Please read TE form ① here before reading this one : )

Now,  For other verbs
(not -iru/eru ending,
but including –Aru, –Uru, Oru ending),

It’s a bit more difficult :(

 

/ -つ / -る (*but not -iる, -eる) ending

-> Change into “”   small tsu +TE.

Keep repeating うつるて utsuru-tte over and over.

E.g

☆ 買 kaU – to buy

& 飼 kaU – to keep (have) a pet

kaTTE – Buy (please)

-> かkaTTA – bought

-> かている buying / have ~ as a pet (state)

-> かていた was buying / used to have ~ as a pet

E.g

誕生日に一万円のかばんを買った。

Tanjoubi ni ichi-man-en no kaban wo katta.

– I bought a bag that costs 10 thousand yen for my birthday.

 

犬を2匹飼っている。

Inu wo ni-hiki katte-iru.

– I have two dogs.

 

☆ 言 iU – to say

iTTESay (please)

-> いiTTA – said *1

-> いている iTTEiru – saying / have been saying

-> いていた iTTEita – was saying / said it before, right? *1

E.g

もう一回言って mou ikkai itte.

Say it one more time. (cas.)

 

天気予報では、明日は雨が降ると言っていた。

Tenki yohou de wa, ashita wa ame ga furu to itte-ita.

On the forecast they said that it will rain tomorrow. 

* To say that / “~~~”. = ~~いう *
Or more casually, “~っていう” is used.

 

!!! *1  The difference between いった and いっていた!!!
Although I stated いった = said , いっていた= was saying,
there is MORE than that. Please read this article.

 

☆ 立 taTSU – to stand

taTTE – stand (please)

tatta – Stood

ている – is standing (state)

いた – was standing

E.g

あそこに立っている人は誰?

Asoko ni tatte-iru hito wa dare?

– Who is the person standing there?

 

☆ 待 maTSU – to wait

maTTEwait (please)
E.g  ちょっとまって! – Wait a sec.

maTTA waited

ている maTTEiru – waiting

ていた maTTEiTA – was waiting / have waited

E.g 三十分友達を待っていた。 Sanju-ppun tomodachi wo matte-ita.

I’ve waited for my friend for 30 minutes.

メールが来るのを待っている。 Meeru ga kuru no wo matte-iru.

I am/have been waiting for the email to come.

 

☆ 持 moTSU – to hold / grab / carry

moTTE – Hold (it)

moTTA – held

ている moTTEiru – to have / own , holding

ていた moTTEita – used to have / was holding

E.g お金を持っている?  Okane wo motte-iru?

– Do you have (some) money?

 

☆ な naRU – to become 

————————
<noun> + なる to become <noun>

e.g いしゃなる to become a doctor

<NA-adj.> NA-> NI + naru

しずかな -> しずか

しずかなる to become quiet

<I-adj.> I -> KU + naru

かわい -> かわいなる to become cute
————————

naTTE – Become!

naTTA – became

ている naTTEiru – is becoming (in process)

ていた naTTEiTA – was becoming / ~ become… although I didn’t know

E.g 大学を卒業した後、銀行員になった。

Daigaku wo sotsugyou shita ato, ginkou-in ni natta.

– I became a banker after I graduated from university.

友達は知らない間に、先生になっていた。

Tomodachi wa shiranai aida ni, sensei ni natte-ita.

– My friend became a teacher although I didn’t know.

 

☆ あ – to exist
/ there is something (for only non-living things)

For living things, use いる.

Only ->

た aTTA – existed / ~was (sonmewhere)

E.g くるまここあった – A car was here.

is used.

 

 

ending ->
and – ending ->

Keep repeating て、いで” ku-ite,gu-iDe.

E.g

☆ 書 kaKU

kaITE – Write (please)

kaITA – wrote

ている kaITEiru – writing

ていた kaITEita – was writing

E.g 母に手紙を書いた。 Haha ni tegami wo kaita

– I wrote a letter to my mother.

 

☆ 開 aKU

————————
~あく = ~ opens

* not I open ~ = ~を開ける aKERU*
————————

– Open (please)
*sounds like talking to a door.

– opened

ている – is open

ていた – was open

E.g ドアは開いていた。 Doa wa aite-ita.

The door was (already) open.

 

☆ 泣 naKU – to cry

– cry

– cried

ている – is crying

ていた – was crying

E.g 赤ちゃんが泣いている。 Akachan ga naite-iru.

A baby is crying.

 

☆ 泳 およ oyoGU – to swim

およ – swim

およ – swam

およでいる – is swimming

およでいた – was swimming

E.g 海で泳いだ。 Umi de oyoida.

– I swam in the sea.

 

☆ 急 いそ isoGU
to hurry / to be in a hurry

いそ isoIDE – hurry (up)

いそisoIDA – hurried

いそでいる isoIDEiru- is hurrying / is in a hurry

いそでいた isoIDEita – was hurrying / was in a hurry

E.g

A: 急いで!  isoIDE  – Hurry up!

B: 急いでいるよ! isoIDE-iru yo! – I am!

 

BUT!!!

iKU – to go

Is an exception and conjugates like –u/tsu/ru ending verbs.

There is a word “ iu – to say” and is completely the same.

て iTTE – Go / Say

た iTTA – Went / Said

E.g 昨日映画館に行った。 Kinou eiga-kan ni itta.

– I went to the cinema yesterday.

ている iTTEiru – Said

————————
*For “to be going”, you need to use the different verb

“(~に) 向かう mukau to head (to~)”

向かている mukaTTE iru – I’m heading / on the way to ~

むかていた mukaTTE iTA – was heading -.

E.g

電話で denwa de – *on the phone*

A: 今どこ? Ima doko? – Where are you now?

B: うちに向かっているよ。 Uchi ni mukatte-iru yo.

I’m on the way home.
————————

 

-む / -ぶ / -ぬ ending ->

Keep repeating “むぶぬんで mubunu-nDe“.

E.g 

☆ 飲 noMU – to drink

んで noNDE – Drink

んだ noNDA – drunk

んでいる noNDEiru – is drinking

んでいた noNDeita – was drinking

E.g 昨日友達とたくさん飲んだから、二日酔いがひどい。

Kinou tomodachi to takusan nonda kara, futsu-yoi ga hidoi.

Because I drunk a lot with my mates yesterday, I’ve got a bad hangover.

 

☆ 混 koMU – to be / get crowded

んで koNDE – Get crowded! (?)

んだ koNDA – got crowded

んでいる koNDEiru – is crowded

んでいた koNDEita – was crowded

E.g この時間は道が混んでいる。

Kono jikan wa michi ga konde-iru.

– The road is crowded around this time.

 

☆ 遊 あそ asoBU – to hang out / play

あそんで asoNDE – Hang out / Play

あそんだ asoNDA – hanged out / played

あそんでいる asoNDEiru – is hanging out / playing

あそんでいた asoNDEita – was hanging out / playing

E.g

A: どこにいたの? – Where were you?

B: 友達と遊んでいた。 – I was hanging out with my friends.

 

☆ 飛toBU – to fly

んで toNDE – Fly

んだ toNDA – flew

んでいる toNDEiru – is fling

んでいた toNDEita – was fling

————————
(*you cannot use this for “I’m flying / going to ~”
Unless you are スーパーマン superman.
Just for birds, airplanes.

But if you use this kanji 跳ぶ toBU, then it can mean “to jump”
However, we rather say “ジャンプする” nowadays…)
————————

鳥がたくさん飛んでいる。 Tori ga takusan tonde-iru.

– A lot of birds are flying.

 

☆ 死 shiNU – to die :(

*sorry for this example, but there aren’t too many verbs that end in ぬ*

んで shiNDE – Die *NEVER say this!!*

んだ shiNDA – died

んでいる shiNDEiru – is dead

んでいた shinDEita – was dead

E.g ゴキブリは死んだ。 Gokiburi wa shinda.

– The cockroach died.

 

/ する ending ->

Keep repeating すするして “susuru-shite“.

E.g

☆ 話はな hanaSU – to speak / to talk

はな hanaSHITE – Talk / Speak

はな hanaSHITA – talked / spoke

はなている hanaSHITEiru – talking / speaking

はなていた hanaSHITEita – was talking / speaking

E.g お母さんは今電話で話している。

Okaasan wa ima denwa de hanashite iru.

– My mum is talking on the phone now.

 

☆ 消 keSU
 - to turn off / put off / delete / get rid of

keSHITE – Turn off / Delete

keSHITA – turned off / deleted

ている keSHITEiru – putting off / deleting (in process)

ていた keSHITEita – was putting off / deleting / used to turn off

E.g 火を消した。 Hi wo keshita.

– I switched off the fire / I put out the fire.

 

☆ 勉強する べんきょうする benkyou suru – to study

べんきょう benkyou SHITE – Study

べんきょう benkyou SHITA – studied

べんきょうている benkyou SHITEiru – is / have been studying

べんきょうていた benkyou SHITEita – was studying7

E.g

日本語を一年間勉強している。

Nihongo wo ichi nen kan benkyou shite-iru.

– I’ve been studying Japanese for a year.

 

And last one. This one always conjugates irregularly.

来る くる kuru to come  
-> 来て KIte – Come

Well, くるて kuru-kite“.

kITA – came

ている kITEiru – is coming

ていた kITEita – sounds like “he came and stayed here but left”.

E.g 親戚がうちに来た。 Shinseki ga uchi ni kita.

– My relatives came over to our home.

 

☆ 持ってくる もってくる motte-kuru – to bring

*It’s one word, but the origin is 持つ motsu “to hold / grab” + くる.

もって moTTEkiTE – Bring

もって mottekITA – brought

もってている mottekITEiru – is bringing / brought it and now have it

もってていた mottekITEita – used to bring

E.g ノートとペンを持ってきて nooto to pen wo motte-kite.

– Bring a notebook and a pen with you.

 

 

♪ Practice 練習 れんしゅう

Conjugate the verbs into TE form and make them past tense,
doing – now form, was doing – form like the above examples. 

  1.  会う=あう = to meet
    ともだち会う  – to meet my friends
  • Meet my friends <as a request>
  • I met my friends
  • I’m meeting my friends
  • I was meeting my friends

 

  1. 勝つ=かつ = to win
    ドイツがワールドカップ勝つ – Germany will will world cup.
    lit. Germany will win IN (で) the world cup.
  • Win the world cup!
  • Germany wan the world cup.
  • German is winning the world cup.
  • was winning.
  1. とる to take / grab
    – 写真を撮る = しゃしんをとる = to take a picture
  • Take a picture!
  • I took a picture.
  • I’m taking a picture.
  • I was taking a picture.

 

  1.  作る = つくる =to make / cook
    – おかしをつくる = to make sweets (cakes / pastries)
  • Make sweets!
  • I made (baked) pastries.
  • I’m making cakes.
  • I was making cakes.

 

  1. 動く =うごく to move / (machine e.g lift) works
  • Move!
  • The lift (エレベーター) worked.
  • The lift is working.
  • The lift was working.

 

  1. 脱ぐ = ぬぐ to take off
  • Take off your shoes.
  • I took off my shoes.
  • I am taking off shoes.
  • I was taking off shoes.

 

  1. 住む = すむ to live
    *Just アメリカにすむ would mean “I WILL live in the US”,
    so you need to use TE-form in order to mean
    “I live / I’ve been living …”
  • Live in Japan!
  • I live in Japan. lit. I’m living / I’ve been living in Japan.
  • I used to live in New York.

 

  1. 呼ぶ = よぶ to call
    (not a phone call, but actually shout or
    ask someone to come or call someone by some name)
  • Call Taxi
  • I called the taxi
  • I’m calling Taxi.
  • I was calling the taxi.

 

  1.  貸す = かす = to lend / rent友達に本を貸す =ともだちにほんをかす
    = to lend a book to a friend
  • Lend your book, please.
  • I lent a book to my friend.
  • I’m lending my apartment.
  • I used to lend my apartment.

 

  1. 旅行する = りょこうする = to travel
  • Travel!
  • I travele

Misa

Translator / Linguist / Japanese Teacher
/ Happy World Traveler/ manga, anime, comedy lover.

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