Japanese Grammar 12 – て-Form Basics · N5

📋 Formation Reference — て-Form

How to build the て-form and use it for requests, sequences, and more. Press ▶ to hear examples.

GROUP 1 VERBS (う-VERBS) — SOUND CHANGES

Ending	→ て-form	Dictionary	て-form
う / つ / る	→ って	かう	かって katte
む / ぶ / ぬ	→ んで	のむ	のんで nonde
く	→ いて	かく	かいて kaite
ぐ	→ いで	およぐ	およいで oyoide
す	→ して	はなす	はなして hanashite

GROUP 2 (る-VERBS) & IRREGULARS

Type	Dictionary	て-form
G2 (る → て)	たべる	たべて tabete
G2	みる	みて mite
irregular	する	して shite
irregular	くる	きて kite
exception	いく	いって itte

KEY て-FORM PATTERNS

Pattern	Meaning	Example
～てください ~te kudasai	Please do ~	まってください
～ている ~te iru	Currently doing / ongoing state	たべている
～てから ~te kara	After doing ~	たべてからいきます
V1て、V2て、V3 V1-te, V2-te, V3	Sequence of actions	おきて、あらって、たべた
～てもいいですか ~te mo ii desu ka	May I ~?	すわってもいいですか

🗣 Example Sentences

See how the て-form works in context. Press ▶ to hear each sentence.

REQUESTS — てください

Request

ちょっとまってください。

Chotto matte kudasai.

Please wait a moment.

まつ → まってください

matte kudasai

→ "Please wait." (polite request)

Request

まどをあけてください。

Mado wo akete kudasai.

Please open the window.

ONGOING STATE — ている

Action

いまテレビをみている。

Ima terebi wo mite iru.

I'm watching TV right now.

みる → みている

mite iru

→ ongoing action happening right now

State

かのじょはめがねをかけている。

Kanojo wa megane wo kakete iru.

She wears glasses. (resulting state)

State

にほんにすんでいます。

Nihon ni sunde imasu.

I live in Japan. (ongoing state)

SEQUENCE & PERMISSION

After

しゅくだいをしてから、あそびます。

Shukudai wo shite kara, asobimasu.

I'll play after doing homework.

V-てから V2

shite kara asobimasu

→ "After doing V1, do V2."

Sequence

あさおきて、シャワーをあびて、あさごはんをたべます。

Asa okite, shawaa wo abite, asagohan wo tabemasu.

I wake up, shower, and eat breakfast.

Permission

しゃしんをとってもいいですか。

Shashin wo totte mo ii desu ka.

May I take a photo?

📋 Quick-Reference Cheatsheet ▼

て-form sound changes mirror た-form

✅ CORRECT

かいて (かく)

kaite (kaku)

writing / after writing

く → いて, same pattern as かいた (past)

❌ COMMON MISTAKE

かくて

kakute

Intended: "writing"

Don't attach て directly — sound change required: く → いて

ている — two distinct meanings

ONGOING ACTION

たべている

tabete iru

is eating (right now)

Action still in progress at this moment

RESULTING STATE

けっこんしている

kekkon shite iru

is married (state that resulted from marrying)

The action is done; the result/state continues

てください vs ないでください

POSITIVE REQUEST

すわってください

suwatte kudasai

Please sit down.

て-form + ください = polite request to do something

NEGATIVE REQUEST

すわらないでください

suwaranaide kudasai

Please don't sit down.

ない-form + でください = polite request NOT to do something

て for listing actions in order

✅ CORRECT SEQUENCE

おきて、あらって、たべた

okite, aratte, tabeta

woke up, washed, ate

て connects actions in chronological order; last verb takes tense

❌ COMMON MISTAKE

おきました、あらいました、たべました

okimashita, araimashita, tabemashita

Intended: sequence

Sounds like a list, not a sequence. Use て between steps.

てもいいですか vs てはいけません

PERMISSION

ここでたべてもいいですか。

koko de tabete mo ii desu ka

May I eat here?

Asking if an action is allowed

PROHIBITION

ここでたべてはいけません。

koko de tabete wa ikemasen

You must not eat here.

Stating that an action is forbidden

A — Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Use ▶ to hear the Japanese.

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B — Listen & Choose the Meaning

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then choose the correct English meaning.

D — Listen & Write in Romaji

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then type what you heard in romaji.

💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (おう = ou / oo). Double consonants → write them twice (きって = kitte).

📖 Grammar Deep Dive ▼

ている for habitual actions

ている is not limited to actions happening right now. It also expresses habitual or regular activities — things done repeatedly as a lifestyle. • まいにち + V-ている = a daily habit • Context usually makes the meaning clear

まいにち V-ている

mainichi V-te iru

→ "does [V] every day (habit)"

まいにちはしっている。

Mainichi hashitte iru.

I run every day. (habitual)

ている ambiguity — action vs resulting state

The key to ている is asking: does the action continue, or did the action end leaving a state? • しんでいる — the action "to die" ended; the state "being dead" remains • たべている — the eating action is still in progress • English translations differ: "is dying" vs "is dead"

むしがしんでいる。

Mushi ga shinde iru.

The bug is dead. (result state — NOT "is dying")

てから vs たあとで — "after doing"

Both mean "after doing X, do Y", but they feel slightly different. • てから suggests the second action follows directly or as a result • たあとで is more neutral and can have a longer gap between actions • At N5, either is acceptable; てから is more common in conversation

V-てから V2

V-te kara V2

→ "After doing V1, V2."

シャワーをあびてから、ねます。

Shawaa wo abite kara, nemasu.

I'll sleep after taking a shower.

てみる — try doing something

Attach みる (to see / to try) after a て-form to express attempting an action — "try doing X and see". • Common in suggestions and recommendations • みる keeps its ている form: てみている = is trying

V-てみる

V-te miru

→ "try doing V"

たべてみてください。

Tabete mite kudasai.

Please try eating it.

ていく / てくる — directional aspect

Attach いく or くる after a て-form to show movement direction combined with an action. • ていく = do something and go away (moving away from speaker) • てくる = do something and come back (moving toward speaker) or shows something begins and continues forward in time • Very common with もつ (to hold/carry)

かさをもっていく。

Kasa wo motte iku.

I'll take an umbrella (with me as I go).

📝 Key Vocabulary ▼

Japanese	Romaji	English
まど	mado	window
しゃしん	shashin	photo / photograph
シャワー	shawaa	shower
テレビ	terebi	television / TV
めがね	megane	glasses / spectacles
にほん	nihon	Japan
しゅくだい	shukudai	homework
あさ	asa	morning
いま	ima	now / right now
まいにち	mainichi	every day