Japanese Verbs Eleven

With this Japanese Verbs Eleven, in our Learn Japanese series, we will look at how to use the "...te" form of verbs with other Japanese words to make slightly more complicated sentences.

Just used as it is, it allows you to string a load of clauses together and form a complex sentence. So now you are learning a little more than just basic Japanese.

For example, if you wanted to say, "I drank, sang and ate all night."


In order to do this with all verbs, let's first recap on Japanese verbs

There are three types of verb:

  1. irregular verbs, of which there are only two.
  2. The verbs that end in "u." 
  3. Those that end in "ru."


To make it easier I will arrange the verb in its various forms

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "te" form       Kanji/Kana

Kuru              ki                 kite             来て

Suru              shi               shite            して

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru                    mi          mite             見て

Taberu               tabe        tabete          食べて

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu                kachi        katte            勝って

Yomu                 yomi        yonde           読んで

Modoru             modori      modotte         戻って

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular.  However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

As you can see, it's mostly, but not always, just a matter of adding "te" to the stem.

After the word list are a few examples:

Jill = ジル　Bicycle = 自転車 =　じてんしゃ　To buy = 買う　= かう　

Library = 図書館 =　としょかん　To go = 行く　= いく　Music = 音楽 =　おんがく

To listen = 聴く　= きく　Usually = たいてい　Coffee = コーヒー Rice = ご飯 =　ごはん

Book = 本 =　ほん English conversation = 英会話 =　えいかいわ　Report = レポート　

To write = 書く =　かく　Now = 今　= いま　I = 私 =　わたし　Chair = 椅子 =　いす

To sit =　座る　= すわる Snack = スナック


Jill bought a bicycle, went to the library and listened to some music.

   ジルは自転車を買って図書館に行って音楽を聴きました。

Kana usually drinks coffee and eats rice.

   カナはたいていコーヒーを飲んでご飯を食べます。

The students will read a book, listen to an English conversation and write an essay. 

   生徒さんは本を読んで英会話を聞いてレポートを書きます。

At the moment, I am sitting in a chair, eating a snack.

   今私は椅子に座ってスナックを食べています。


As you can see, the tense of the sentence depends on the last verb and applies to each one of those "...te" verbs in the sentence.

You can also use the "...te" form to convey the meaning of "because" or "for the reason."

Let's use a few examples:

Every evening = 毎晩 = まいばん  to cook = 料理する = りょうりする

to make trouble = 苦労する = くろう   new car = 新車 =  しんしゃ

because he bought ... = 買って jealous =  うらやましい

a boy's name = よし  a famliar alternative to "san" = くん  always = いつも

mother = お母さん = おかあさん  to help = 手伝いをする = てつだい

great = えらい  don't you think? = ね

It's a bother because I have to cook every evening.

　毎晩料理して苦労します。

I'm jealous because Jill bought a new car.

　ジルは新車を買ってうらやましいです。

Isn't it great (for the reason) that Yoshi always helps his mother.　

   よしくんはいつもお母さんの手伝いをしてえらいですね。


Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then Japanese kanji and finally hiragana:

 Tomorrow = 明日 =　あした　he = 彼 =　かれ　early = 早く =　はやく　

to get up = 起きる =　おきる　shower = シャワー  to bathe = 浴びる = あびる　

coffee = コーヒー　they =　彼ら =　かれら  all night = 一晩中 =　いちばんじゅう

to sing = 　歌う =　うたう　hotel = ホテル　from = から　bus = バス　with = で　

to go = 行く =　いく　souvenir = おみやげ　various = いろいろ　TV = テレビ　

karaoke = カラオケ　friend = 友達 =　ともだち　to/with = と　

want to talk = 話したい =　はなしたい  to smile = にっこりする　

to greet = 挨拶する =　あいさつする　to phone = 電話する =　でんわする

room = 部屋 =　へや  to tidy = 片付ける =　かたつける　shopping = 買い物 =　かいもの

indicates direction = に　must go = 行かなければなりません　

this morning = 今朝 =　けさ　7 o'clock = 七時 =　しちじ　breakfast = ご飯 =　ごはん

8 o'clock =　八時半 =　はちじはん　to leave = 出る =　でる  yesterday = 昨日 =　きのう

dog =　犬 =　いぬ　　outside = そとで　to let play = 遊ばせる =　あそばせる

food =　えさ  to give = 与える = あたえる　oneself = 自分 =　じぶん　

dinner = 夕食 =　ゆうはん　to make = 作る = 　つくる  now = 今 =　いま　steak = ステーキ

white =　白い =　しろい　wine = ワイン　she = 彼女 =　かのじょ　bath = お風呂 =　おふろ

to enter =　入る =　はいる　to feel refreshed = さっぱりする　piano = ピアノ

to practice =　練習する =　れんしゅうする  English = 英語 =　えいご

to study =　勉強する =　べんきょうする　Japanese = 日本の　にほんの

history = 歴史 =　れきし

Try to translate English to Japanese for the below sentences, using the above list of Japanese words.

1. Tomorrow he will get up early, take a shower and drink coffee.

2.They drank, sang and ate all night.

3. They went by bus from the hotel and bought all sorts of souvenirs.

4. I like to watch TV, go to karaoke and talk to my friends.

5. He greeted us and smiled.

6. I've got to call Kana, straighten up my room and go shopping.

7. This morning I got up at 7 o’clock, ate breakfast and left home at half past eight.

8. Yesterday Jill let the dog play outside, fed him and then made her own dinner.

9. I'm eating steak, drinking white wine and talking to friends now.

10. She took a bath and now feels refreshed.

11. Kana has been practising the piano, studying English and reading  Japanese history this morning.

Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

The only way to remember all this in Japanese Verbs Eleven is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

  1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 11 Japanese phrases.
  2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
  3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.

Back to the Japanese words page