The て-form: rules, 〜てください and 〜てもいいですか

The て-form is one of the most useful verb forms in Japanese. On its own it links actions (“do A and then B”), and with a few endings it makes requests, asks for permission, says “I am doing” (lesson 19) and much more. It takes some practice, so this lesson goes step by step: first the dictionary form, then the rules, then two everyday uses.

The dictionary form

Dictionaries list verbs in their plain form, which always ends in an u-sound. For Group 1 verbs, change the i-sound before ます to the u-sound: 書かきます → 書かく, 飲のみます → 飲のむ, 買かいます → 買かう. For Group 2, replace ます with る: 食たべます → 食たべる. Group 3: します → する and 来きます → 来くる.

Group 1: the ending decides

For Group 1 verbs, the last sound of the dictionary form tells you the て-form:

Dictionary form ends in	て-form	Examples
う つ る	って	買かう → 買かって, まつ → まって, かえる → かえって
む ぶ ぬ	んで	飲のむ → 飲のんで, あそぶ → あそんで, しぬ → しんで
く	いて	書かく → 書かいて, 聞きく → 聞きいて
ぐ	いで	およぐ → およいで, いそぐ → いそいで
す	して	話はなす → 話はなして, かす → かして
Exception	行いって	行いく → 行いって (not “行いて”)

A memory trick many learners use: chant the endings — “u-tsu-ru → tte, mu-bu-nu → nde, ku → ite, gu → ide, su → shite”. しぬ (to die) is the only common verb that ends in ぬ.

Careful with る: Group 1 verbs that end in る, such as かえる (go home) and はいる (enter), take って. Group 2 verbs also end in る, but they follow the next rule. The ます form helps: かえります (Group 1) vs 食たべます (Group 2).

Groups 2 and 3

Group 2 is easy: replace る (or ます) with て — 食たべる → 食たべて, 見みる → 見みて, おきる → おきて. Group 3 has only two verbs: する → して and 来くる → 来きて. Every “noun + する” verb follows する: べんきょうして.

Please do: 〜てください

The て-form + ください asks someone to do something: ここに名前を書かいてください — “Please write your name here.” You will hear it at the city office, at the doctor’s and from your manager. It is polite, but it is still a direct request; to a customer or a superior, start with すみませんが、.

In shops and stations you will hear 少々しょうしょうおまちください (“Please wait a moment”). This is a special polite form, not the て-form, but it means the same as ちょっとまってください.

May I? 〜てもいいですか

The て-form + もいいですか asks for permission: しゃしんをとってもいいですか — “May I take a photo?” Answer yes with はい、どうぞ or はい、いいですよ. To say no, Japanese speakers rarely say a direct だめです to adults; you will usually hear すみません、ちょっと… instead.

Common mistakes

• Using the く rule for 行いく: it is 行いって, not “行いて”.
• Treating every る verb as Group 2: かえる → かえって, not “かえて”.
• Mixing up いて and いで: 書かく → 書かいて, but およぐ → およいで.
• Forgetting で after ん: 飲のんで, not “飲んて”.
• Using 〜てください with your boss without a softener — start with すみませんが、.

How to practise

• Chant the endings until they are automatic.
• Make the て-form of every verb in the vocabulary list, then check it with the table.
• Write three requests you might hear at work with 〜てください.
• Write 読, 話, 聞 and 言 on the worksheet and do the て-form exercise.