The Japanese て-form is not a tense and it is not simply an “-ing form.” It is a connector. It links a verb to another action or grammatical expression, allowing you to make requests, describe ongoing actions and states, ask permission, state rules, and show sequence. One accurate て-form opens the door to many high-frequency patterns.
How to build the て-form
Ichidan verbs usually drop る and add て. する becomes して. 来る becomes 来て（きて）. Godan verbs follow sound groups.
| Dictionary ending | て-form ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| う・つ・る | って | 買う→買って, 待つ→待って, 帰る→帰って |
| む・ぶ・ぬ | んで | 読む→読んで, 遊ぶ→遊んで, 死ぬ→死んで |
| く | いて | 書く→書いて |
| ぐ | いで | 泳ぐ→泳いで |
| す | して | 話す→話して |
| Ichidan | Drop る＋て | 食べる→食べて, 見る→見て |
Important exception: 行く becomes 行って, not 行いて. Keep this common verb as a separate pair.
Use 1: connect actions in a sequence
朝起きて、顔を洗って、朝ご飯を食べます。
I get up, wash my face, and eat breakfast.
駅へ行って、電車に乗ります。
I go to the station and take the train.
The final verb carries the tense and politeness for the sequence.
昨日、買い物をして、家へ帰りました。
Yesterday, I did some shopping and went home.
買い物をして does not show past tense by itself. 帰りました places the connected sequence in the past.
Use 2: make a direct polite request with てください
ここに名前を書いてください。／Please write your name here.
もう一度言ってください。／Please say it again.
少し待ってください。／Please wait a moment.
てください is polite but direct. It is natural for instructions, forms, classroom directions, and simple requests. For a request that requires more effort, a question gives the listener more room.
写真を撮ってもらえますか。／Could you take a photo for me?
もう一度説明していただけますか。／Could you explain it once more?
Use 3: ている for an action or continuing state
今、日本語を勉強しています。／I am studying Japanese now.
田中さんは東京に住んでいます。／Tanaka lives in Tokyo.
結婚しています。／[Someone] is married.
English progressive be + -ing matches the first sentence fairly well. It does not explain every ている form. 住んでいます and 結婚しています describe continuing states. Learn the meaning of the whole verb pattern.
Use 4: ask or give permission with てもいい
ここに座ってもいいです。／You may sit here.
写真を撮ってもいいですか。／May I take a photo?
この辞書を使ってもいいですか。／May I use this dictionary?
The pattern is て-form＋もいい. A natural positive response is はい、いいですよ. When refusing, Japanese often gives a brief reason or uses すみません、ちょっと… rather than a blunt いいえ.
Use 5: state prohibition with てはいけない
ここで写真を撮ってはいけません。／You must not take photos here.
この部屋に入ってはいけません。／You must not enter this room.
てはいけません is clear and suitable for rules. Plain speech uses てはいけない, and conversation may contract it to ちゃいけない. Learn the full form before relying on contractions.
Use 6: make the sequence explicit with てから
宿題をしてから、テレビを見ます。
I watch television after doing my homework.
日本へ来てから、寿司が好きになりました。
I began to like sushi after coming to Japan.
A simple て connection can show sequence. てから emphasises that the first event is completed before the second or establishes a point from which a change followed.
Use 7: describe manner or a maintained condition
眼鏡をかけて本を読みます。／I read while wearing glasses.
歩いて駅へ行きます。／I walk to the station.
辞書を使って調べます。／I look it up using a dictionary.
These are not always “first A, then B.” Wearing glasses continues during reading; walking is the manner of movement; using a dictionary is the means.
Use 8: try something with てみる
この料理を食べてみます。／I will try this dish.
分からない言葉を辞書で調べてみてください。／Try looking up the unknown word in a dictionary.
てみる means to perform an action and see the result. It does not mean “look while doing.” 見る acts as a helper after the て-form.
Use 9: prepare in advance with ておく
旅行の前にホテルを予約しておきます。／I will book the hotel in advance.
明日の会議の資料を読んでおきます。／I will read tomorrow’s meeting materials beforehand.
The action is performed now because it will be useful later. Casual speech often contracts ておく to とく: 予約しとく. Beginners should first recognise and produce the full form.
One verb can enter many patterns
| Base verb | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 読む | 読んでください | Please read |
| 読む | 読んでいます | Is reading / reads as an ongoing activity |
| 読む | 読んでもいいです | May read |
| 読む | 読んではいけません | Must not read |
| 読む | 読んでから書きます | Read, then write |
| 読む | 読んでみます | Try reading |
This is why the て-form matters so early. Producing 読んで correctly gives you access to an entire family of expressions.
Do not call every て-form “-ing”
English-learning materials sometimes gloss the form as “-ing” because 食べています can mean “is eating.” That shortcut fails in 食べてください “please eat,” 食べてもいい “may eat,” and 食べてから “after eating.” Name the complete construction, not just the connector.
Common mistakes
- 書く→書きて instead of 書いて.
- 読む→読みて instead of 読んで.
- Forgetting the 行く exception 行って.
- Adding past tense to every verb in a sequence instead of the final verb.
- Using てください for every request without considering the burden.
- Translating every ている as “is doing.”
- Calling the て-form a tense rather than a connector.
Practice
- Make the て-forms of 書く, 読む, 待つ, 泳ぐ, and 食べる.
- Connect: 朝ご飯を食べます。学校へ行きます。
- Ask someone to close the door using 閉める.
- Ask permission to use a smartphone.
- State that entering here is prohibited.
- Say that you sleep after doing homework.
- Say that you will try reading this book.
- Say that you will buy a ticket in advance.
Answers: 1 書いて, 読んで, 待って, 泳いで, 食べて. 2 朝ご飯を食べて、学校へ行きます. 3 ドアを閉めてください. 4 スマートフォンを使ってもいいですか. 5 ここに入ってはいけません. 6 宿題をしてから、寝ます. 7 この本を読んでみます. 8 切符を買っておきます.
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