Japanese て-Form (Te-Form)
The て-form (te-form) is one of the most versatile and important forms in Japanese. It connects verbs, expresses ongoing actions, makes requests, and forms dozens of compound expressions.
How to conjugate the te-form
Te-form conjugation depends on the verb group (Group 1 / う-verbs, Group 2 / る-verbs, Group 3 / irregular verbs).
Te-form combinations
The te-form combines with auxiliary verbs to express: ongoing states (ている), advance preparation (ておく), completion with nuance (てしまう), coming/going (てくる/ていく), and requests (てください).
Common mistakes
書くてください
Right書いてください
Te-form of く-ending verbs changes く→いて, not く→くて
ている for all resultant states
RightUse てある for deliberate resultant states
ている describes ongoing actions or resulting states from natural change; てある describes states resulting from deliberate human action
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What is the te-form in Japanese?
The te-form (て形) is a verb conjugation that acts as a connector in Japanese. It links clauses, forms compound verb expressions like ている (ongoing), ておく (advance preparation), and てしまう (completion/regret), and is used to make polite requests with てください.
How do I conjugate Group 1 verbs into te-form?
Group 1 (う-verb) te-form conjugation follows sound patterns: verbs ending in く→いて, ぐ→いで, す→して, む/ぬ/ぶ→んで, う/つ/る→って. Example: 書く (kaku) → 書いて (kaite).
What is the difference between ている and てある?
ている describes ongoing actions ("I am eating") or states resulting from natural change ("the window is open"). てある describes states that exist because someone deliberately did something ("the window has been opened [by someone]").