部
Components

Grammar detail: verb plain past form

verb plain past form
252 words
My current mastery of this grammar point:
LOG IN to view grammar mastery data
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:
た
食
べる (eat) ➜
た
食
べた ate
How to Form the Plain Past of Ichidan, Godan and Irregular Verbs
Ichidan verbs
た
食
べる (eat)
る ➜ た
た
食
べた
 
み
見
る (see; look)
る ➜ た
み
見
た
 
お
起
きる (wake up)
る ➜ た
お
起
きた
Godan verbsending in う:
あ
会
う (meet)
う ➜ った
あ
会う
った
 ending in う:
か
買
う (buy)
う ➜ った
か
買
った
 ending in つ:
ま
待
つ (wait)
つ ➜ った
ま
待
った
 ending in る:
つく
作
る (make)
る ➜ った
つく
作
った
 ending in く:
か
書
く (write)
く ➜ いた
か
書
いた
 ending in く:
き
聞
く (listen)
く ➜ いた
き
聞
いた
 ending in ぐ:
およ
泳
ぐ (swim)
ぐ ➜ いだ
およ
泳
いだ
 ending in す:
はな
話
す (speak)
す ➜ した
はな
話
した
 ending in む:
よ
読
む (read)
む ➜ んだ
よ
読
んだ
 ending in ぶ:
あそ
遊
ぶ (play)
ぶ ➜ んだ
あそ
遊
んだ
 ending in ぬ:
し
死
ぬ (die)
ぬ ➜ んだ
し
死
んだ
Irregular verbsする (do) した
 
く
来
る (come)
 
き
来
た
 
い
行
く (go)
 
い
行
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
私
は7
じはん
時半
に
ちょうしょく
朝食
を
た
食
べた
。
I had breakfast at 7:30.
かのじょ
彼女
は
まど
窓
から
そと
外
を
み
見
た
。
She looked out of the window.
わたし
私
はその
くるま
車
を
か
買
った
。
I bought that car.
わたし
私
は、
はは
母
に
てがみ
手紙
を
か
書
いた
。
I wrote a letter to my mother.
さいきん
最近
なに
何
かおもしろいもの
よ
読
んだ
。
Have you read anything interesting lately?
この
なつやす
夏休
み
はよく
およ
泳
いだ
。
I swam a lot during this summer vacation.
Please LOG IN for free flashcards

Kanji used in this grammar

食
ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   くう to eat   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
見
ケン   みる to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
起
キ   おきる to wake up, to get up   おこる to happen   おこす to rouse   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
会
カイ   エ   あう to meet   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
買
バイ   かう to buy   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
待
タイ   まつ to wait   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
作
サク   サ   つくる to make   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
書
ショ   かく to write   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
聞
ブン   モン   きく to listen, to hear   きこえる to be heard   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
泳
エイ   およぐ swim   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
話
ワ   はなす to talk   はなし talking   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
読
ドク   トク   トウ   よむ to read   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
遊
ユ   ユウ   あそぶ play   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
死
シ   death   しぬ die   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
来
ライ   くる to come   きたる to be forthcoming   きたす to induce   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
行
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆく    いく to go   おこなう to take place   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
私
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
時
ジ   とき time, occasion   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
半
ハン   なかば half   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
朝
チョウ   あさ morning   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
彼
ヒ   かれ he   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
女
ジョ   ニョ   ニョウ   woman; female   おんな woman   め woman   
窓
ソウ   まど window   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
外
ガイ   ゲ   そと outside   ほか other   はずす to remove, mislead   はずれる to come off, to miss   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
車
シャ   くるま car   
母
ボ   はは mother   
手
シュ   hand   て    た-    
紙
シ   かみ paper   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
最
サイ   もっとも most   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
近
キン   ちかい close   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
何
カ   なに    なん what?   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
夏
カ   ゲ   なつ summer   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
休
キュウ   やすむ to rest   やすまる to be rested   やすめる to suspend (use etc.)   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
Problem with this grammar? Question or comment? Please CONTACT US.
Kanshudo is your AI Japanese tutor, and your constant companion on the road to mastery of the Japanese language. To get started learning Japanese, just follow the study recommendations on your Dashboard. You can use Quick search (accessible using the icon at the top of every page) to look up any Japanese word, kanji or grammar point, as well as to find anything on Kanshudo quickly. For an overview, take the tour.
×