Te Form (て Form)て形
The て form (te-kei) is the single most important conjugation in Japanese. It connects verbs to dozens of grammar patterns: ～ている (progressive), ～てもいい (permission), ～てください (polite request), ～てから (after doing), and many more. It uses the same sound change rules as た form but ends in て/で instead of た/だ.
The て form (te-kei) is the single most important conjugation in Japanese. It connects verbs to dozens of grammar patterns: ～ている (progressive), ～てもいい (permission), ～てください (polite request), ～てから (after doing), and many more. It uses the same sound change rules as た form but ends in て/で instead of た/だ.
How to form the て form
The て form rules are identical to た form rules, just swap た→て and だ→で. If you already know た form, you already know て form.
Ichidan & irregular
Ichidan: drop -ru, add -te. 食べる→食べて, 見る→見て. する→して. 来る→来て (kite).
Godan sound changes
く→いて (書く→書いて), ぐ→いで (泳ぐ→泳いで), す→して (話す→話して), つ→って, る→って, う→って (待つ→待って, 帰る→帰って, 買う→買って), ぬ→んで, ぶ→んで, む→んで (死ぬ→死んで, 飛ぶ→飛んで, 読む→読んで). Exception: 行く→行って.
Pattern 1: ～ている (progressive / state)
The most common て form pattern. ～ている expresses ongoing actions (食べている = is eating) or resulting states (結婚している = is married). See Topic 7 for full details.
Pattern 2: ～てください (polite request)
Add ください after て form for polite requests: 座ってください (Please sit down), ゆっくり話してください (Please speak slowly). Drop ください for casual requests: 座って (Sit down), ちょっと待って (Wait a sec).
Pattern 3: ～てもいい (permission)
Ask or give permission: ここに座ってもいいですか (May I sit here?), 帰ってもいいよ (You can go home). The negative counterpart is ～てはいけない / ～てはだめ: ここで写真を撮ってはいけません (You must not take photos here).
Pattern 4: ～てから (after doing)
Express sequential actions with emphasis on completion: シャワーを浴びてから朝ごはんを食べる (After taking a shower, I eat breakfast). Different from ～た後で in that てから stresses the first action must be completed before the second begins.
More essential て form patterns
The て form connects to many more structures.
～てしまう (completion / regret)
宿題を忘れてしまった (I forgot my homework — oops). Casual: 忘れちゃった. Expresses either completion or an unfortunate/regrettable result.
～てみる (try doing)
食べてみて！(Try eating it!) 日本語で話してみる (I’ll try speaking in Japanese). Suggests attempting something for the first time.
～ておく (do in advance)
ホテルを予約しておいた (I booked the hotel in advance). Casual: 予約しといた. Emphasizes preparation.
～てあげる / てもらう / てくれる (giving/receiving actions)
友達に教えてあげた (I taught my friend). 友達に教えてもらった (My friend taught me). See Topic 15.
Te form as a connector
The て form can simply connect sequential actions in a sentence: 朝起きて、シャワーを浴びて、朝ごはんを食べて、学校に行く (I wake up, take a shower, eat breakfast, and go to school). Only the final verb carries the tense. The て-connected verbs are "tense-neutral."
Te form formation — all patterns
| Verb | Group | Ending | て form | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 書く | Godan | -ku | 書いて | く→いて |
| 泳ぐ | Godan | -gu | 泳いで | ぐ→いで |
| 話す | Godan | -su | 話して | す→して |
| 待つ | Godan | -tsu | 待って | つ→って |
| 帰る | Godan | -ru | 帰って | る→って |
| 買う | Godan | -u | 買って | う→って |
| 死ぬ | Godan | -nu | 死んで | ぬ→んで |
| 飛ぶ | Godan | -bu | 飛んで | ぶ→んで |
| 読む | Godan | -mu | 読んで | む→んで |
| 行く | Godan | -ku* | 行って | Exception! |
| 食べる | Ichidan | -ru | 食べて | ru→te |
| 見る | Ichidan | -ru | 見て | ru→te |
| する | Irreg. | する | して | Irregular |
| 来る | Irreg. | 来る | 来て (kite) | Irregular |
Example sentences
ちょっと待って、今行く！
Chotto matte, ima iku!
Wait a sec, I’m coming now!
Casual request (て form without ください)
この漢字の読み方を教えてください。
Kono kanji no yomikata o oshiete kudasai.
Please teach me how to read this kanji.
～てください pattern
写真を撮ってもいいですか。
Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka.
May I take a photo?
～てもいい permission pattern
手を洗ってから食べてね。
Te o aratte kara tabete ne.
Wash your hands before eating, okay?
～てから sequential pattern
財布を忘れてしまった。
Saifu o wasurete shimatta.
I forgot my wallet (and I regret it).
～てしまう regret pattern
朝起きて、コーヒーを飲んで、ニュースを読む。
Asa okite, koohii o nonde, nyuusu o yomu.
I wake up, drink coffee, and read the news.
Te form connecting sequential actions
Common mistakes
読みて (yomite)
読んで (yonde)
読む ends in -mu, so it follows the む→んで pattern. Using the masu stem + て is a common beginner error — て form has its own rules.
行いて (ikoite)
行って (itte)
行く is the one exception to the く→いて rule. Its て form is 行って, not 行いて.
食べるて (taberute)
食べて (tabete)
For ichidan verbs, drop -ru THEN add -te. Don’t just stick て after the dictionary form.
ここで食べてはだめ (casual prohibition as polite)
ここで食べてはいけません (polite prohibition)
てはだめ is casual. In polite contexts, use てはいけません. Using だめ with a stranger or superior sounds blunt.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a song for memorizing て form rules?
Yes — the famous "te form song" set to the tune of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." It goes: いちにっさんで (u, tsu, ru → って), いちにっさんで (mu, bu, nu → んで), いて、いで、して (ku→いて, gu→いで, su→して). Many textbooks and YouTube channels teach this version. It’s surprisingly effective for memorization.
What’s the difference between ～てから and ～た後で?
Both mean "after doing X," but ～てから emphasizes that X must be fully completed first: 手を洗ってから食べる (wash hands, THEN eat). ～た後で is looser about timing: 食べた後でコーヒーを飲んだ (had coffee after eating — but not necessarily immediately after). In practice, they’re often interchangeable.
Can て form end a sentence?
Yes, in casual speech. 待って！(Wait!), 見て！(Look!), ここに座って (Sit here). It functions as an informal request or command. Adding ください makes it polite.
What is the て-form of 読む?
読む → ?