Verb forms 綱渡り

Present / future

Use for habits, general facts, and future actions. Context tells you when.

Past

Describe an action or event that has already happened. Compare the affirmative and negative forms below.

Te-form

Connect this action to another clause or grammar pattern. The te-form does not express tense by itself.

If · ば

State a condition with ば. The rest of the sentence describes what follows if that condition holds.

Potential

Say that someone can do something, whether through ability or because the situation allows it.

Passive

Put the person or thing affected by an action at the center of the sentence.

Causative

Say that someone makes or lets another person do something. Context distinguishes permission from force.

Causative-passive

Say that someone is made to do something by another person.

Volitional

Suggest doing something together, or express an intention to act. Often translated as “let’s” or “I’ll”.

Imperative

Give a direct command. These forms can sound forceful; use てください for an ordinary polite request.

If / when · たら

Say “if” or “when” something happens. Although it is built from the past form, たら can describe a future condition.

Listing actions · たり

List representative actions, often in a pattern such as たり…たりする. The final verb sets the tense.

Verb stem

The part used before ます and patterns such as たい. A stem is a building block, not a complete sentence.

Want to · たい

Express what you want to do. The たい ending changes like an i-adjective, including in its negative and past forms.

Pattern Verb stem + たい

Show signs of wanting · たがる

Describe signs that someone else wants to do something, based on what you can observe.

Pattern Verb stem + たがる

Want someone to · てほしい

Express a wish for someone else to do something.

Pattern Te-form + ほしい

Ongoing action / resulting state · ている

Describe an action in progress or a state that results from an action. Which meaning applies depends on the verb.

Pattern Te-form + いる

Do beforehand / leave ready · ておく

Do something in preparation, or leave a situation as it is for later.

Pattern Te-form + おく

Finish / end up doing · てしまう

Describe finishing an action, or an outcome that was unintended or regrettable.

Pattern Te-form + しまう

Try doing · てみる

Try doing an action to see what happens. This describes trying the action out, rather than struggling to achieve it.

Pattern Te-form + みる

Continue onward / away · ていく

Describe movement away from the speaker, or a change that continues from now into the future.

Pattern Te-form + いく

Come to / toward · てくる

Describe movement toward the speaker, or a change that has developed up to the present.

Pattern Te-form + くる

Begin doing · 始める

Describe the beginning of an action.

Pattern Verb stem + 始める

Continue doing · 続ける

Describe continuing an action over time.

Pattern Verb stem + 続ける

Finish doing · 終わる

Describe finishing an action.

Pattern Verb stem + 終わる

Intend to · つもり

State an intention to do something. Negating the intention differs from intending not to act.

Pattern Dictionary form + つもり

Attempt to · ようとする

Describe trying to carry out an action, or being just about to do it.

Pattern Volitional form + とする

Decide to · ことにする

Describe a decision to do something.

Pattern Dictionary form + ことにする

Become able to · ようになる

Describe gaining the ability to do something, or a change that makes it possible.

Please do · てください

Ask someone to do something politely. This is a request pattern, not a tense of the verb.

Pattern Te-form + ください

Please don’t · ないでください

Ask someone politely not to do something.

Pattern Negative plain form + でください

Do this · なさい

Give a firm instruction, often from a parent or teacher to someone in their care.

Pattern Verb stem + なさい

Please let me · させてください

Ask permission to perform the action yourself.

Have to / must · なければならない

Express an obligation to act. Despite the negative pieces in Japanese, the whole pattern means “have to”.

Should · べき

Express a duty or a strong judgment about what someone ought to do.

Pattern Dictionary form + べき

Had better · たほうがいい

Advise that doing something would be the better choice. The past-form building block does not make the advice past tense.

Pattern Past plain form + ほうがいい

Must not · てはいけない

Say that an action is forbidden or unacceptable.

Need not · なくてもいい

Say that an action is unnecessary. It does not prohibit doing it.

May / be allowed to · てもいい

Say that an action is allowed, or ask permission by using the pattern in a question.

Pattern Te-form + もいい

If that is the case · なら

Take up a situation or assumption from the conversation, often before giving advice or a response.

Pattern Dictionary form + なら

Whenever / natural consequence · と

Describe a regular result, an automatic consequence, or something that happens whenever the action occurs.

Pattern Dictionary form + と

Even if · ても

Say that a result holds even if the action happens.

Pattern Te-form + も

While doing · ながら

Describe two actions performed at the same time by the same person.

Pattern Verb stem + ながら

Without doing · ないで

Describe doing something without performing this action.

Pattern Negative plain form + で

In order to · ために

State the purpose of an intentional action.

Pattern Dictionary form + ために

So that · ように

Describe a desired outcome, often with a potential or negative verb before ように.

Pattern Dictionary form + ように

Do for someone · てあげる

Describe doing something for someone else’s benefit.

Pattern Te-form + あげる

Someone does for me/us · てくれる

Describe someone doing something for you or someone in your group.

Pattern Te-form + くれる

Have someone do · てもらう

Describe receiving the benefit of someone else’s action, or having them do something for you.

Pattern Te-form + もらう

Easy to · やすい

Describe an action as easy to do, or something as prone to happening.

Pattern Verb stem + やすい

Hard to · にくい

Describe an action as hard to do because of a difficulty or obstacle.

Pattern Verb stem + にくい

Do too much · すぎる

Say that an action is done too much or goes too far.

Pattern Verb stem + すぎる

Have done before · たことがある

Say that someone has had the experience of doing something before.

Pattern Past plain form + ことがある

Just finished · たところ

Describe being at the point immediately after an action finishes.

Pattern Past plain form + ところ

Recently did · たばかり

Describe an action as recent from the speaker’s point of view, even if some time has passed.

Pattern Past plain form + ばかり

After doing · たあとで

Place another event after this action has finished.

Pattern Past plain form + あとで

Before doing · 前に

Place another event before this action happens.

Pattern Dictionary form + 前に

After / since doing · てから

Put actions in sequence, or describe the time since an action occurred.

Pattern Te-form + から

Looks about to · そう

Describe what looks likely to happen, based on what you can observe.

Pattern Verb stem + そう

Reportedly · そうだ

Report something you heard or read. This differs from the そう pattern used for appearances.

Pattern Dictionary form + そうだ

It seems · ようだ

Describe an inference based on evidence or the situation.

Pattern Dictionary form + よう

Probably · だろう / でしょう

Express a guess or expectation. でしょう is the polite counterpart of だろう.

Pattern Dictionary form + だろう

Might · かもしれない

Express the possibility that something may happen or be true.

Be expected to · はず

Describe what you expect to be true based on a reason or known circumstances.

Pattern Dictionary form + はず

Respectful action · 尊敬語

Show respect for the person performing the action. The appropriate expression depends on the verb’s meaning.

Honorific

Ongoing, contracted · てる

Use the spoken contraction of ている, with い omitted.

Colloquial

Pattern Te-form + る

Finish, contracted · ちゃう / じゃう

Use the conversational contraction of てしまう or でしまう.

Colloquial

Have to, shortened · なきゃ

Express “have to” conversationally, with the rest of the obligation understood.

Colloquial