete出る deru 出て dete見る miru 見て miteする suru して shite来る kuru 来て kite高い takai 高くて takakute大きい ookii 大きくて ookikute新しい atarashii 新しくて atarashikute小さい chiisai 小さくて chiisakuteThe -te form of だ (da) is で (de).ある aru あって atteである de aru であって de atteだ da で deです desu で deThe+ てから (te kara) means “after”.部屋を掃除してから買い物をします。 (Heya wo souji shite kara kaimono wo shimasu.)After I have cleaned my room, I’m going shopping.The+ ては (te wa) is one of several conditional forms. It should be translated as “if” or “when”.+ ては (te wa) can only be used in situations where, if something does or doesn’t happen, the result is negative or one gets into trouble.お金がなくてはあんたに払えません。If I don’t have any money I can’t pay you.彼が来なくては困る。If he doesn’t show up I don’t know what to do.Special combinations with ては are the ren’youkei + てはならない (te wa naranai) or the ren’youkei + ては行けない (te wa ikenai). These combinations form a prohibitive, and are translated as “mustn’t”. When using the double negatives mizenkei + なくてはならない (nakute wa naranai) or mizenkei + なくては行けない (nakute wa ikenai) these combinations form an imperative, and are translated as “must” or “have to”.そのような本を読んでは行けない。You mustn’t read a book like that.すぐ行かなくてはならない。I must leave soon.なくてはならない(nakute wa naranai) is often contracted to なきゃならない (nakya naranai) or even to simply なきゃ (nakya).勉強しなきゃならない。I must study.もう行かなきゃ。I have to go.The+ ても (te mo) means “even if”, or “even though”.お金を貯めても金持ちにならない。Even though I save money, I don’t get rich.払わなくてもいい。Even if you don’t pay, it’s alright. / You don’t have to pay.The+ てあげる (te ageru) is translated as doing something for someone else. 上げる (ageru) is a humble verb, meaning to give to someone higher than yourself. This construction shows respect towards the person you are doing it for.手紙を送ってあげます。I will send the letter for you.The+ てある (te aru) is used to describe a result, and can only be used in combination with transitive verbs. It is translated as the grammatical perfect in English.手紙が書いてある。The letter has been written.The ren’youkei + ていただく (te itadaku) is translated as someone doing something for you. 頂く (itadaku) is a humble verb, meaning to receive from someone higher than yourself. This construction shows gratitude and respect for the person who has done this for you.手紙を送っていただきました。She posted the letter for me.The+ ていく (te iku) can mean “to do something and then go” or it can describe a process that “get’s away from you”. Sometimes it can even simply describe the way you are going.コーヒーを飲んでいこう。Let’s drink some coffee and then leave.年を取っていく。I’m getting older (and there’s nothing I can do about it).歩いていく。I’m going on foot.The+ ていない (te inai) describes an action that has not yet taken place.手紙を書いていない。(transitive)I haven’t written the letter yet.日本に行っていない。(intransitive)I haven’t been to Japan yet.When the+ ている (te iru) is combined with an intransitive verb it describes a result or a state, which is translated as the grammatical perfect, or an action in progress, which is translated as the -ing form or gerund. When the -te form is combined with a transitive verb it can only describe an action in progress and is always translated as the gerund.手紙を書いている。(transitive)I’m writing a letter.日本に行っている。(intransitive)He’s going to Japan (underway).日本に行っている。(intransitive)He’s in Japan (after having gone there).The+ ている (te iru) can also describe a habit. This function is more or less the same as the rentaikei’s function of stating a fact. There is only a slight difference in nuance.朝はいつもお茶を飲んでいます。I always drink tea in the morning.It’s a habit I have.朝はいつもお茶を飲みます。I always drink tea in the morning. (It’s something I do.)In the spoken language ～ている (-te iru) is often abbreviated to ～てる (-teru).手紙を書いてる。手紙を書いてます。The+ ておく (te oku) means to do something and leave it that way, or to do something before the need arises.皿はテーブルに置いておいた。I put the dishes on the table (and left them there).手紙を書いておきます。In the meantime I will write the letter.In the spoken language ～ておく (-te oku) is often abbreviated to ～とく (-toku).手紙を書いとく。手紙を書いときます。The+ てくださる (te kudasaru) is translated as someone doing something for you. 下さる (kudasaru) is an honorific verb, meaning to give to someone lower. This construction shows respect towards the person who is doing this for you.+ てください (te kudasai) is a polite request, and is normally translated as “please”.手紙を送ってくださいます。She will mail the letter for me.手紙を送ってください。Please mail the letter for me.The+ てくる (te kuru) can mean “to do something and come back” or it can describe a process that “comes upon you”. Sometimes it can even simply describe the way you are coming.買い物をしてくる。I’m going to go shopping (and come back afterwards).分かってきた。I’ve come to understand it. / I understand it now.歩いてくる。He’s coming on foot.The+ てくれる (te kureru) is translated as someone doing something for you. くれる (kureru), meaning to give to someone lower, is, unlike 下さる (kudasaru), not honorific. It is therefore only used in situations where there is no difference in level between you and the person who is doing this for you. For more information check the polite forms page.The+ てくれ (te kure) is a request, but, unlike ren’youkei + てください (te kudasai), lacks any form of politeness. This form is preferably abbreviated to ren’youkei + て (te), even when using it among friends, because it sounds more friendly than ren’youkei + てくれ.手紙を送ってくれる。She will mail the letter for me.手紙を送ってくれ。Mail the letter for me.手紙を送って。Mail the letter for me, will you?The+ てしまう (te shimau) translates as “to do something completely”, but often has the connotation that you are not happy with the result.全部食べてしまった。I ate everything (and now there’s nothing left / and now I have a stomachache).手紙を書いてしまいたい。I want to finish writing the letter first.In the spoken language ～てしまう (-te shimau) is often abbreviated to ～ちゃう (-chau), and ～てしまった (-te shimatta) to ～ちゃった (-chatta).全部食べちゃった。I ate everything (and now there’s nothing left / and now I have a stomachache).See+ ていない (te inai)The+ てほしい (te hoshii) is translated as “I want you to …”. This function is identical to ren’youkei + てもらいたい (te moraitai).帰ってほしい。I want you to come home.The+ てみる (te miru) is translated as “to try” or “to try something on for size”. Literally it translates as “to do something and see how it turns out”.ふぐを食べてみる。I’m going to try the blowfish.彼の日本語を聞いてみると・・・You should hear his Japanese…The+ てもらう (te morau) is translated as someone doing something for you. 貰う (morau), meaning to receive from someone higher than yourself, is, unlike 頂く (itadaku), not humble. This construction shows gratitude but no respect for the person who has done this for you. It is therefore only used in situations where there is no difference in level between you and the person who is doing this for you. For more information check the polite forms page.手紙を送ってもらった。She mailed the letter for me.The+ てもらいたい (te moraitai) is translated as “I want you to …”. This function is identical to ren’youkei + てほしい (te hoshii).帰ってもらいたい。I want you to come home.The+ てやる (te yaru) is translated as doing something for someone else. 遣る (yaru), meaning to give to someone higher than you, is, unlike 上げる (ageru), not humble. It is therefore only used in situations where there is no difference in level between you and the person who you are doing this for. For more information check the polite forms page.手紙を送ってやる。I will mail the letter for you.The+ な (na) is an imperative form. In other words, you use this form to give orders.勉強しな。Study!食べな。Eat!This version works similar to ren’youkei + なさい (nasai), but, due to the lack of the honorific verb なさる (nasaru), it is more direct. The imperative can be softened a bit by adding the honorific お (o) prefix to the ren’youkei conjugation, or if it’s combined with a compound verb by adding it to the compound verb.お勉強しな。Study!お食べな。Eat!: Be careful not to confuse “ren’youkei + な” with “rentaikei + な”.飲みな。Drink!飲むな。Don’t drink!The+ ながら (nagara) describes two actions being performed simultaneously by the same person and is translated as “while”. With this form no contraction occurs, and it cannot be used with verbal adjectives.寝ながら本を読んでる。I’m reading a book while lying down.手紙を書きながらラジオを聞きます。I listen to the radio while writing a letter.: Both actions have to be performed by the same person.In some cases the ren’youkei + ながら (nagara) can also be translated as “though”:体に悪いと知りながらタバコをやめることはできない。Though I know it’s bad for health, I can’t give up smoking.The+ ます (masu) is the neutral polite form. This auxiliary verb can only be combined with verbs, not with verbal adjectives. Verbal adjectives are made polite by adding です (desu) to theconjugation.The+ ます (masu) is conjugated to create the past tense, the subjunctive form, and the negative form. This form can normally only be used for the main (or closing) verb. The only occasion where the ren’youkei + ます (masu) is as the main verb of the coordinate clause, or as the main verb of the quoted sentence in direct speech.明日、します。I’m going to buy it tomorrow.日本に行きますか。Are you going to Japan?The past tense is constructed by adding た (ta) to the i>ren’youkei conjugation of ます (masu).もうやりました。I’ve already done it.The subjunctive form of ます (masu) is irregular. It is constructed as ましょう (mashou).始めましょう。 (Hajimemashou.)Let’s begin.The negative form is of ます (masu) is a leftover from Classical Japanese when the negative verb ぬ (nu) was added to the izenkei conjugation. The negative form is, therefore, ません (masen). To put the negative form in the past tense でした (deshita) is added after ません (masen).ガソリンスタンドで灯油を売りませんね。They don’t sell kerosine at petrol stations, do they?分かりませんでした。I didn’t understand.