Past, negative, linking

Stage 1Grammar patterns as vocabularyChunk 14 of 26 · items 60–64 of 484

The first endings almost every sentence needs: past and negative for verbs and for adjectives/nouns, plus the adjective/noun linking form built on the same -ku stem.

Mix-ups

Verbs and adjectives conjugate differently (neta / isogashikatta, ikanai / isogashikunai), never *isogashii datta; and takai ja nai is a tag ('it's pricey, isn't it?'), never the negative takakunai.

-ta

polite -mashitadrama rank —none

did (past)

〜たPlay 〜ましたPlay

Puts any verb in the past for what you did or what happened, built with the same sound changes as the -te form (itta, tabeta, shita).

casualPlay

kinou wa hayaku neta.

I went to bed early last night.

昨日は早く寝た。

politePlay

kinou wa hayaku nemashita.

I went to bed early last night.

昨日は早く寝ました。

-ta also covers 'already': mou tabeta? = have you eaten yet? Trap: 'not yet' is mada tabetenai, never *tabenakatta, which means 'I didn't eat (then)'.

Learn alongside: -katta / -dattaLearn first: -te

-nai

polite -masendrama rank #43

not (negative)

〜ないPlay 〜ませんPlay

Makes any verb negative for 'don't / won't' (ikanai, wakannai), and is the stem that -nakya, -nakute mo ii and -nai hou ga ii build on.

casualPlay

kyou wa ikanai.

I'm not going today.

今日は行かない。

politePlay

kyou wa ikimasen.

I'm not going today.

今日は行きません。

Past negative is -nakatta (ikanakatta); casual speech shortens -ranai to -nnai (wakannai). With a rising tone it invites: issho ni ikanai? = want to come? (polite: ikimasen ka?)

Learn alongside: -kunai / -ja nai

-katta / -datta

polite -katta desu / -deshitadrama rank #61*

was (adjectives, nouns)

〜かった／〜だったPlay 〜かったです／〜でしたPlay

Past tense for descriptions: i-adjectives swap -i for -katta (samukatta, ii -> yokatta), while na-adjectives and nouns take datta (hima datta, ame datta).

casualPlay

kinou wa isogashikatta.

I was busy yesterday.

昨日は忙しかった。

politePlay

kinou wa isogashikatta desu.

I was busy yesterday.

昨日は忙しかったです。

Trap: never *takai datta, and in polite speech never *takai deshita; the past goes on the i-adjective itself (takakatta, takakatta desu).

Learn alongside: -taLearn first: -ta, da

-kunai / -ja nai

polite -kunai desu / -ja nai desudrama rank #39*

isn't (adjectives, nouns)

〜くない／〜じゃないPlay 〜くないです／〜じゃないですPlay

Negative for descriptions: i-adjectives swap -i for -kunai (takakunai, ii -> yokunai), while na-adjectives and nouns take ja nai (hima ja nai, sou ja nai).

casualPlay

kyou wa isogashikunai.

I'm not busy today.

今日は忙しくない。

politePlay

kyou wa isogashikunai desu.

I'm not busy today.

今日は忙しくないです。

Past negative: -kunakatta / ja nakatta (polite -kunakatta desu / ja nakatta desu). Trap: after an i-adjective ja nai is always the tag (takai ja nai = it's pricey, isn't it); more formal polite is -ku arimasen / ja arimasen.

Learn alongside: -naiLearn first: -nai, da

-kute / -de

drama rank —none

and; so (adjectives, nouns)

〜くて／〜でPlay

The -te form of adjectives and nouns, used to link descriptions (yasukute oishii) or give a reason (isogashikute, hima de); negatives use -nakute (jikan ga nakute).

casualPlay

kono mise, yasukute oishii yo.

This place is cheap and the food's good.

この店、安くておいしいよ。

politePlay

kono omise, yasukute oishii desu yo.

This place is cheap and the food's good.

このお店、安くておいしいですよ。

Na-adjectives and nouns take de (shizuka de, ame de); ii -> yokute.

Learn first: -katta / -datta, -kunai / -ja nai, -te