Verb usage goes beyond how the words appear in the dictionary. To use Japanese verbs effectively, you first have to conjugate them based on several factors, such as tense and formality. The te-form Japanese conjugation is one of the most unique and useful grammatical forms to learn. This conjugation always ends in “te” or “de,” and it can be combined with other words (like auxiliary verbs) to make more complex sentences.
Te-form has its own conjugation rules, and it’s not only used for verbs. This guide has all the conjugation charts you need to understand how to turn dictionary form into te-form and seven ways to put those conjugated words into context.
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What are te-form Japanese conjugations?
The Japanese te-form conjugation functions as a connection between words, clauses, and sentences. In many cases, it becomes a part of the conjugated word and is simply translated as “and,” becoming a conjunction without a separate word. It also lacks any indication of past, future, or present tense, so it depends on the rest of the sentence to put the time into context.
Even though this adds another essential Japanese conjugation to the list, it’s so common that you’ll use it in nearly every conversation. This makes it a key grammatical component when learning Japanese. Some of the most frequent uses of te-form are as follows:
- Present progressive tense (verbs ending in “-ing”)
- Making requests
- Giving instructions
- Explaining that things are or will be prepared
- Expressing regret for something that has happened or will happen
- Saying what someone wants to be done
- Asking for or giving permission
How do you conjugate te-form in Japanese?
Conjugating te-form isn’t just for verbs: Adjectives and nouns can also be conjugated into te-form. While all of them end in “te” (or the voiced version “de”), the rules change slightly for each Japanese part of speech. Below is a Japanese te-form chart for every situation you need.
Te-form of verbs
Japanese verbs are divided into three categories depending on the final character of the dictionary form. Because there are so many possible endings, the Japanese verb conjugation for te-form can take some work to remember, but the formula is straightforward. All you have to do is drop the final character of the dictionary form (or present tense of the short form) and add the corresponding new ending based around the “te” sound.
To help you remember them, you can learn a few short conjugation songs as mnemonic devices. It’s also worth noting that the te-form conjugation for verbs is nearly identical to that of the past tense affirmative conjugation: Learn one and you practically know them both!
| Dictionary Form Ending | Te-form Conjugation |
| ～る (ichidan) -ru | ～て -te |
| ～う・～つ・～る (godan) -u, -tsu, -ru | ～って -tte |
| ～む・～ぶ・～ぬ -mu, -bu, -nu | ～んで -nde |
| ～く -ku | ～いて -ite |
| ～ぐ -gu | ～いで -ide |
| ～す -su | ～して -shite |
Hearing and pronouncing the distinction between the conjugations “-te” and “-tte” can be difficult for beginner and intermediate Japanese learners to discern. Listening to audio recordings of native speakers to immerse yourself in Japanese can help you overcome this pronunciation challenge.
Here are examples for each dictionary form ending so you can see these conjugations in action. The verbs for “to go” (iku, 行く), “to come” (kuru, 来る), and “to do” (suru, する) are also included because they have irregular verb conjugations.
| Dictionary Form | Te-form Conjugation | English |
| 食べる taberu | 食べて tabete | eat |
| 会う au | 会って atte | meet |
| 待つ matsu | 待って matte | wait |
| 取る toru | 取って totte | take |
| 休む yasumu | 休んで yasunde | rest |
| 呼ぶ yobu | 呼んで yonde | call |
| 死ぬ shinu | 死んで shinde | die |
| 泳ぐ oyogu | 泳いで oyoide | swim |
| 書く kaku | 書いて kaite | write |
| 落とす otosu | 落として otoshite | drop |
| 行く iku | 行って itte | go |
| する suru | して shite | do |
| 来る kuru | 来て kite | come |
Te-form of nouns
The te-form for Japanese nouns is synonymous with the te-form for the “to be” verb (or copula), desu (です). It’s often translated as “and” in English even if the words are descriptors rather than two separate clauses.
- Nijūnisai de, daigakuinsei desu.（２２歳で、大学院生です。）= I’m 22 and a graduate student.
- Ane wa isha de, otōto wa kōkōsei desu.（姉は医者で、弟は高校生です。）= My older sister is a doctor and my little brother is a high schooler.
Te-form of adjectives
Conjugating Japanese adjectives into te-form is refreshingly simple. For i-adjectives, all you need to do is drop the final “-i” and add “-kute.” For na-adjectives, simply add “de” as though it were a noun. The chart below shows the different te-form conjugations for the two types of adjectives and the one irregular adjective, ii (いい, good).
| Dictionary Form | Te-form Conjugation | English |
| 暑い atsui | 暑くて atsukute | hot |
| 寒い samui | 寒くて samukute | cold |
| いい ii | よくて yokute | good |
| 便利 benri | 便利でbenride | convenient |
| にぎやか nigiyaka | にぎやかで nigiyakade | lively |
Te-form of negative conjugations
Conjugating the te-form of words that have already been conjugated to their negative form is also straightforward. Once you’ve conjugated the word in question to the negative short form (which ends in “-nai”), drop the final “-i” and add “-kute,” just like i-adjectives!
| Negative Conjugation | Te-form Conjugation | English |
| 待たない matanai | 待たなくて matanakute | not waiting |
| 新しくない atarashikunai | 新しくなくて atarashikunakute | not new |
| 静かじゃない shizuka janai | 静かじゃなくて shizuka janakute | not quiet |
| 英語じゃない eigo janai | 英語じゃなくて eigo janakute | not English |
7 ways to use Japanese te-form
Part of what makes te-form such an essential conjugation is its versatility. Once you know how to conjugate it, several handy expressions become immediately accessible to you. Here are seven ways you can use te-form to make your Japanese more natural.
1. Connect sentences and clauses
While there are separate words in Japanese for the conjunctions “but” and “or,” the conjunction “and” is a part of te-form. There is a Japanese particle for “and” to connect nouns (to, と), but te-form is used for connecting clauses and sentences. Because it’s used as a connection to separate parts of a sentence, commas can be used as a visual aid, but they aren’t essential.
- Depāto ni itte, atarashii fuku o katta.（デパートに行って、新しい服を買った。）= I went to the department store and bought new clothes.
- Tomodachi wa shinsetsu de atama ga ii.（友だちは親切で頭がいい。）= My friend is kind and smart.
2. Make requests and give instructions
There are many ways in Japanese to ask people to do things, but two of the simplest ways use te-form on its own. If you want to be a little more polite, just add kudasai (ください) after the conjugated verb.
- Ato de denwa shite ne.（後で電話してね。）= Call me later, okay?
- Shizuka ni yonde kudasai.（静かに読んでください。）= Please read quietly.
Advising people not to do things is also an important usage of te-form. Especially if you visit Japan, keep an eye out for the phrases -te wa ikenai (～てはいけない) or -te wa ikemasen (～てはいけません) prohibiting actions or activities, particularly on signage.
- Hashitte wa ikemasen.（走ってはいけません。）= Do not run.
- Shashin o totte wa ikenai.（写真を撮ってはいけない。）= Do not take pictures.
3. Show ongoing actions
How often do you use words ending in “-ing?” Probably at least once in most conversations! The Japanese version of the present progressive form uses te-form and the auxiliary verb iru (いる) to create the ending “-teiru” (～ている). Once combined, it becomes an ichidan verb and conjugates accordingly.
- Kion ga agatte imasu.（気温が上がっています。）= The temperature is rising.
- Nanika sagashite imasu ka?（何か探していますか？）= Are you looking for something?
4. Describe preparations
Two convenient te-form expressions go together: -te oku (～ておく) means something will be done in preparation, while -te aru (～てある) means something has already been done with intent. Oku and aru are both auxiliary verbs in this case, and should be conjugated appropriately in the greater context of the sentence.
- Ame ga furisō kara mado o shimete oku.（雨が降りそうから窓を閉めておく。）= It looks like rain, so I’ll go ahead and shut the window.
- Mō shimete arimasu.（もう閉めてあります。）= It’s already been closed.
5. Express regret
Whether you overslept, ate too much, or dropped your phone, –te shimau (～てしまう) is the perfect way to express regret. Simply pair the te-form of a verb with the auxiliary verb shimau and conjugate accordingly.
- Shukudai o wasurete shimaimashita.（宿題を忘れてしまいました。）= I [regrettably] forgot my homework.
This expression also means that something has been done completely, whether good or bad.
- Oishikute zenbu tabete shimatta.（美味しくて全部食べてしまった。）= It was so good, I ate everything.
6. Declare wants
The word for expressing things you want is hoshii (ほしい), an i-adjective. You’ll use a separate verb conjugation for when you want to do something, but hoshii is used with te-form to express that you want someone else to do something.
- Kaette kite hoshii.（帰って来てほしい。）= I want you to come home.
7. Ask for and give permission
One of the most useful te-form expressions is asking if something is allowed or acceptable to do. Literally, the expression -temo ii (～てもいい) is akin to saying, “Even if [this happens], it’s OK.” However, in practice, it’s close to, “You may.”
- Shashin o tottemo ii desu yo.（写真を撮ってもいいですよ。）= You may take pictures.
- Kirei ja nakutemo ii?（きれいじゃなくてもいい？）= Is it OK if it’s not clean?
Master te-form Japanese conjugations with Rosetta Stone
Even though you won’t find an equivalent to te-form Japanese conjugations in English, you’ll discover that it’s a concise conjugation that opens up many grammatical doors as you learn Japanese. Instead of using simple sentences in your Japanese conversations, try combining two sentences into one with the te-form of Japanese verbs for practice.
If you’re not quite ready for full conversations, you can practice te-form on your own. By learning Japanese through Rosetta Stone’s bite-sized lessons, you’ll be introduced to new vocabulary and grammar structures in a natural way. This includes te-form, which you’ll see in context from the very first lesson. Conjugations don’t exist in a vacuum: Seeing them in action is the best way to learn!
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