Te-forms of verbs (Refer to DBJG Te pp.464 – 467 for more sample sentences.)

 

Te forms of verbs can be used in various structures such as “Te form of verb + ください = request”  見てください　"please look", one of the Classroom Instructions that we have been using in class.   When te-forms of verbs are used by itself, it serves as connecting/linking sentences without any sentence connector such as それから、そして、etc.

 

The meaning of te-form varies according to what is followed/combined with it or by the context but in this chapter, we will focus on a common usage of  “and.” Te-form of verbs can be listed exhaustively but usually 2 or 3 consecutive use is enough; otherwise, it may sound redundant.

 

Note: The past or non-past tense can not be indicated in Te-forms.  In order to find out which tense the sentences are, look at the verb at the end of the sentence. E.g. 東京に行って、うなぎをたべます。I go to Tokyo and eat eel.　東京に行って、うなぎをたべました。I went to Tokyo and ate eel.　

How to make Te-forms of verbs: You have learned Ta-forms of verbs which is plain past forms of verbs.  Simply replace たwithて to make te-forms.
 

Te-Forms of Verbs We need to memorize the following rules in the chart below to make te-forms of verbs. Class 1 verbs! Try to remember these with some rhythms such as a lap music! Plain Forms of Verbs Endings of Plain Affirmative Non-past forms Endings of Plain Affirmative Past forms change into the followings. Samples く -> いて かく -> かいて Exception:  いく　(to go) becomes いって. ぐ -> いで およぐ -> およいで う、つ、る -> って かう -> かって うつ -> うって かえる -> かえって ぬ、む、ぶ -> んで しぬ -> しんで よむ -> よんで あそぶ -> あそんで す -> して はなす -> はなして   Class 2 verbs! Plain Forms of Verbs Endings of Plain Affirmative Non-past forms Endings of Plain Affirmative Past forms change into the followings. Samples (-e/-i) + る て たべる　->　たべて ねる　->　ねて Class 3 verbs! Plain Affirmative　Non-past forms Plain Affirmative　Past forms する (To do) して くる (To come) 来(き)て Compare them with plain past forms of verbs.

 

今日の朝、学校に行って、先生に会って、数学を勉強しました。

私は奈良に行って、大仏を見てみたいです。　 I want to go to Nara and want to (try to) see Daibutsu.  

 

Click here to get lists of te-forms of verbs  .

 

Suggested practices: Think about what you will do tomorrow, next week, next month and write three sentences using te-form of verbs in non-past sentence. Also try to remember what you did yesterday, last week, and last month and write three sentences using te-form of verbs in past sentence.   (Total 6 sentences)
E.g. おととい、９時半のクラスにでて、友達と昼ごはんにカレーを食べて、５時に家に帰りました。(1 sentence)