JLPT N5 grammar
て-form — Meaning & Examples
A verb form used to connect actions sequentially and as the base for many grammar patterns: ～てください (please do), ～ています (is doing / current state).
The て-Form — Connecting Actions
The て-form (te-form) is one of the most useful verb forms in Japanese. It connects verbs and creates many patterns.
Making the て-form from ます:
Replace ます with て:
たべます → たべて (eating / having eaten)
みます → みて
おきます → おきて
Group 1 verbs have different て-form endings:
～きます → ～いて: かきます → かいて
～ぎます → ～いで: いそぎます → いそいで
～します → ～して: はなします → はなして
～ちます → ～って: まちます → まって
～ります → ～って: かえります → かえって
～みます → ～んで: のみます → のんで
～びます → ～んで: あそびます → あそんで
Key uses of て-form:
1. Sequence of actions (and then):
おきて、かおをあらいます。
— I wake up and (then) wash my face.
2. ～てください (please do ~):
まってください。 — Please wait.
みてください。 — Please look.
3. ～ています (ongoing state/action):
たべています。 — I am eating. (right now)
はたらいています。 — I am working.
Practice questions
Try these 3 questions on て-form. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. What is the て-form of たべます (Group 2)?
- たべた (tabeta)
- たべて (tabete)
- たべんで (tabende)
- たべって (tabette)
Show answer
Answer: たべて (tabete)
For Group 2 verbs, simply replace ます with て: たべます → たべて. Group 1 verbs have several different て-form patterns depending on the final sound.
2. のみます (Group 1, drink) — what is the correct て-form?
- のんで (nonde)
- のみて (nomite)
- のんでは (nondewa)
- のみって (nomitte)
Show answer
Answer: のんで (nonde)
Group 1 〜みます verbs become 〜んで in the て-form: のみます → のんで (drinking / having drunk). Similarly 〜びます verbs (あそびます → あそんで) follow the same 〜んで pattern.
3. まってください (matte kudasai) means?
- I am waiting
- I waited
- Please wait
- Let's wait
Show answer
Answer: Please wait
て-form + ください makes a polite request: まって (from まつ, wait) + ください = please wait. This 〜てください pattern works with any verb: みてください (please look), きいてください (please listen).
Practise て-form in the free app
This point is part of the “Negative, Past and て-Form” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N5 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N5 grammar points
From the same lesson: Negative, Past and て-Form
Frequently asked questions
What does て-form mean?
A verb form used to connect actions sequentially and as the base for many grammar patterns: ～てください (please do), ～ています (is doing / current state).
Is て-form on the JLPT N5 test?
て-form is taught in the JLPT N5 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “Negative, Past and て-Form”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise て-form?
Open the “Negative, Past and て-Form” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N5 mock exams, with no ads.