Linking actions: ～て、～
Verb-て、verb-て、verb-ます
Verb-て、verb-て、final verb: actions in order. The last verb gives the tense and the politeness.
In short
To tell several actions in order, you put them all in the て-form, except the last, which carries the tense: あさ おきて、シャワーを あびて、学校へ 行きます.
- あさ おきて、シャワーを あびます。asa okite, shawā o abimasuIn the morning, I get up and take a shower.
- デパートへ 行って、くつを 買いました。depāto e itte, kutsu o kaimashitaI went to the department store and bought shoes.
- うちへ かえって、ばんごはんを たべて、ねました。uchi e kaette, bangohan o tabete, nemashitaI went home, had dinner and went to bed.
The basics
To chain several actions in order (“I get up, wash, eat”), you put every verb except the last in the て-form. Only the last one carries the tense (present, past) and the politeness.
- あさ おきて、シャワーを あびて、学校へ 行きます。asa okite, shawā o abite, gakkō e ikimasuIn the morning, I get up, take a shower and go to school.
- きのうは デパートへ 行って、くつを 買いました。kinō wa depāto e itte, kutsu o kaimashitaYesterday, I went to the department store and bought shoes.
The last verb is in charge
If the last verb is in the past, all the actions are in the past. If it's an invitation, it's all an invitation.
| Phrase | Tense |
|---|---|
| 食べて、ねます | I eat, then I sleep (present) |
| 食べて、ねました | I ate, then slept (past) |
| 食べて、ねましょう | let's eat, then sleep (suggestion) |
Manner: by doing
The て-form also describes how something is done: あるいて 行きます (to go on foot, by walking), バスに のって 来ました (I came by taking the bus).
- 駅まで あるいて 行きます。eki made aruite ikimasuI walk to the station.
Common mistakes
- Putting every verb in the past: “行きました、買いました” is clunky, you say 行って、買いました.
- Using と to link two actions: と only links nouns.
- Mixing up the order: the て-form follows the order in which the actions happen.
5 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N5 point is on the Yamanote Line (The て-form) of the Tokyo subway.