Components

Grammar detail: verb て form

verb て form  imperative, and basis of other constructions
193 words
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The て form of a verb is one of the most useful forms in Japanese. On its own, it functions as the imperative form, i.e. it is used for giving commands. The て form is also the basis of many other common constructions, such as 〜てください (please do ~). The て form can also be used to join two sentences, in which case it functions as 'and'.

Formation

The て form is made from the dictionary form as follows:
Ichidan verbs
べる (eat)
る ➜ て
べて
Godan verbsending in う:
ちが
う (be different)
う ➜ って
ちが
って
 ending in く:
く (write)
く ➜ いて
いて
 ending in す:
はな
す (speak)
す ➜ して
はな
して
 ending in つ:
つ (wait)
つ ➜ って
って
 ending in ぬ:
ぬ (die)
ぬ ➜ んで
んで
 ending in ぶ:
ぶ (call)
ぶ ➜ んで
んで
 ending in む:
む (read)
む ➜ んで
んで
 ending in る:
はし
る (run)
る ➜ って
はし
って
Irregular verbsする (do) して
 
る (come)
 
 
く (go)
 
って
 です (is) 

Usage examples

As the imperative:
いて
いて

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Use with ください:
あした
明日
あさ
かいしゃ
会社
でんわ
電話
して
ください
Call me at the office tomorrow morning.
Joining two sentences:
とけい
時計
まって
じかん
時間
わからなくなった
My watch ran down and I didn't know the time.

More constructions

The て form is the basis of many everyday constructions. Here are some of the common ones.
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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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イ   different   ちが to be different   ちがえる to change, alter, vary   
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ショ   か to write   
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ワ   はな to talk   はなし talking   
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タイ   ま to wait   
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シ   death   し die   
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コ   よ to call   
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ドク   トク   トウ   よ to read   
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ソウ   はし run   
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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ブン   モン   き to listen, to hear   きこえる to be heard   
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メイ   ミョウ   あかり light   あかるい bright   あかるむ to brighten   あからむ to become luminous (at dawn)   あきらか obvious   あかす to lay bare   あ to open   あける to empty   
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ニチ   ジツ   sun; day   ひ    -か    
チョウ   あさ morning   
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カイ   エ   あ to meet   
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シャ    company   やしろ Shinto shrine   
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デン    electricity   
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ジ   とき time, occasion   
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ケイ   はからう to arrange   はか to measure, compute   
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シ   とめる to stop   とまる to stop   
カン   ケン   あいだ interval, between   ま space, room   
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