Japanese Verb て-Form

V-て・動詞て形・どうしてけい

1. What is て-form?

The て-form is a conjugation of Japanese verbs used to connect sentences, express the sequence of actions, make requests, grant permission, and give commands. The て-form is similar to the English "-ing" or the conjunction "and."

2. Main Uses of て-form

The て-form has various uses in Japanese, including:

Connecting Two Actions: Indicates that two actions happen consecutively. For example: 「本を読んで、寝ました。」(I read a book and then went to bed.)
Expressing Cause or Reason: Indicates that the first action is the cause of the second. For example: 「雨が降って、試合が中止になった。」(It rained, so the game was canceled.)
Making Requests: When used in the form of 「〜てください」, it is used to politely ask someone to do something. For example: 「窓を開けてください。」(Please open the window.)
Granting Permission: Used in the form of 「〜てもいいです」 to express allowance. For example: 「ここに座ってもいいですか？」(May I sit here?)
Expressing Prohibition: When used in the form of 「〜てはいけません」, it expresses a prohibition. For example: 「ここで写真を撮ってはいけません。」(You must not take photos here.)

3. Detailed Conjugation Rules for て-form

3.1 First Group Verbs (Godan Verbs)

First group verbs (Godan verbs) conjugate their て-form based on the final sound of the verb. These verbs typically end with the sounds 「う、つ、る、む、ぬ、ぶ、く、ぐ、す」. The conjugation rules are as follows:

Verb Ending	Conjugation Rule	Example (Dictionary Form)
～う、～つ、～る	Change「う、つ、る」to「って」	買う（かう）→ 買って立つ（たつ）→ 立って帰る（かえる）→ 帰って
～む、～ぬ、～ぶ	Change「む、ぬ、ぶ」to「んで」	飲む（のむ）→ 飲んで死ぬ（しぬ）→ 死んで遊ぶ（あそぶ）→ 遊んで
～く	Change「く」to「いて」	書く（かく）→ 書いて
～ぐ	Change「ぐ」to「いで」	泳ぐ（およぐ）→ 泳いで
～す	Change「す」to「して」	話す（はなす）→ 話して

Special Rules for First Group Verbs

行く（いく） is a special case in the first group; its て-form is 行って（いって）, not いいて as would be expected.

3.2 Second Group Verbs (Ichidan Verbs)

Second group verbs (also known as Ichidan verbs) follow a more regular pattern; they all end in 「る」. To change these verbs to their て-form, simply remove the final 「る」 and add「て」.

Verb Ending	Conjugation Rule	Example (Dictionary Form)	Example (て-form)
～る	Change「る」to「て」	食べる（たべる）→ 食べて見る（みる）→ 見て

3.3 Third Group Verbs (Irregular Verbs)

Third group verbs are irregular and have unique て-form changes that need to be memorized. The primary verbs in this category are 「する」 and 「来る」.

Verb	Conjugation Rule	Example (Dictionary Form)	Example (て-form)
する	Change「する」to「して」	する → して
来る（くる）	Change「来る」to「来て」	来る（くる）→ 来て（きて）

4. Conjugation Table for て-form

Verb Type	Verb Ending	Conjugation Rule	Example (Dictionary Form)
First Group	～う、～つ、～る	Change「う、つ、る」to「って」	買う（かう）→ 買って立つ（たつ）→ 立って帰る（かえる）→ 帰って
First Group	～む、～ぬ、～ぶ	Change「む、ぬ、ぶ」to「んで」	飲む（のむ）→ 飲んで死ぬ（しぬ）→ 死んで遊ぶ（あそぶ）→ 遊んで
First Group	～く	Change「く」to「いて」	書く（かく）→ 書いて
First Group	～ぐ	Change「ぐ」to「いで」	泳ぐ（およぐ）→ 泳いで
First Group	～す	Change「す」to「して」	話す（はなす）→ 話して
Second Group	～る	Change「る」to「て」	食べる（たべる）→ 食べて見る（みる）→ 見て
Third Group	する、来る（くる）	Irregular Changes	する → して来る（くる）→ 来て

5. Specific Functions of て-form

5.1 Expressing Continuous Actions

The て-form can be used to connect two or more actions, indicating their sequence or continuity.

Example: 彼は起きて、朝ごはんを食べて、学校へ行った。
(He got up, ate breakfast, and went to school.)

5.2 Expressing Cause or Reason

The て-form can indicate that the first action is the cause of the second.

Example: 雨が降って、試合が中止になった。
(It rained, so the game was canceled.)

5.3 Making Requests

When used in the form of 「～てください」, it politely asks someone to do something.

Example: 窓を開けてください。
(Please open the window.)

5.4 Granting Permission

In the form of 「～てもいいです」, it expresses that someone is allowed to do something.

Example: ここに座ってもいいですか？
(May I sit here?)

5.5 Expressing Prohibition

When used in the form of 「～てはいけません」, it expresses a prohibition.

Example: ここでタバコを吸ってはいけません。
(You must not smoke here.)

6. Summary

The て-form of verbs is an essential conjugation in Japanese grammar, commonly used in both spoken and written language. Different types of verbs have distinct conjugation rules for the て-form, and mastering these rules helps convey various meanings, such as continuous actions, requests, and prohibitions. Understanding these uses enables learners to use the て-form confidently in communication.