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Grammar detail: verb plain past form

verb plain past form
252 words
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The plain past form of a verb is used for sentence-ending verbs in casual conversation, and whenever a past tense verb is used in a clause that forms part of a larger sentence in both casual and polite speech. (In polite speech, the simple past form is used.)
The Japanese past tense is used for two common English tenses - the English simple past (I came, I saw, I conquered etc), as well as the present perfect (I have read, I have understood etc).
The plain past is easy to form for ichidan verbs - just replace the る with た. For example:
べる (eat) ➜
べた ate
How to Form the Plain Past of Ichidan, Godan and Irregular Verbs
Ichidan verbs
べる (eat)
る ➜ た
べた
 
る (see; look)
る ➜ た
 
きる (wake up)
る ➜ た
きた
Godan verbsending in う:
う (meet)
う ➜ った
会う
った
 ending in う:
う (buy)
う ➜ った
った
 ending in つ:
つ (wait)
つ ➜ った
った
 ending in る:
つく
る (make)
る ➜ った
つく
った
 ending in く:
く (write)
く ➜ いた
いた
 ending in く:
く (listen)
く ➜ いた
いた
 ending in ぐ:
およ
ぐ (swim)
ぐ ➜ いだ
およ
いだ
 ending in す:
はな
す (speak)
す ➜ した
はな
した
 ending in む:
む (read)
む ➜ んだ
んだ
 ending in ぶ:
あそ
ぶ (play)
ぶ ➜ んだ
あそ
んだ
 ending in ぬ:
ぬ (die)
ぬ ➜ んだ
んだ
Irregular verbsする (do) した
 
る (come)
 
 
く (go)
 
った
 です (is) だった
The rules to form the plain past are the same as those used for the verb て form. However, です is an exception.
わたし
じはん
時半
ちょうしょく
朝食
べた

I had breakfast at 7:30.
かのじょ
彼女
まど
から
そと

She looked out of the window.
わたし
その
くるま
った

I bought that car.
わたし
はは
てがみ
手紙
いた

I wrote a letter to my mother.
さいきん
最近
なに
おもしろいもの
んだ

Have you read anything interesting lately?
この
なつやす
夏休
よく
およ
いだ

I swam a lot during this summer vacation.
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Kanji used in this grammar

ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   く to eat   
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ケン   み to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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キ   おきる to wake up, to get up   おこる to happen   おこす to rouse   
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カイ   エ   あ to meet   
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バイ   か to buy   
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タイ   ま to wait   
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サク   サ   つく to make   
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ショ   か to write   
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ブン   モン   き to listen, to hear   きこえる to be heard   
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エイ   およ swim   
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ワ   はな to talk   はなし talking   
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ドク   トク   トウ   よ to read   
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ユ   ユウ   あそ play   
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シ   death   し die   
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ライ   く to come   きた to be forthcoming   きた to induce   
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コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆ    い to go   おこな to take place   
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シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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ジ   とき time, occasion   
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ハン   なか half   
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チョウ   あさ morning   
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ヒ   かれ he   
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ジョ   ニョ   ニョウ   woman; female   おんな woman   め woman   
ソウ   まど window   
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ガイ   ゲ   そと outside   ほか other   はず to remove, mislead   はずれる to come off, to miss   
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シャ   くるま car   
ボ   はは mother   
シュ   hand   て    た-    
シ   かみ paper   
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サイ   もっと most   
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キン   ちか close   
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カ   なに    なん what?   
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カ   ゲ   なつ summer   
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キュウ   やす to rest   やすまる to be rested   やすめる to suspend (use etc.)   
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