The Japanese te-form, explained
The te-form is the connecting form of a Japanese verb or adjective: 食べる becomes 食べて, 書く becomes 書いて, 高い becomes 高くて. On its own it has no tense; whatever follows it supplies tense and meaning. It links actions in order (家に帰って、寝た: I went home and slept), makes requests (待ってください), and builds 〜ている, which means an action in progress in 雨が降っている ("it is raining") but the state left by a change in 結婚している ("is married", not "is getting married").
Updated 24 October 2026
How to make the te-form
Which te-form a verb takes depends on its group and, for u-verbs, on the last kana of the dictionary form. The u-verb endings fall into five sound patterns, and there is one exception, 行く. Adjectives and nouns have te-forms too, which is how two descriptions are joined.
| Group or ending | Dictionary form | Te-form | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ru-verb (ichidan) | 食べる・見る | 食べて・見て | Drop る, add て (taberu → tabete, miru → mite) |
| U-verb in う, つ, る | 買う・待つ・帰る | 買って・待って・帰って | The ending becomes って (kau → katte, matsu → matte, kaeru → kaette) |
| U-verb in む, ぶ, ぬ | 読む・遊ぶ・死ぬ | 読んで・遊んで・死んで | The ending becomes んで (yomu → yonde, asobu → asonde) |
| U-verb in く | 書く | 書いて | く becomes いて (kaku → kaite) |
| U-verb in ぐ | 泳ぐ | 泳いで | ぐ becomes いで (oyogu → oyoide) |
| U-verb in す | 話す | 話して | す becomes して (hanasu → hanashite) |
| The exception | 行く | 行って | Not 行いて (iku → itte) |
| Irregular する | する・勉強する | して・勉強して | suru → shite, also in every noun + する verb |
| Irregular 来る | 来る | 来て | Read きて (kuru → kite) |
| い-adjective | 高い・いい | 高くて・よくて | い becomes くて; いい uses its older form よい (takai → takakute, ii → yokute) |
| な-adjective | 静か（な） | 静かで | Add で (shizuka → shizuka de) |
| Noun | 学生 | 学生で | Add で (gakusei → gakusei de) |
A quick way to remember the u-verb rows: the te-form ends in て or で exactly where the plain past ends in た or だ. If you know 読んだ, you know 読んで; if you know 書いた, you know 書いて. Learn one and you have both.
Ru-verbs, u-verbs, the irregulars and adjectives
Ru-verbs (also called ichidan verbs) are the easy group: remove the final る and add て. 食べる gives 食べて, 起きる gives 起きて, 見る gives 見て. Every ru-verb ends in -iru or -eru, but not every verb ending in -iru or -eru is a ru-verb. 帰る (to go home), 入る (to enter), 走る (to run), 知る (to know) and 切る (to cut) are u-verbs, so they take って: 帰って, 入って. Nothing in the spelling tells you; a dictionary marks them as godan, and you learn them as you meet them.
U-verbs (godan verbs) change their last kana. Verbs in う, つ and る double the next consonant: って. Verbs in む, ぶ and ぬ take んで, and 死ぬ is the only common verb in ぬ. Verbs in く take いて, verbs in ぐ take いで, and verbs in す take して. The one exception is 行く (to go), which should give 行いて by the rule but gives 行って. Its compounds follow it: 出て行く becomes 出て行って.
The two irregular verbs are short. する becomes して, and so does every verb built from a noun and する: 勉強して, 電話して, 結婚して. 来る becomes 来て, read きて, never くて.
Adjectives join the same system. An い-adjective swaps its final い for くて, so 高い becomes 高くて and means "expensive and…". The one irregular い-adjective, いい, goes through its older form よい: よくて. A な-adjective or a noun takes で: 静かで, 学生で. In the sentence below, 広い links to 明るい the same way two verbs would link.
。
This room is spacious and bright.
Select a word to see why it is there.
広くてhirokutePredicate“spacious and”
- Why this word
- Te-form of the い-adjective 広い
- The te-form of 広い: the final い becomes く and て is added, giving "spacious and". It carries no tense of its own; 明るい at the end decides that the description is present.
- Dictionary
- 広い · adjective — wide; spacious; roomy
In this sentence
- 広くて · Predicate:
- The te-form of 広い: the final い becomes く and て is added, giving "spacious and". It carries no tense of its own; 明るい at the end decides that the description is present.
- この店は安くて、おいしい。This place is cheap and the food is good. (い-adjective: 安い → 安くて)
- 彼女は親切で、頭がいい。She is kind and clever. (な-adjective: 親切 → 親切で)
- 兄は医者で、姉は弁護士です。My older brother is a doctor and my older sister is a lawyer. (noun: 医者 → 医者で)
Linking actions, and giving a reason
The most basic job of the te-form is "and then". Put every verb but the last in the te-form, and the actions happen in the order you say them. Only the final verb shows tense and politeness, and it sets them for the whole chain: 起きて、顔を洗って、出かけた is all past, 起きて、顔を洗って、出かけます is all present or future. A comma after the te-form is common but optional.
、。
I went home and went straight to bed.
Select a word to see why it is there.
帰ってkaetteVerb“went home and”
- Why this word
- Te-form of 帰る (u-verb)
- 帰る looks like a ru-verb but is an u-verb, so る becomes って: 帰って, never 帰て. In the te-form it puts going home first and leaves 寝ました to supply the past tense and the politeness for both actions.
- Dictionary
- 帰る · verb — to go home; to return
In this sentence
- 帰って · Verb:
- 帰る looks like a ru-verb but is an u-verb, so る becomes って: 帰って, never 帰て. In the te-form it puts going home first and leaves 寝ました to supply the past tense and the politeness for both actions.
The same link can mean "because". When the first clause is something that happened to you, or a state you are in, the te-form gives the cause and the second clause the result: 遅れてすみません, "sorry for being late", is literally "I was late, and I am sorry". This reading is common with feelings, apologies and difficulties.
- 昨日は買い物をして、晩ご飯を作った。Yesterday I went shopping and made dinner. (sequence)
- 遅れてすみません。Sorry I am late. (reason)
- 風邪をひいて、学校を休みました。I caught a cold and stayed off school. (reason)
- 宿題が多くて、大変です。There is so much homework that it is hard going. (reason, with an adjective)
The reason reading has one limit: the second half cannot be a request, an invitation or a decision. "It is late, so let's go home" needs から: 遅いから帰ろう, not 遅くて帰ろう.
Requests: 〜てください
Add ください to a te-form and you have a polite request: 話してください, "please speak"; 見てください, "please look". It is the form shop staff, teachers and signs use, and it is polite enough for strangers. The dictionary form never goes in front of ください: 話すください is a common beginner error and is simply wrong.
。
Please speak a little more slowly.
Select a word to see why it is there.
話してhanashiteVerb“speak”
- Why this word
- Te-form of 話す (u-verb in す)
- 話す ends in す, so its te-form is 話して. In front of ください it names the action you want the listener to do.
- Dictionary
- 話す · verb — to speak; to talk
In this sentence
- 話して · Verb:
- 話す ends in す, so its te-form is 話して. In front of ください it names the action you want the listener to do.
- ください · Politeness:
- After a te-form, ください turns the action into a polite request: "please speak". After a noun with を it means "please give me" instead (水をください).
Among friends the te-form alone is the request: ちょっと手伝って, "give me a hand". To ask someone not to do something, use the negative ない-form plus でください, not a te-form: 吸わないでください. For a boss or a client, 〜てください can sound like an instruction; 〜ていただけますか ("could I have you…?") is softer.
- 静かにしてください。Please be quiet.
- ちょっと手伝って。Give me a hand. (casual)
- ここでタバコを吸わないでください。Please do not smoke here.
- もう一度言っていただけますか。Could you say that again?
〜ている: an action in progress or the state a change left
Te-form plus いる is the form learners first meet as "-ing", and it often is: 読んでいる, "is reading"; 降っている, "is falling". But 〜ている says something wider: the subject is in the middle of something, or still in the state an event put it in. Which one you get depends on the verb. A verb for an activity that takes time (read, eat, rain, run) gives an action in progress. A verb for a change that happens in a moment (marry, die, arrive, get to know, put on) gives the state that change left behind.
。
It is raining. (the rain is falling right now)
Select a word to see why it is there.
降っているfutte iruVerb“is falling”
- Why this word
- Te-form of 降る plus いる
- 降る is an u-verb in る, so its te-form is 降って; add いる and you get an action in progress. Raining goes on over time, so this means it is raining at this moment.
- Dictionary
- 降る · verb — to fall (of rain, snow)
- Alternatives
- 降ってる (spoken contraction); 降っています (polite)
In this sentence
- 降っている · Verb:
- 降る is an u-verb in る, so its te-form is 降って; add いる and you get an action in progress. Raining goes on over time, so this means it is raining at this moment.
。
My older sister is married. (she got married and still is; not "is getting married")
Select a word to see why it is there.
結婚しているkekkon shite iruVerb“is married”
- Why this word
- Te-form of 結婚する plus いる
- 結婚する is a change that happens at one moment, so 結婚している describes the state it left: she got married at some point and is married now. It does not mean she is in the middle of getting married; for a wedding still to come, Japanese says 結婚する or 結婚します.
- Dictionary
- 結婚する · verb — to marry; to get married
- Alternatives
- 結婚しています (polite); 結婚した (got married (the event, in the past))
In this sentence
- 結婚している · Verb:
- 結婚する is a change that happens at one moment, so 結婚している describes the state it left: she got married at some point and is married now. It does not mean she is in the middle of getting married; for a wedding still to come, Japanese says 結婚する or 結婚します.
Two everyday verbs trip people up. 住む is treated as a change (taking up residence), so "I live in Osaka" is 大阪に住んでいます. 知る means "to get to know", so "I know him" is 知っています; but "I don't know" is 知りません, not 知っていません. 〜ている also covers habits (毎日ジムに通っています, "I go to the gym every day") and what someone is wearing (眼鏡をかけている, "wears glasses"). In speech the い of いる often drops: 降ってる, 知ってる.
- 今、本を読んでいます。I am reading a book right now. (in progress)
- 父は大阪に住んでいます。My father lives in Osaka. (state)
- 田中さんはもう来ています。Tanaka is already here. (he came and is still here)
- 毎日ジムに通っています。I go to the gym every day. (habit)
Explain 〜ている at your levelwith Plus
Permission and prohibition: 〜てもいい, 〜てはいけない
Add も ("even") and いい ("good") to a te-form and you get permission: 〜てもいい is literally "even if you do it, it is fine". With です and か it becomes the standard way to ask: 〜てもいいですか, "may I…?". The answer is often just いいですよ, "sure".
。
May I take photos here?
Select a word to see why it is there.
撮ってtotteVerb“take (a photo)”
- Why this word
- Te-form of 撮る (u-verb in る)
- 撮る is an u-verb in る, so its te-form is 撮って. Here the te-form names the action you are asking permission for.
- Dictionary
- 撮る · verb — to take (a photo); to film
In this sentence
- 撮って · Verb:
- 撮る is an u-verb in る, so its te-form is 撮って. Here the te-form names the action you are asking permission for.
- も · Ending particle:
- After a te-form, も means "even if": even if I take a photo. Swap it for は and the sentence turns towards prohibition (撮ってはいけない).
- いい · Predicate:
- The judgement: "it is fine". 〜てもいい says "even if I do it, it is fine", which is how Japanese gives and asks for permission.
Prohibition uses は and a verb meaning "it will not do": 〜てはいけない, or politely 〜てはいけません, "you must not". It is firm, the language of rules and parents. In speech ては shrinks to ちゃ and では to じゃ, and いけない is often replaced by だめ: 遊んじゃだめ, "you can't play here". The opposite of permission is a separate pattern: 〜なくてもいい, "you don't have to".
- この本、借りてもいい？Can I borrow this book? (casual)
- ここに車を止めてはいけません。You must not park here.
- ここで遊んじゃだめだよ。You can't play here. (spoken, to a child)
- 明日は来なくてもいいです。You don't have to come tomorrow.
Common mistakes
Not帰て
But帰って
帰る ends in -eru but is an u-verb, so る becomes って. 入る, 走る, 知る and 切る behave the same way. Treating them as ru-verbs is the most common te-form error.
Not行いて
But行って
行く is the one u-verb in く that does not take いて. Learn 行って on its own; its past 行った breaks the rule in the same way.
Not高いて
But高くて
An い-adjective is not a verb: drop the い and add くて. 高いて and 高いで do not exist.
Not静かくて
But静かで
静か is a な-adjective, so it links with で, like a noun. Only い-adjectives take くて. Watch きれい and 嫌い: they end in い but are な-adjectives, so きれいで, 嫌いで.
Not彼は結婚します。 (for "he is married")
But彼は結婚しています。
結婚します is the event, so it means he will get married. For the state he is in now, use 〜ている.
Not書くください
But書いてください
ください attaches to the te-form, never to the dictionary form. Make the te-form first, then add ください.
Practise these with the tutorwith Pro
Check yourself
1 / 10
What is the te-form of 走る (to run)?
走る
Answer
走て: This treats 走る as a ru-verb and simply drops る. It looks like one, but it is an u-verb.
走いて: いて is for verbs in く, as in 書く → 書いて.
走んで: んで is for verbs in む, ぶ and ぬ. A verb in る takes って.
走って ✓: 走る is an u-verb that happens to end in -iru, so る becomes って.
2 / 10
Fill the gap: "Yesterday I went to Kyoto and saw the temples."
昨日京都に＿＿、お寺を見ました。
Answer
行いて: This follows the rule for verbs in く (書く → 書いて), but 行く breaks it.
行って ✓: 行く is the exception among verbs in く: its te-form is 行って.
行きて: This adds て to the masu-stem 行き. No verb forms its te-form that way.
3 / 10
Fill the gap: "This bag is cheap and light."
このかばんは＿＿軽い。
Answer
安いて: This adds a verb ending to the adjective as it stands. い-adjectives swap い for くて.
安くて ✓: 安い is an い-adjective: drop い, add くて.
安いで: で links nouns and な-adjectives. An い-adjective never takes it straight after い.
4 / 10
Fill the gap: "This town is quiet and pretty."
この町は＿＿きれいです。
Answer
静かなて: な appears only before a noun (静かな町). It has no te-form.
静かで ✓: 静か is a な-adjective, so it links with で.
静かくて: くて belongs to い-adjectives. 静か is a な-adjective and takes で.
5 / 10
Which sentence says "My older brother is married"?
Answer
兄は結婚します。: Without 〜ている this is the event itself, still to come: "my brother is getting married" or "will get married".
兄は結婚していました。: This puts the state in the past: he was married then, which suggests he may not be now.
兄は結婚しています。 ✓: 結婚する is a change of state, so 〜ている gives the state it left: married now.
6 / 10
Fill the gap: "Please wait here a moment."
ちょっとここで＿＿ください。
Answer
待つ: This puts the dictionary form before ください. A request needs the te-form first.
待って ✓: 待つ ends in つ, so its te-form is 待って, and ください follows the te-form.
待んで: んで is for verbs in む, ぶ and ぬ. A verb in つ takes って.
7 / 10
Your colleague has finished for the day. Tell her she may go home now.
もう帰って＿＿。
Answer
はいけません: This is prohibition: "you must not go home", the opposite of what you meant.
ください: This is a request or an instruction, "please go home", which can sound as if you want her gone. Permission is 〜てもいい.
もいいですよ ✓: 〜てもいい gives permission: "you can go home now".
8 / 10
Write the te-form of 飲む (to drink).
飲む
Answer
飲んで / のんで
飲む ends in む, and verbs in む, ぶ and ぬ take んで: 飲んで (nonde).
9 / 10
Build the sentence, linking the two actions with the te-form.
“I met a friend at the station and we saw a film.”
Answer
駅で友達に会って映画を見ました
The actions follow the order they happened in. Every verb but the last takes the te-form, and the last one decides the tense.
10 / 10
Build the prohibition.
“You must not swim in this river.”
Answer
この川で泳いではいけません
Prohibition is te-form + は + いけません, and the verb phrase closes the sentence.
The te-form in Epsylo
Every Japanese sentence Epsylo breaks down marks each te-form for what it is: the dictionary verb it came from, its reading, and what the て is doing in that sentence, whether it is linking two actions, giving a reason, carrying ください, or forming 〜ている. Paste a sentence you found and see which job each te-form has.
Questions
- Why is the te-form of 行く 行って and not 行いて?
- It is a historical irregularity, and 行く is the only verb in く with it. Every other verb in く takes いて (書く → 書いて, 聞く → 聞いて). Compounds of 行く, such as 出て行く, follow 行く.
- How can I tell whether a verb ending in る is a ru-verb or an u-verb?
- If the vowel before る is a, o or u (取る, 作る, 分かる), it is an u-verb. If it is i or e, it is usually a ru-verb, but some common ones are u-verbs: 帰る, 入る, 走る, 知る, 切る, 要る and a few more. A dictionary marks the group as godan (u-verb) or ichidan (ru-verb).
- Does the te-form have a tense?
- No. The te-form takes its tense from whatever comes after it. 食べて、寝た is past and 食べて、寝る is present or future, with the same 食べて in both.
- What is the difference between 〜ている and 〜てる?
- 〜てる is the spoken contraction of 〜ている, with the い dropped: 食べてる, 知ってる. It means the same and is normal in casual speech, but write 〜ている or 〜ています in anything formal.
- Is 〜てください polite enough for my boss?
- It is polite, but it is still a direct request and can sound like an instruction to someone above you. Use 〜ていただけますか or 〜ていただけませんか to ask a favour of a boss or a client.
Try it on your own sentence
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