Japanese Te-Form: Conjugation Chart and Beginner Uses

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Japanese te-form is a verb form ending in て or で. You will see it in requests, sequences of actions, permission questions and constructions such as 〜ている.

One important point comes first: te-form by itself is not the Japanese equivalent of English “-ing.” The form connects a verb to whatever follows it. The full construction tells you what the sentence means.

In this guide, you will learn:

• what te-form does and how it differs from 〜ている
• how to make te-form for る-verbs, う-verbs and irregular verbs
• how to use it for requests, linked actions and permission
• how to practise the patterns without memorising isolated endings

You do not need to master every Japanese tense before starting. It helps to recognise the dictionary form and to read hiragana. For a wider view of the verb system, keep this Japanese verb conjugation guide nearby.

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Te-Form Verbs: What Is Te-Form?

Te-form is made from a verb’s dictionary form. Depending on the verb, the result ends in て (te) or で (de):

食べる → 食べて (taberu → tabete) “eat” (dictionary form) → te-form

読む → 読んで (yomu → yonde) “read” (dictionary form) → te-form

Neither 食べて nor 読んで means “I’m eating” or “I’m reading” on its own. To describe many actions in progress, add いる:

• 食べている (tabete iru) – “am/is eating”
• 食べています (tabete imasu) – the polite form
• 本を読んでいます。(Hon o yonde imasu.) – “I’m reading a book.”

The construction 〜ている is broader than an English progressive. Depending on the verb and context, it can describe an action in progress, a continuing state or a habit:

• 今、本を読んでいます。(Ima, hon o yonde imasu.) – “I’m reading a book now.”
• 東京に住んでいます。(Tōkyō ni sunde imasu.) – “I live in Tokyo.”
• 毎日、日本語を勉強しています。(Mainichi, Nihongo o benkyō shite imasu.) – “I study Japanese every day.”

Japanese commonly uses one non-past form where English may choose a present or future translation. Te-form itself does not settle the time. In a linked sentence, tense and politeness normally appear on the final verb or expression.

The past form of 〜ている is 〜ていた. For example, その本を読んでいた (sono hon o yonde ita) normally means “I was reading that book.” With enough earlier-time context, English might instead use “had been reading.” Here 読んで is te-form, while いた (ita) carries the past marking.

Japanese Verb Conjugation for Te-Form

Beginner materials commonly divide Japanese verbs into three conjugation groups:

• る-verbs, also called ichidan verbs or Group 2
• う-verbs, also called godan verbs or Group 1
• irregular verbs, usually called Group 3

Textbooks use several labels for the same groups, so this guide will use る-verb and う-verb. One warning: not every verb ending in る is a る-verb. 帰る (kaeru, “go home”), for example, is an う-verb. Learn a new verb together with its group.

Conjugating る-Verbs

For a る-verb, drop the final る and add て:

• 食べる → 食べて (taberu → tabete)
• 見る → 見て (miru → mite)
• 止める → 止めて (yameru → yamete)

These are te-forms, not “eating,” “seeing” and “stopping” in isolation. Add the construction you need after them.

Conjugating う-Verbs

An う-verb can end in う, く, ぐ, す, つ, ぬ, ぶ, む or る. Its te-form depends on that final kana:

• く → いて: 書く → 書いて (kaku → kaite)
• ぐ → いで: 泳ぐ → 泳いで (oyogu → oyoide)
• す → して: 話す → 話して (hanasu → hanashite)
• う, つ, る → って: 買う → 買って (kau → katte), 待つ → 待って (matsu → matte), 帰る → 帰って (kaeru → kaette)
• ぬ, ぶ, む → んで: 死ぬ → 死んで (shinu → shinde), 遊ぶ → 遊んで (asobu → asonde), 飲む → 飲んで (nomu → nonde)

死ぬ is the main everyday ぬ-ending verb a beginner is likely to meet. That makes the ぬ → んで rule look rare, but it belongs to the same sound pattern as ぶ and む.

One essential exception is 行く (iku, “go”):

行く → 行って (iku → itte), not 行いて

Conjugating Irregular Verbs

The two core irregular verbs in the beginner system have these te-forms:

• する → して (suru → shite) – “do”
• 来る → 来て (kuru → kite) – “come”

Verbs built with する follow the same change: 勉強する → 勉強して (benkyō suru → benkyō shite), “study” → te-form.

Japanese Te-Form Uses

Te-form becomes useful when you attach another element to it. The three patterns below are a practical beginner set. The earlier 〜ている section gives you a fourth.

To Make a Request

Te-form + ください makes a polite request or instruction:

ここに名前を書いてください。(Koko ni namae o kaite kudasai.) “Please write your name here.”

Although ください is polite, the whole expression can still sound direct because you are asking someone to act. The relationship, setting and tone matter. Listen for the request forms people use around you instead of treating one pattern as suitable everywhere.

Linking Two Verbs or Verb Phrases Together

To link actions, put the earlier verb or verbs in te-form. Tense, negation and politeness normally appear on the final verb:

朝起きて、顔を洗って、朝ご飯を食べました。(Asa okite, kao o aratte, asagohan o tabemashita.) “I got up, washed my face and ate breakfast.”

The linked actions may be sequential or closely related; te-form alone does not guarantee that they happen at exactly the same time. If simultaneity is the main point, a pattern such as 〜ながら may be clearer.

Asking If It’s Okay to Do Something

Use te-form + もいいですか to ask permission:

• ここに座ってもいいですか。(Koko ni suwatte mo ii desu ka.) – “May I sit here?”
• この水を飲んでもいいですか。(Kono mizu o nonde mo ii desu ka.) – “May I drink this water?”

Notice that the pattern works after both a て-ending form, 座って, and a で-ending form, 飲んで.

Once those patterns feel familiar, you can recognise te-form in several other useful constructions:

• 食べてから行きます。(Tabete kara ikimasu.) – “I’ll go after eating.”
• 使ってみます。(Tsukatte mimasu.) – “I’ll try using it.”
• ここで写真を撮ってはいけません。(Koko de shashin o totte wa ikemasen.) – “You must not take photos here.”
• 手伝ってくれてありがとう。(Tetsudatte kurete arigatō.) – “Thanks for helping me.”

Japanese Te-Form Conjugation Chart

Use this chart to check a form, then practise it inside a full pattern. The arrow shows dictionary form → te-form; it is not an English “-ing” translation.

Practise Japanese Te-Form in Full Patterns

A chart helps you check the rule, but retrieval is what makes the form usable. Try this short routine:

1. Choose one verb from each ending family in the chart.
2. Say and write the dictionary form and te-form as a pair.
3. Add one construction, such as 〜ている, 〜てください or 〜てもいいですか.
4. Make a sentence that fits a real situation in your day.
5. Check the sentence with a teacher, conversation partner or reliable reference.
6. Retrieve the same form tomorrow and again later in the week without looking at the chart first.

When you watch a Japanese drama or listen to a conversation, notice what comes after て or で. That following piece is often the key to the meaning. Save the whole phrase, not just the te-form verb.

Start with 食べる, 書く, 泳ぐ, 話す, 待つ, 飲む, する, 来る and 行く. Once you can form those accurately inside short sentences, add verbs you actually need.

頑張ってね！ (Ganbatte ne!) “Keep at it!”