Helper verbs after -te
Conjugations, Stage 1chunk 10 of 15Verb forms
Each is the te-form plus a small verb or particle: -te shimau, -te oku, -te miru, -te mo. Two of them shrink in speech (-chau, -toku), so the full and short forms are learned together.
- -chau / -te shimauDid it completely, or did it by accident and regret it.
- -toku / -te okuDo it now, ready for later; or leave it as it is.
- -te miruTry doing it and see how it goes.
- -temoEven if / even though.
Mix-ups -toku (do ahead) vs -teku (-te iku); -chau (end up) vs -cha (-te wa, must not); -te mo (even if) vs -te miru (try).
-chau / -te shimau
end up / finish (-chau)Did it completely, or did it by accident and regret it.
All over casual talk, mostly in the past: tabechatta (I ate it all), wasurechatta (oops, I forgot). The full -te shimau is for more careful speech.
Make it Take the te-form: -te becomes -chau, -de becomes -jau (tabechau, katchau, nonjau). suru → shichau, kuru → kichau. Past: -chatta / -jatta.
Polite -chaimasu / -te shimaimasu
-chatta is past (did it, oops); -chau is now or about to (I'll end up doing it).
| taberu | tabechau | 食べちゃう | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | michau | 見ちゃう | |
| kau | katchau | 買っちゃう | |
| matsu | matchau | 待っちゃう | |
| kaeru | kaetchau | 帰っちゃう | |
| nomu | nonjau | 飲んじゃう | |
| asobu | asonjau | 遊んじゃう | |
| kaku | kaichau | 書いちゃう | |
| oyogu | oyoijau | 泳いじゃう | |
| hanasu | hanashichau | 話しちゃう | |
| iku | itchau | 行っちゃう | |
| suru | shichau | しちゃう | |
| kuru | kichau | 来ちゃう |
a, kasa densha ni wasurechatta
Oh no, I left my umbrella on the train.
あ、傘電車に忘れちゃった
kasa o densha ni wasurete shimaimashita
I left my umbrella on the train.
傘を電車に忘れてしまいました
Heard 9,297× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.41% of verbs)Main list -chau (Stage 1)
-toku / -te oku
do ahead (-toku)Do it now, ready for later; or leave it as it is.
Planning and getting things ready: yoyaku shitoku ne (I'll book it). Also 'leave it': hottoite (leave me alone).
Make it Take the te-form: -te oku becomes -toku, -de oku becomes -doku (tabetoku, kattoku, nondoku). suru → shitoku, kuru → kitoku. Request: -toite / -doite.
Polite -tokimasu / -te okimasu
-toku (do ahead) sounds close to -teku (-te iku, do before going): shitoku = I'll do it now for later; shiteku = I'll do it on my way.
| taberu | tabetoku | 食べとく | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | mitoku | 見とく | |
| kau | kattoku | 買っとく | |
| matsu | mattoku | 待っとく | |
| kaeru | kaettoku | 帰っとく | |
| nomu | nondoku | 飲んどく | |
| asobu | asondoku | 遊んどく | |
| kaku | kaitoku | 書いとく | |
| oyogu | oyoidoku | 泳いどく | |
| hanasu | hanashitoku | 話しとく | |
| iku | ittoku | 行っとく | |
| suru | shitoku | しとく | |
| kuru | kitoku | 来とく |
mise, yoyaku shitoku ne
I'll book the restaurant.
店、予約しとくね
omise o yoyaku shite okimasu ne
I'll book the restaurant ahead of time.
お店を予約しておきますね
Heard 8,786× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.38% of verbs)Main list -toku (Stage 1)
-te miru
try doingTry doing it and see how it goes.
Suggesting or reporting a try: tabete mite (try it), itte mita (I went to check it out).
Make it te-form + miru: tabete miru, katte miru, nonde miru, shite miru, kite miru.
Polite -te mimasu
-te miru is 'try it and see'; -ou to suru is 'attempt it' (and maybe fail).
| taberu | tabete miru | 食べてみる | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | mite miru | 見てみる | |
| kau | katte miru | 買ってみる | |
| matsu | matte miru | 待ってみる | |
| kaeru | kaette miru | 帰ってみる | |
| nomu | nonde miru | 飲んでみる | |
| asobu | asonde miru | 遊んでみる | |
| kaku | kaite miru | 書いてみる | |
| oyogu | oyoide miru | 泳いでみる | |
| hanasu | hanashite miru | 話してみる | |
| iku | itte miru | 行ってみる | |
| suru | shite miru | してみる | |
| kuru | kite miru | 来てみる |
kore oishii yo, tabete mite
This is good, try some.
これおいしいよ、食べてみて
kore oishii desu yo, tabete mite kudasai
This is good, please try some.
これおいしいですよ、食べてみてください
Heard 10,229× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.45% of verbs)Main list -te miru (Stage 1)
-temo
even ifEven if / even though.
For 'even if' and 'no matter what': ame futtemo iku. Also the start of asking permission: -temo ii? (is it OK if I...?).
Make it te-form + mo: tabetemo, kattemo, nondemo, shitemo, kitemo.
After a verb, -demo is -te mo (nondemo = even if I drink), not the word demo 'but'.
| taberu | tabetemo | 食べても | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | mitemo | 見ても | |
| kau | kattemo | 買っても | |
| matsu | mattemo | 待っても | |
| kaeru | kaettemo | 帰っても | |
| nomu | nondemo | 飲んでも | |
| asobu | asondemo | 遊んでも | |
| kaku | kaitemo | 書いても | |
| oyogu | oyoidemo | 泳いでも | |
| hanasu | hanashitemo | 話しても | |
| iku | ittemo | 行っても | |
| suru | shitemo | しても | |
| kuru | kitemo | 来ても |
ame futtemo, ashita wa iku yo
Even if it rains, I'm going tomorrow.
雨降っても、明日は行くよ
ame ga futtemo, ashita wa ikimasu
Even if it rains, I'll go tomorrow.
雨が降っても、明日は行きます
Heard 9,480× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.42% of verbs)Main list -te mo (Stage 2)