The Japanese Te-form Made Easy

If there is one conjugation to master early, it is the te-form. It connects sentences, makes requests, forms the present continuous, and much more.

Why the te-form matters

The te-form is the gateway to dozens of grammar patterns: 〜てください (please do), 〜ている (is doing), 〜てもいい (may I), and joining actions in sequence.

How to form it

The te-form depends on the verb''s ending:

• う, つ, る → って (買う → 買って)
• む, ぶ, ぬ → んで (飲む → 飲んで)
• く → いて (書く → 書いて) · ぐ → いで (泳ぐ → 泳いで)
• す → して (話す → 話して)
• る-verbs → replace る with て (食べる → 食べて)
• Irregulars: する → して, 来る → 来て

Remember the exception

行く (to go) is irregular: it becomes 行って, not 行いて. Memorise this one separately.

Practice

Drill the groups until conversion is automatic. Once the te-form is second nature, a large slice of everyday Japanese grammar opens up.