The Japanese て-form: What It Is and How to Make It
✍️ Mori-sensei · Japanese Teacher · 2026-06-22 更新
The て-form (て形) is one of the most useful shapes a Japanese verb can take. On its own it links actions together, and it is the building block for a long list of everyday grammar. This guide explains why it matters and gives you a clear, correct way to form it.
Why the て-form matters
Once you know the て-form, a lot of essential grammar opens up:
- •Requests: 〜てください — 待ってください (please wait).
- •Progressive / ongoing state: 〜ている — 食べています (I am eating).
- •Connecting actions in sequence: 起きて、顔を洗って、出かけます (I get up, wash my face, and go out).
- •Permission: 〜てもいい — 入ってもいいですか (may I come in?).
Because so much grammar sits on top of it, the て-form is worth drilling until it is automatic.
How to make the て-form (五段 / godan verbs)
For 五段 (godan, "u-verbs"), the ending changes based on the final sound. The same endings are used for the past plain (た) form:
- •う / つ / る → って : 買う → 買って, 待つ → 待って, 取る → 取って
- •む / ぶ / ぬ → んで : 飲む → 飲んで, 遊ぶ → 遊んで, 死ぬ → 死んで
- •く → いて : 書く → 書いて
- •ぐ → いで : 泳ぐ → 泳いで
- •す → して : 話す → 話して
One exception to memorize: 行く → 行って (not 行いて).
一段 (ichidan) and irregular verbs
For 一段 (ichidan, "ru-verbs"), it could not be simpler: drop る and add て.
- •食べる → 食べて, 見る → 見て, 起きる → 起きて
There are only two true irregular verbs, and you just memorize them:
- •する → して
- •来る (くる) → 来て (きて)
Tip: the hardest part is knowing whether a verb is 五段 or 一段. Most verbs ending in -eru / -iru are 一段, but a few common ones (帰る, 入る, 知る, 走る) are 五段 — learn those as you meet them.
よくある質問
What is the difference between the て-form and the た-form?
They use the same sound changes, so once you know one you almost know the other. The て-form connects clauses and supports grammar like 〜てください and 〜ている; the た-form is the plain past tense (買った = bought). 買って vs 買った is the same pattern, different final vowel.
How do I know if a verb is 五段 or 一段?
Verbs ending in -eru or -iru are usually 一段 (食べる, 見る), and you simply drop る. Everything else, plus a handful of -eru/-iru exceptions (帰る, 入る, 走る, 知る), is 五段 and follows the sound-change table. Learning the type with each new verb saves trouble later.
Do I need to memorize the table, or will it become automatic?
Both — you memorize the small table first, then repetition makes it automatic. The fastest route is using the て-form in real sentences again and again, which is exactly how the N5 course drills it.