て-Form (Te-Form)
Master Japanese Verb Connections & Continuous Actions
Table of Contents
1. What is the て-Form?
て-form is one of the most important verb forms in Japanese
Used for connecting actions, making requests, showing continuous states, and much more
Understanding て-Form Functions
Connecting Actions: Link multiple verbs in sequence
Continuous States: Express ongoing actions or states
Making Requests: Polite way to ask someone to do something
Giving/Receiving: Express doing something for others or receiving help
Setting Context: Provide background information for main actions
2. て-Form Conjugation Rules
Basic Conjugation Patterns
Group 1 Pattern 1
Dictionary Form
て-Form
Group 2 Pattern
Dictionary Form
て-Form
Group 3 Irregular
Dictionary Form
て-Form
Group 1 て-Form Rules
| Verb Ending | Change to | Example | て-Form Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| -う, -つ, -る | -って | 買う → 買って | katte |
| -む, -ぬ, -ぶ | -んで | 飲む → 飲んで | nonde |
| -く | -いて | 書く → 書いて | kaite |
| -ぐ | -いで | 泳ぐ → 泳いで | oyoide |
| -す | -して | 話す → 話して | hanashite |
Special Exception: 行く (iku) becomes 行って (itte), not 行いて!
3. Conjugation by Verb Group
Group 1 て-Form Conjugations (Detailed)
| Dictionary Form | て-Form | Pattern | English | Usage Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 飲む | 飲んで | -む → -んで | drink and… | 飲んで食べる |
| 立つ | 立って | -つ → -って | stand and… | 立って話す |
| 死ぬ | 死んで | -ぬ → -んで | die and… | 死んでしまう |
| 呼ぶ | 呼んで | -ぶ → -んで | call and… | 呼んでくる |
| 泳ぐ | 泳いで | -ぐ → -いで | swim and… | 泳いでいる |
| 行く | 行って | Exception! | go and… | 行って来る |
Group 2 て-Form Conjugations
| Dictionary Form | て-Form | Pattern | English | Usage Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 着る | 着て | -る → -て | wear and… | 着ている |
| 出る | 出て | -る → -て | exit and… | 出てくる |
| 覚える | 覚えて | -る → -て | remember and… | 覚えている |
| 教える | 教えて | -る → -て | teach and… | 教えてくれる |
| いる | いて | -る → -て | be (animate) and… | いてくれる |
Group 3 て-Form Conjugations (Irregular)
| Dictionary Form | て-Form | English | Common Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| する | して | do and… | 勉強して |
| 来る | 来て (きて) | come and… | 来てください |
4. Connecting Verbs & Actions
Sequential Actions
1. Simple Sequence:
起きて、朝ご飯を食べて、学校に行きます。
I wake up, eat breakfast, and go to school.
2. Method/Means:
歩いて駅に行きました。
I went to the station by walking (on foot).
3. Cause and Effect:
雨が降って、試合が中止になりました。
It rained, and the game was cancelled.
Connection Patterns
| Pattern | Function | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb1て + Verb2 | Sequential actions | 食べて寝る | Eat and (then) sleep |
| Verb1て + Verb2て + Verb3 | Multiple sequence | 起きて食べて出かける | Wake up, eat, and go out |
| Verbて + から | After doing | 食べてから寝る | Sleep after eating |
| Verbて + いる | Continuous state | 読んでいる | Am reading/have read |
5. Continuous Actions (ている)
Progressive vs. State
Progressive Action
Base Verb
Continuous
Resultant State
Base Verb
State
Habitual Action
Base Verb
Habitual
ている Usage Types
| Usage Type | Example | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive action | 本を読んでいる | Am reading a book | Action happening now |
| Resultant state | 窓が開いている | The window is open | Result of past action |
| Habitual action | 毎日走っている | Run every day | Regular activity |
| Experience/state | 結婚している | Am married | Current status |
6. Giving & Receiving (てあげる/てくれる)
Directional Helping Verbs
てあげる (I do for others):
友達に本を貸してあげました。
I lent a book to my friend (for their benefit).
てくれる (Others do for me):
母が料理を作ってくれました。
My mother made food (for me).
てもらう (I receive help):
先生に教えてもらいました。
I received teaching from the teacher (the teacher taught me).
Giving & Receiving Patterns
| Pattern | Direction | Example | Translation | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| てあげる | I → Others | 手伝ってあげる | I help (for them) | Doing a favor |
| てくれる | Others → Me | 手伝ってくれる | They help (for me) | Receiving kindness |
| てもらう | I ← Others | 手伝ってもらう | I get help (from them) | Requesting/receiving service |
| ていただく | I ← Others (humble) | 手伝っていただく | I humbly receive help | Formal/respectful |
7. Requests & Commands (てください)
Making Polite Requests
1. Basic Request:
窓を開けてください。
Please open the window.
2. Negative Request:
タバコを吸わないでください。
Please don’t smoke.
3. Teaching Request:
日本語を教えてください。
Please teach me Japanese.
4. Waiting Request:
ちょっと待ってください。
Please wait a moment.
Request Patterns & Politeness Levels
| Pattern | Politeness Level | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| て | Casual/Rough | 早く来て | Come quickly! |
| てください | Polite | 早く来てください | Please come quickly |
| ていただけませんか | Very polite | 来ていただけませんか | Could you please come? |
| てくださいませんか | Formal | 来てくださいませんか | Would you please come? |
8. Advanced て-Form Patterns
Complex て-Form Constructions
てしまう (Completion/Regret):
宿題を忘れてしまいました。
I ended up forgetting my homework (regret).
てみる (Trying):
この料理を食べてみます。
I’ll try eating this dish.
ておく (Preparation):
明日のために勉強しておきます。
I’ll study in advance for tomorrow.
ていく/てくる (Direction):
本を持っていきます。
I’ll take the book (going away from here).
Advanced Pattern Summary
| Pattern | Function | Example | Translation | Usage Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| てしまう | Completion/Regret | 食べてしまった | Ate it all up | Finished action or accident |
| てみる | Trying/Testing | やってみる | Try doing | Experimental action |
| ておく | Preparation | 買っておく | Buy in advance | Preparing for future |
| ていく | Going away | 持っていく | Take (going) | Movement away from speaker |
| てくる | Coming toward | 持ってくる | Bring (coming) | Movement toward speaker |
9. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Conjugation Errors
Don’t mix up similar endings:
❌ 泳いて (should be 泳いで – remember ぐ becomes いで)
✅ 泳いで (correct て-form of 泳ぐ)
Don’t forget the 行く exception:
❌ 行いて (following regular く pattern)
✅ 行って (special exception for 行く)
Don’t use wrong auxiliary verbs:
❌ 教えてあげます (when receiving teaching)
✅ 教えてもらいます (when you receive teaching)
Usage Context Errors
Wrong continuous interpretation:
❌ 日本に行っている (I am going to Japan – ongoing action)
✅ 日本に行っている (I have gone to Japan / am in Japan – resultant state)
✅ 日本に行くところです (I am about to go to Japan – ongoing process)
Politeness direction confusion:
❌ 先生が私に教えてあげました (teacher giving to me)
✅ 先生が私に教えてくださいました (teacher kindly gave to me)
Common Error Patterns
| Error Type | Wrong | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sound change error | 読いて | 読んで | 読む becomes 読んで, not 読いて |
| Auxiliary direction | もらってあげる | してあげる/してもらう | Don’t combine receiving with giving |
| Tense mixing | 食べていました | 食べていました/食べました | Choose continuous or simple past |
| Request formality | してあげてください | してください | Don’t use あげる in requests to others |
10. Practice & Applications
Daily Life Applications
Morning Routine (Connected Actions):
六時に起きて、シャワーを浴びて、朝ご飯を食べて、会社に行きます。
I wake up at 6, take a shower, eat breakfast, and go to work.
Current Activities:
今、日本語を勉強しています。とても楽しいです。
I’m currently studying Japanese. It’s very enjoyable.
Asking for Help:
すみません、この漢字を読み方を教えてください。
Excuse me, please teach me how to read this kanji.
Practice Scenarios
| Scenario | て-Form Usage | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Describing daily routine | Connecting sequential actions | 起きて食べて出かける | Show sequence of events |
| Making requests | Polite commands | 手伝ってください | Ask for assistance politely |
| Describing ongoing states | Continuous form | 働いています | Express current job/activity |
| Offering help | Giving/receiving verbs | 手伝ってあげます | Offer assistance to others |
Building Natural Communication
Start with Simple Connections: Practice connecting just two actions before complex sequences
Master ています: This is crucial for describing your current situation and ongoing activities
Practice Request Patterns: てください is essential for daily interactions
Learn Direction Sensitivity: Understand when to use あげる vs くれる vs もらう
Use Advanced Patterns Gradually: Add てみる, ておく, てしまう as you become more comfortable
Advanced て-Form Applications
Complex Storytelling:
昨日友達と会って、映画を見てから、レストランで食事をして、とても楽しい時間を過ごしました。
Yesterday I met a friend, and after watching a movie, we had a meal at a restaurant and spent a very enjoyable time.
Expressing Gratitude:
いつも親切にしてくださって、ありがとうございます。
Thank you for always being kind to me.
Planning and Preparation:
明日の会議のために資料を準備しておきます。
I’ll prepare materials in advance for tomorrow’s meeting.
て-Form Mastery Achieved!
You’ve learned the most versatile verb form in Japanese! て-form allows you to connect actions, express continuous states, make polite requests, and create natural flowing conversations.
て-Form Quiz
Test Your Knowledge of Japanese て-Form (Te-Form)
Exercise 1: Basic て-Form Conjugation
What is the て-form of 書く (kaku)?
Explanation: Group 1 verbs ending in -く change to -いて: 書く → 書いて
Exercise 2: Group 2 て-Form
What is the て-form of 食べる (taberu)?
Explanation: Group 2 verbs drop る and add て: 食べる → 食べて
Exercise 3: Irregular Verb て-Form
What is the て-form of する (suru)?
Explanation: する is irregular and becomes して in て-form
Exercise 4: Sound Change Pattern (-む)
What is the て-form of 飲む (nomu)?
Explanation: Verbs ending in -む change to -んで: 飲む → 飲んで
Exercise 5: Exception Rule
What is the て-form of 行く (iku)?
Explanation: 行く is a special exception: it becomes 行って, not 行いて
Exercise 6: Continuous Action
How do you say “I am reading a book”?
Explanation: て-form + いる expresses ongoing/continuous action: 読んでいる (am reading)
Exercise 7: Polite Request
How do you say “Please open the window”?
Explanation: て-form + ください makes polite requests: 開けてください (please open)
Exercise 8: Sequential Actions
How do you say “I wake up, eat breakfast, and go to school”?
Explanation: て-form connects sequential actions: 起きて…食べて…行く
Exercise 9: Giving Verbs (てあげる)
How do you say “I help my friend” (doing a favor)?
Explanation: て-form + あげる expresses doing something for someone else’s benefit
Exercise 10: Receiving Verbs (てくれる)
How do you say “My mother made food (for me)”?
Explanation: て-form + くれる expresses someone doing something for your benefit
Exercise 11: Trying (てみる)
How do you say “I’ll try eating this dish”?
Explanation: て-form + みる expresses trying something: 食べてみる (try eating)
Exercise 12: Completion (てしまう)
How do you say “I ended up forgetting my homework” (with regret)?
Explanation: て-form + しまう expresses completion or regret: 忘れてしまった (ended up forgetting)
Exercise 13: Preparation (ておく)
How do you say “I’ll buy it in advance”?
Explanation: て-form + おく expresses doing something in preparation: 買っておく (buy in advance)
Exercise 14: Wrong Formation
Which is the INCORRECT て-form of 泳ぐ (oyogu)?
Explanation: Verbs ending in -ぐ become -いで, not -いて: 泳ぐ → 泳いで
Exercise 15: State vs. Action
What does 知っている mean?
Explanation: 知っている expresses the current state of knowing, not the action of learning
How did you do?
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