Translated examples
ちょっと待ってください。
Please wait a moment.
ここに座ってもいいです。
You may sit here.
この部屋で食べてはいけません。
You must not eat in this room.
水を飲んで、休みます。
I will drink water and rest.
Try this before moving on
Answer three questions on this topic and see the explanation after each one.
Try three questionsCompare the sentences
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 本を読んでください。 | Please read the book. |
| 本を読んで、寝ました。 | I read a book and went to bed. |
読む becomes 読んで in both sentences. The first is a request; the second describes past actions because its final verb is 寝ました. Godan endings む・ぶ・ぬ give んで, while う・つ・る give って. The る rule applies to godan verbs such as 帰る; ichidan 食べる instead becomes 食べて.
Step 1: identify the verb group
| Group | How it behaves | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: godan / u-verbs | The final sound changes according to the ending | 買う, 書く, 読む, 帰る |
| Group 2: ichidan / ru-verbs | Remove the final る and add て | 食べる → 食べて; 見る → 見て |
| Group 3: irregular | Learn the forms directly | する → して; 来る（くる）→ 来て（きて） |
Many verbs ending in an i-sound or e-sound plus る are Group 2, but this is a clue, not a complete rule. 帰る（かえる, return）, 入る（はいる, enter）, and 走る（はしる, run）are Group 1. Learn the group with a new verb or check a dictionary when unsure.
Step 2: use the complete formation table
For Group 1, replace the dictionary-form ending shown in the first column. The small っ in って matters: 待って is not 待て.
| Group or ending | Change | Dictionary form → te-form |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: う・つ・る | → って | 買う → 買って; 持つ → 持って; 帰る → 帰って |
| Group 1: む・ぶ・ぬ | → んで | 読む → 読んで; 遊ぶ → 遊んで; 死ぬ → 死んで |
| Group 1: く | → いて | 書く → 書いて |
| Group 1: ぐ | → いで | 泳ぐ → 泳いで |
| Group 1: す | → して | 話す → 話して |
| Exception: 行く（いく） | → 行って | 行く → 行って, not 行いて |
| Group 2 | Remove る + て | 起きる → 起きて; 食べる → 食べて |
| Group 3: する | → して | 勉強する → 勉強して |
| Group 3: 来る（くる） | → 来て（きて） | 来る → 来て; the reading changes to きて |
The University of Texas JOSHU conjugation reference provides a group-based chart. The examples and exercises below are original practice, not copied exam questions.
Step 3: attach the expression you need
| Purpose | Pattern | Example and meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Connect actions | Vて、V | 朝ごはんを食べて、出かけます。— I eat breakfast and go out. |
| Make a polite request | Vてください | 名前を書いてください。— Please write your name. |
| Ask permission | Vてもいいですか | ここに座ってもいいですか。— May I sit here? |
| State a prohibition | Vてはいけません | ここで泳いではいけません。— You must not swim here. |
| Describe an action in progress | Vています | 今、本を読んでいます。— I am reading a book now. |
With connected actions, the final verb carries the sentence’s tense and politeness: 朝ごはんを食べて、出かけました means “I ate breakfast and went out.” Do not interpret 食べて alone as “ate.”
The meaning of ています depends on the verb. Reading in 読んでいます can be in progress; 結婚しています describes a state of being married. Do not apply “am doing” mechanically to every verb.
Continue with the individual lessons on requests, permission, and prohibition. For “please do not,” use the separate ないでください pattern, rather than adding a negative word to てください.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
| Mistake | Correction | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 読みてください | 読んでください | 読む is Group 1; む becomes んで |
| 帰て | 帰って | 帰る is Group 1, despite its る ending |
| 行いて | 行って | 行く is the important く-ending exception |
| 泳いて | 泳いで | ぐ becomes いで, with a voiced で |
| 食べって | 食べて | 食べる is Group 2; remove る, then add て |
When you make an error, name the group and transformation before repeating the answer. This makes the rule usable with a verb you have not practised yet.
Practice: form the verb
Write the te-form before opening the answers. The groups are supplied where a る-ending could be confusing.
- 買う（かう）
- 待つ（まつ）
- 読む（よむ）
- 泳ぐ（およぐ）
- 帰る（かえる, Group 1）
- 食べる（たべる, Group 2）
- 行く（いく）
- 来る（くる）
Practice: use the form in a sentence
- Make a polite request: “Please open the window.” Use 窓（まど）and 開ける（あける, Group 2）.
- Ask permission: “May I take a photo here?” Use 写真を撮る（しゃしんをとる, Group 1）.
- Connect the actions: “I wash my hands and eat.” Use 手を洗う（てをあらう）and 食べます.
- Complete the prohibition: ここで（泳ぐ → ___）はいけません。
Show answers and explanations
Answers: verb formation
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 買って（かって） | Group 1: う → って |
| 2 | 待って（まって） | Group 1: つ → って |
| 3 | 読んで（よんで） | Group 1: む → んで |
| 4 | 泳いで（およいで） | Group 1: ぐ → いで |
| 5 | 帰って（かえって） | Group 1: る → って |
| 6 | 食べて（たべて） | Group 2: remove る and add て |
| 7 | 行って（いって） | 行く is an exception to く → いて |
| 8 | 来て（きて） | Irregular verb; remember both spelling and reading |
Answers: sentences
- 窓を開けてください。— 開ける becomes 開けて, followed by ください.
- ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか。— 撮る is Group 1; 撮って + もいいですか asks permission.
- 手を洗って、食べます。— 洗う becomes 洗って. The final 食べます supplies polite non-past form.
- 泳いで。The complete sentence is ここで泳いではいけません。— Attach はいけません to the te-form, including its voiced で.
Try again with a different verb from the same group. Then write one request and one description of your own routine without copying the model.
Sources
Try what you have just read
Recognise the pattern, write an answer from memory, then use it in a short reading. Your existing progress carries over.
Open the three-step lessonRelated Grammar
Te Kudasai: Japanese Requests, Formation, and Practice
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Naide Kudasai: Please Don’t, Negative Forms, and Practice
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Te Mo Ii: Asking Permission, Replies, and Practice
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Te Wa Ikenai: Prohibition, Requests, and No Obligation
State a prohibition, compare negative requests and no obligation, recognise ちゃ・じゃ, and practise six explained questions.
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