The ます form
Polite present, past and negative.
The ます form is the polite form of a verb, used with people you don't know well, at work and in shops, and it's the safest form for learners. Its present covers both habits and the future: 行きます "I go" or "I'll go".
Godan: change the final u sound to i and add ます. Ichidan: drop る and add ます.
- Mainichi nihongo o benkyō shimasu.I study Japanese every day.
- Kinō wa nani mo tabemasen deshita.I didn't eat anything yesterday.
Let's, and shall we
| Ending | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ましょう | Let's | 行きましょう。 |
| ましょうか | Shall we? Shall I? | 行きましょうか。 |
| ませんか | Won't you? Would you like to? | 行きませんか。 |
ませんか is a gentle invitation, softer than ましょう.
- Issho ni hirugohan o tabemasen ka.Would you like to have lunch together?
- Mado o akemashō ka.Shall I open the window?
The stem
Without ます (書き, 食べ) is the stem, which other endings attach to: 書きたい "want to write" (see Wanting). Two more common ones:
- Stem + ながら: doing two things at once. 音楽を聞きながら "while listening to music".
- Stem + に行く: going somewhere to do something. 映画を見に行く "go to see a film".
- Ongaku o kikinagara benkyō shimasu.I study while listening to music.
- Tomodachi to eiga o mi ni ikimashita.I went to see a film with a friend.
For when to use the ます form and when the plain form, see Plain and polite speech.
Cards from this guide
10 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Verbs cards.
Besides habits ('I go'), what time can a ます present like 行きます (ikimasu) refer to?
The future: 'I'll go'.
How do you make the ます form of a godan verb like 書く (kaku, write)?
Change the final u sound to i and add ます: 書きます.
How do you make the ます form of an ichidan verb like 食べる (taberu, eat)?
Drop る and add ます: 食べます.
What's the polite negative of 飲む (nomu, drink) in the ます form?
飲みません
What's the polite past of 会う (au, meet)?
会いました
What's the polite past negative of 食べる (taberu, eat) in the ます form?
食べませんでした
What does ましょう mean in place of ます, as in 行きましょう (ikimashō)?
'Let's': let's go.
What does ませんか at the end of a verb express, as in 行きませんか (ikimasen ka)?
A gentle invitation: 'Would you like to go?'
What does a verb stem + ながら mean, as in 聞きながら (kikinagara)?
'While doing': while listening.
What does a verb stem + に行く mean, as in 見に行く (mi ni iku)?
Go somewhere to do something: go to see.