Lesson 3: Wait a moment. - Structure 3 -
Structure 3: Te-form, Ta-form of Verbs and Normal style of verbs
1. The Te-form of Verbs
Let’s understand what the te-form is and how to form it!
The te-form of a verb is used in many expressions, such as expressions that indicate ongoing actions or states (ex.1) and expressions to give instructions (ex2) .
・Example1 : matsu (wait) → matte iru (waiting)
・Example2 : matsu (wait) → matte kudasai (Please wait)
The way to form the te-form depends on the type of verb.
There are three types of verbs: consonant verbs (CV), vowel verbs (VV), and irregular verbs (IV).
How to form the te-form of consonant verbs (CV)
To form the te-form of a consonant verb, first change the dictionary form into the masu-form.
Then replace -masu with -te.
・Example : matsu (wait) → machimasu → machite
×"Machite"× is an outdated form and should not be used in modern Japanese.
Today, it changes in pronunciation and becomes "matte" .
・matsu → machimasu → machite → matte
The te-form of consonant verbs has five main patterns:
・ -tte, -nde, -ite, -ide, -shite.
In addition, there is one exceptional verb:
・ iku → itte.
Please check the slides for more details.
How to form the te-form of vowel verbs (VV) and irregular verbs (IV)
For vowel verbs, simply add -te to the verb stem.
・example : miru → stem mi + te → mite
There are only two irregular verbs, so it is best to memorize their te-forms as they are.
2. The Normal Form and the Ta-form of Verbs
Let’s understand what the plain form of a verb is and how it conjugates !
The Nomal form is the verb form used without adding -masu, which expresses politeness toward the listener.
The Normal form has four basic forms:
- Dictionary form
- Past form : It's called the Ta-form.
- Negative form : It's called the Nai-form.
- Negative past form : It's called the Nakatta-form.
When learning verbs, be sure to practice and master all four plain forms.
The Ta-form is formed by applying the same rule as the Te-form.
In other words, simply change the -Te in the te-form to -Ta.
Please check the slides for the normal forms of consonant verbs, vowel verbs, and irregular verbs.
Notice !
The polite masu-form also has four forms, but the pattern is not difficult to understand, as shown below:
Polite → Polite past → Polite negative → Polite negative past
machimasu → machimashita → machimasen → machimasen deshita
You simply add the appropriate variation of -masu to the verb stem machi-.
The rule itself is simple, but switching speech styles depending on the listener can be difficult, so take your time and practice it thoroughly.
