The above sentence is a compound sentence connected by “and.” In Japanese, the particle と can only connect 2 nouns in the sense “bread and butter.”
In order to connect 2 or more sentences, verbs and adjectives, we need to use what is called the てform.
How to connect 2 sentences
Here we use an example sentence “I go to the library and I read a book.”
- Ignore “and” and make 2 separate sentences.
I go to the library => わたしは としょかんに いきます。
I read a book =>わたしはほんを よみます。
As わたしは is repeated, the second one can be omitted. - Change the verb of the first sentence into its てform.
いきます=> いって - Add a comma after the first clause (= a sentence which is part of a longer sentence) and combine.
わたしは としょかんに いって、ほんを よみます。
3 types of Verbs
Before we talk about てform itself, we need to talk about 3 kinds of verbs. All Japanese verbs are divided into the following 3 groups.
- irregular verbs – します (to do), きます (to come), いきます (to go) and あります (to exist)
- 1-dan verbs – only its ending changes. Also called “るverb.”
- 5-dan verbs – follow the rules shown in the song below. Also called “うverb.”
Up until now whenever the new verbs were introduced the last column said “i,” “1” or “5.” These marks correspond to one of the above.
How to Change to てform
- Verbs
- ichi-dan verbs: -ます ⇒ -て
- go-dan verbs: change depending on the letter before ます
- -い、-ち、-り・ます ⇒ って
- かいます⇒かって (to buy)
- まちます⇒まって (to wait)
- とります⇒とって (to take)
- -み、-に、-び・ます ⇒ んで
- のみます⇒のんで (to drink)
- しにます⇒しんで (to die – sorry it’s not a nice word, but this is the only 5-dan verb in the な line)
- とびます⇒とんで ( to fly, to jump)
- -きます ⇒ いて
- ききます⇒きいて (to listen to)
- -ぎます ⇒ いで
- いそぎます⇒いそいで (to hurry)
- -します ⇒ して
- かします⇒かして ( to lend)
- -い、-ち、-り・ます ⇒ って
- irregular verbs
- きます ⇒ きて (to come)
- します ⇒ して (to do)
- いきます ⇒ いって (to go)
- いadjectives: -い ⇒ くて
- なadjectives: add で (This で comes from です)
てform song
Examples
- きのう テレビで みて、すぐに かいに いきました。
I saw it on TV yesterday and went to buy it straight away. - きのう ケーキを かって、きょう たべました。
I bought a cake yesterday and ate it today. - まいにち 5キロ はしって、1キロ およぎます。
I run 5 kms and swim 1 km everyday. - まいにち ほんを よんで、おいのりして から ねます。
I go to bed every night after I read and pray. - まいにち 日本語の ラジオを きいて、日本語を べんきょうします。
Everyday I listen to a Japanese radio program and study Japanese. - きのうは 3キロ およいで、5キロあるきました。
Yesterday I swam 3 kms and walked 5 kms. - ははは たくさん かいものを して、つぎの ひに いろいろな りょうりを つくりました。
My mum did lots of shopping and cooked various dishes next day. - あした かいものに いって、けいたいを かいます。
I will go shopping tomorrow and buy a mobile phone. - このケーキは あまくて、おいしいです。
This cake is sweet and nice. - ジョンさんは せがたかくて、ハンサムです。
John is tall and handsome. - メアリーさんは きれいで、しんせつです。（きれい is a なadjective）
Mary is pretty and kind. - この やさいは しんせんで、おいしかったです。
This vegetable was fresh and delicious. - わたしは 日本人で 日本語の きょうし です。(で is connecting 2 ideas here, not just 2 nouns.)
I’m a Japanese national and I’m a Japanese language teacher.
Suggestion for Activities
- Change the following verbs into てform.
- Choose 2 of the following verbs and make a sentence that describes what you do/did in the chronological order.
1-dan verbs
| あけます | to open |
| いれます | to put in |
| うまれます | to be born |
| おきます | to get up, to rise |
| おしえます | to teach, to tell, to inform |
| おぼえます | to remember, to memorize |
| おります | to alight (e.g. from bus), to get off |
| かけます | to put on (e.g. glasses) |
| かけます | to dial/call (e.g. phone) |
| かります | to borrow, to have a loan |
| きえます | to go out, to vanish |
| きます | to put on (from shoulders down, waist up) |
| こたえます | to answer, to reply |
| しめます | to close, to shut |
| しめます | to tie, to fasten |
| つかれます | to get tired, to tire |
| つけます | to turn on (e.g. a light) |
| つとめます | to serve, to work (for), to make efforts |
| でかけます | to go out |
| できます | to be made, to be able |
| でます | to appear, to leave |
| ねます | to go to bed, to lie down |
| みせます | to show, to display |
| わすれます | to forget |
5-dan Verbs
| あきます | to open, to become open |
| あらいます | to wash |
| いります | to be needed |
| うたいます | to sing |
| うります | to sell |
| おきます | to put, to place |
| おします | to push, to press |
| おわります | to finish, to close |
| かえします | to return something |
| かかります | to take (time), to cost |
| かします | to lend |
| かぶります | to put on (to cover the head) |
| こまります | to be at a loss, to be bothered |
| さきます | to bloom |
| さします | to point, to indicate, to raise (e.g. umbrella), to pour (water) |
| しにます | to die |
| しまります | to close, to be closed |
| しります | to get to know |
| すいます | to smoke, to breathe in, to suck |
| すみます | to reside, to live in |
| すわります | to sit |
| たちます | to stand up |
| たのみます | to request, to ask |
| ちがいます | to differ, to be different |
| つきます | to arrive at, to reach |
| とまります | to come to a halt, to stop |
| とります | to take |
| なきます | to cry, to wee, (for a bird) to sing, (for an animal) to make sound |
| なくします | to lose something |
| ならいます | to learn, to have lessons of |
| ならびます | to line up, to stand in a line |
| ぬぎます | to take off clothes |
| はいります | to enter, to contain, to hold |
| はきます | to put on (something waist down) |
| はじまります | to begin |
| はたらきます | to work |
| はります | to stick, to paste |
| ひきます | to play (string instrument) |
| ひきます | to pull |
| ふきます | to blow (wind, etc) |
| まがります | to turn, to warp |
| まちます | to wait |
| みがきます | to brush (teeth), to polish |
| もちます | to hold, to possess, to have |
| やすみます | to rest, to have a break, to take a day off |
| やります | to do |
| よびます | to call out, to invite |
| わかります | to be clear (enough to be understood) |
| わたします | to pass over, to hand over |
| わたります | to cross over, to go across |
Course: JLPT N5
