The te-form
Conjugations, Stage 1chunk 4 of 15Verb forms
The te-form and the requests built on it: do it, please do it, please don't.
- -teLinks actions (and then), gives a reason, or on its own asks someone to do something.
- -te kudasaiPlease do...
- -naide (kudasai)Don't...; also 'without doing'.
Mix-ups -naide (please don't) confused with -nakute; bare -te heard as unfinished rather than as a request.
-te
te-formLinks actions (and then), gives a reason, or on its own asks someone to do something.
Everywhere: chaining what you did, explaining why, and casual requests like chotto matte.
Make it Ichidan: drop ru, add te (tabete). Godan: u/tsu/ru → tte, mu/bu/nu → nde, ku → ite, gu → ide, su → shite. iku → itte, suru → shite, kuru → kite.
Polite -te kudasai
The tense comes from the last verb: okite, gohan tabete, dekaketa = I got up, ate and left.
| taberu | tabete | 食べて | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | mite | 見て | |
| kau | katte | 買って | |
| matsu | matte | 待って | |
| kaeru | kaette | 帰って | |
| nomu | nonde | 飲んで | |
| asobu | asonde | 遊んで | |
| kaku | kaite | 書いて | |
| oyogu | oyoide | 泳いで | |
| hanasu | hanashite | 話して | |
| iku | itte | 行って | |
| suru | shite | して | |
| kuru | kite | 来て |
chotto matte, sugu iku kara
Hang on, I'll be right there.
ちょっと待って、すぐ行くから。
chotto matte kudasai, sugu ikimasu
Just a moment, please. I'll be right there.
ちょっと待ってください、すぐ行きます。
Heard 180,317× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (7.9% of verbs)Main list -te (Stage 1)
-te kudasai
polite requestPlease do...
Asking politely, for example to staff or strangers, and in instructions.
Make it te-form plus kudasai: tabete kudasai, matte kudasai, nonde kudasai. suru → shite kudasai, kuru → kite kudasai.
kudasai still sounds like an instruction; to ask a favour, -te kuremasen ka or -te moraemasen ka is softer.
| taberu | tabete kudasai | 食べてください | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | mite kudasai | 見てください | |
| kau | katte kudasai | 買ってください | |
| matsu | matte kudasai | 待ってください | |
| kaeru | kaette kudasai | 帰ってください | |
| nomu | nonde kudasai | 飲んでください | |
| asobu | asonde kudasai | 遊んでください | |
| kaku | kaite kudasai | 書いてください | |
| oyogu | oyoide kudasai | 泳いでください | |
| hanasu | hanashite kudasai | 話してください | |
| iku | itte kudasai | 行ってください | |
| suru | shite kudasai | してください | |
| kuru | kite kudasai | 来てください |
sumimasen, mou ichido itte kudasai
Sorry, please say that again.
すみません、もう一度言ってください。
Heard 9,762× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.43% of verbs)
-naide (kudasai)
please don'tDon't...; also 'without doing'.
Asking someone not to do something: -naide with friends, -naide kudasai politely. Also 'without': nani mo tabenaide deta (left without eating).
Make it Make the -nai form and add de: tabenaide, kawanaide, ikanaide. suru → shinaide, kuru → konaide. Add kudasai to make it polite.
Polite -naide kudasai
'Please don't' is -naide, not -nakute: tabenaide (don't eat it).
| taberu | tabenaide kudasai | 食べないでください | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | minaide kudasai | 見ないでください | |
| kau | kawanaide kudasai | 買わないでください | |
| matsu | matanaide kudasai | 待たないでください | |
| kaeru | kaeranaide kudasai | 帰らないでください | |
| nomu | nomanaide kudasai | 飲まないでください | |
| asobu | asobanaide kudasai | 遊ばないでください | |
| kaku | kakanaide kudasai | 書かないでください | |
| oyogu | oyoganaide kudasai | 泳がないでください | |
| hanasu | hanasanaide kudasai | 話さないでください | |
| iku | ikanaide kudasai | 行かないでください | |
| suru | shinaide kudasai | しないでください | |
| kuru | konaide kudasai | 来ないでください |
shinpai shinaide. daijoubu da kara
Don't worry. I'm fine.
心配しないで。大丈夫だから。
shinpai shinaide kudasai. daijoubu desu kara
Please don't worry. I'm fine.
心配しないでください。大丈夫ですから。
Heard 11,273× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.49% of verbs)Main list -naide (Stage 2)