Japanese Te-Form: Complete Conjugation Guide to Use Te Form

The te-form () is basically the Swiss Army knife when learning Japanese. You'll use it to connect actions, make requests, talk about ongoing situations, ask for permission, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Pretty much every conversation you have in Japanese will involve the te-form in some way. Think of it as the duct tape holding your Japanese sentences together, and let me introduce how to use it!

What is the Japanese te form: A form to connect

In Japanese, verbs change their endings based on what you want to express, and the te-form is one of the most versatile conjugations you'll learn.

When you conjugate a verb into Japanese te-form, you're creating a form that can:

The actual conjugation rules depend on which verb group you're working with. Japanese verbs fall into three main categories, and each one follows different conjugation rules.

The three verb groups in Japanese dictionary form

Before we dive into how to conjugate verbs into te-form, you need to understand the three verb groups. This is crucial because each group conjugates differently.

How to convert Japanese verbs to te-form

Alright, let's get into the actual conjugation rules. This is where a lot of learners get stuck, but once you practice enough, it becomes second nature.

Conjugate group 1 verbs in Japanese grammar

Group 1 verbs have the most complex te-form conjugation rules because the ending changes based on what sound the verb ends with in dictionary form.

Verbs ending in う, つ, or る change to って:

Verbs ending in む, ぶ, or ぬ change to んで:

Verbs ending in く change to いて:

Exception: (iku, to go) becomes (itte), which breaks the pattern.

Verbs ending in ぐ change to いで:

Verbs ending in す change to して:

Group 2 (Ru-verbs) conjugation rules to Japanese te-form

Group 2 verbs are way simpler.

You just drop the る and add て:

Group 3 (Irregular verbs) conjugation rules

The two irregular verbs have their own unique conjugations:

Te-form with adjectives and nouns conjugation patterns

While we've focused mainly on verbs, the te-form concept extends to adjectives and nouns too, though the formation is different.

I-adjectives drop the い and add くて:

Na-adjectives add で:

Nouns also use で to connect:

When to use te-form in Japanese conjugation

The te-form shows up in tons of different grammatical structures. Let me break down the main uses you'll encounter.

Connecting sequential actions

One of the most basic uses of te-form is connecting two or more actions that happen in sequence. In English, we might use "and then" or just "and."

The te-form creates a smooth flow between actions. The tense of the entire sentence is determined by the final verb, so all the te-form verbs just follow along with that tense.

Present progressive tense with いる

When you add いる (iru, to exist) after a verb in te-form, you create the present progressive tense. This expresses an ongoing action or state.

You can also use the past tense of いる to show something was ongoing in the past:

Making requests

Adding ください (kudasai) after a verb in te-form creates a polite request. This is super common in everyday Japanese.

Asking for permission

The pattern te-form + もいいですか (mo ii desu ka) lets you ask if something is okay to do.

When someone asks you this, you can respond with the te-form + もいいです (mo ii desu) to give permission, or te-form + はいけません (wa ikemasen) to refuse.

Giving instructions or prohibitions

You can use te-form + はいけません (wa ikemasen) or te-form + はだめです (wa dame desu) to say something is not allowed.

Expressing cause and reason from the past tense

Sometimes the te-form can show that one action is the reason or cause for another.

Describing a state resulting from past action

When you use te-form + いる with certain verbs, it describes a state that resulted from a past action and continues to the present.

Common te verb form expressions you’ll use all the time

Once you've got the basic conjugation down, these expressions will become part of your daily Japanese:

〜てみる (te miru) means "to try doing something":

〜ておく (te oku) means "to do something in advance" or "to do something and leave it that way":

〜てしまう (te shimau) expresses completion or regret:

〜てくる (te kuru) means "to do something and come back" or indicates a change happening over time:

〜ていく (te iku) means "to do something and go" or indicates a continuing change:

How to memorize て form in Japanese

Honestly, memorizing all these conjugation rules takes practice. Here are some tips that actually help:

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The key to learning Japanese verb conjugation

The key is consistent practice and exposure to use the te form. Conjugate a few verbs every day, write sentences using different te-form patterns, and consume Japanese content where you can see these structures in action.

Rules are dry, but learning from immersion is fun!