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Grammar detail: verb て form

verb て form
184 words
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On its own, the て form of a verb can be used as a simple joining form, or as an imperative.
However, the て form is the verb form used in many other constructions, so it is a key form to learn how to make.
Formation
The て form is made from the dictionary form as follows:
Ichidan verbs
た
食
べる (eat)
る ➜ て
た
食
べて
 
み
見
る (see; look)
る ➜ て
み
見
て
 
お
起
きる (wake up)
る ➜ て
お
起
きて
Godan verbsending in う:
あ
会
う (meet)
う ➜ って
あ
会う
って
 ending in う:
か
買
う (buy)
う ➜ って
か
買
って
 ending in つ:
ま
待
つ (wait)
つ ➜ って
ま
待
って
 ending in る:
つく
作
る (make)
る ➜ って
つく
作
って
 ending in く:
か
書
く (write)
く ➜ いて
か
書
いて
 ending in く:
き
聞
く (listen)
く ➜ いて
き
聞
いて
 ending in ぐ:
およ
泳
ぐ (swim)
ぐ ➜ いで
およ
泳
いで
 ending in す:
はな
話
す (speak)
す ➜ して
はな
話
して
 ending in む:
よ
読
む (read)
む ➜ んで
よ
読
んで
 ending in ぶ:
あそ
遊
ぶ (play)
ぶ ➜ んで
あそ
遊
んで
 ending in ぬ:
し
死
ぬ (die)
ぬ ➜ んで
し
死
んで
Irregular verbsする (do) して
 
く
来
る (come)
 
き
来
て
 
い
行
く (go)
 
い
行
って
 です (is) で
To create the て form, replace the た of the plain past form with て. This rule, however, does not apply to です.
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Kanji used in this grammar

食
ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   くう to eat   
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見
ケン   みる to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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起
キ   おきる to wake up, to get up   おこる to happen   おこす to rouse   
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会
カイ   エ   あう to meet   
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買
バイ   かう to buy   
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待
タイ   まつ to wait   
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作
サク   サ   つくる to make   
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書
ショ   かく to write   
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聞
ブン   モン   きく to listen, to hear   きこえる to be heard   
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泳
エイ   およぐ swim   
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話
ワ   はなす to talk   はなし talking   
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読
ドク   トク   トウ   よむ to read   
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遊
ユ   ユウ   あそぶ play   
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死
シ   death   しぬ die   
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来
ライ   くる to come   きたる to be forthcoming   きたす to induce   
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行
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆく    いく to go   おこなう to take place   
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