Unit 4 – 031 to 040

The present continuous is made by combining the -て・-te form of a verb with います・i·ma·su. Past, present negative, and past negative continuous forms can be made by changing います・i·ma·su to いました・i·ma·shi·ta, いません・i·ma·se·n, and いませんでした・i·ma·se·n·de·shi·ta respectively.

The tricky part is remembering how to make the -て・-te form of verbs. The easiest are what are known as the Group II or Ichidan Verbs. For these, we simply remove the ます・ma·su from the end of the verb and add て・te. Here are some examples of Group II or Ichidan Verbs.

食べます・たべます・ta·be·ma·su → 食べて・たべて・ta·be·te = to eat
見ます・みます・mi·ma·su → 見て・みて・mi·te = to see

The largest group of verbs, though, is the Group I or Godan Verbs. For these, the way the -て・-te form is made depends on the syllable before ます・ma·su.

Syllable before ます・ma·su is い・i or ち・chi or り・ri
Rule: Replace the syllable + ます・ma·su with って・tte.
Examples:
買います・かいます・ka·i·ma·su → 買って・かって・ka·tte = to buy
立ちます・たちます・ta·chi·ma·su → 立って・たって・ta·tte = to stand
帰ります・かえります・ka·e·ri·ma·su → 帰って・かえって・ka·e·tte = to return

Syllable before ます・ma·su is び・bi or み・mi or に・ni
Rule: Replace the syllable + ます・ma·su with んで・n·de.
Examples:
呼びます・よびます・yo·bi·ma·su → 呼んで・よんで・yo·n·de = to call
飲みます・のみます・no·mi·ma·su → 飲んで・のんで・no·n·de = to drink
死にます・しにます・shi·ni·ma·su → 死んで・しんで・shi·n·de = to die

Syllable before ます・ma·su is き・ki
Rule: Replace the syllable + ます・ma·su with いて・i·te.
Example:
書きます・かきます・ka·ki·ma·su → 書いて・かいて・ka·i·te = to write

Syllable before ます・ma·su is ぎ・gi
Rule: Replace the syllable + ます・ma·su with いで・i·de.
Example:
泳ぎます・およぎます・o·yo·gi·ma·su → 泳いで・およいで・o·yo·i·de = to swim

Syllable before ます・ma·su is し・shi
Rule: Replace the syllable + ます・ma·su with して・shi·te. (These seem like they should be Group II verbs, but they are not… )
Example:
話します・はなします・ha·na·shi·ma·su → 話して・はなして・ha·na·shi·te = to speak

There are some irregular verbs which follow their own rules. For these, you’ll just have to remember the corresponding -て・-te forms of the verbs.
行きます・いきます・i·ki·ma·su → 行って・いって・i·tte = to go
します・shi·ma·su → して・shi·te = to do
きます・ki·ma·su → きて・ki·te = to come

There are exceptions, of course, in which we can state how we are feeling using the present simple. Here are some examples.

幸せです。・しあわせです。・shi·a·wa·se de·su。 = I’m happy.
眠いです。・ねむいです。・ne·mu·i de·su。 = I’m sleepy.

The second thing to notice is that there are a lot of する・su·ru verbs in Japanese! However, this makes learning the language easy because many nouns can be used as verbs (just as we do in English, e.g. “record” can be both a noun or a verb in English, although the pronunciation of each is different). For example, 記録・きろく・ki·ro·ku is the Japanese noun for “record”. We can make this into the verb “record/make a record/take a record” by adding する・su·ru.

ボッブは日付を記録しました。
ぼっぶ は ひづけ を きろく しました。
bo·bbu wa hi·zu·ke wo ki·ro·ku shi·ma·shi·ta。
= Bob recorded the date.

① In expressions about time

• at a particular time: １０時に・じゅうじ に・jū·ji ni = at 10:00
• on a particular day: 木曜日に・もくようび に・mo·ku·yō·bi ni = on Thursday
• during a period: １９世紀に・じゅうきゅう-せいき に・jū·kyū-se·i·ki ni　= during the 19th century
• on a regular basis: 月に一回・つき に いっかい・tsu·ki ni i·kka·i = once per/a month

② In expressions about places

• in a place: ロンドンに住んでいます。・ろんどん に すんで います。・ro·n·do·n ni su·n·de i·ma·su。 = (I) live in London.
• at a place*: 駅に会いました。・えき に あいました。・e·ki ni a·i·ma·shi·ta。 = (We) met at the station.
• to a place**: うちに帰りましょう。・うち に かえりましょう。・u·chi ni ka·e·ri·ma·shō。　= Let’s go home.

*In this case, the particle で・de could also be used.
**In this case, the particle へ・e (note the unusual reading of this character) could also be used.

③ In expressions about purposes (“for”)

• この紙をメモ用紙に使います。・この かみ を めもようし に つかいます。・ko·no ka·mi wo me·mo·yō·shi ni tsu·ka·i·ma·su。 = (I) use this paper for taking notes.

***In this case, the phrase と して・to shi·te could also be used.

④ With the verb なります・na·ri·ma·su to indicate changes

• with nouns: 医者になりました。・いしゃ に なりました。・i·sha ni na·ri·ma·shi·ta。 = (He/She) became a doctor.
• with adjectives: きれい に なりました ね。・ki·re·i ni na·ri·ma·shi·ta ne。 = It’s become clean, hasn’t it.

⑤ With the verb します・shi·ma·su to indicate decisions or actions

• decisions: ステーキ に します。・すてーき に します。・su·tē·ki ni shi·ma·su。 = (I’ll) have steak.
• actions: きれい に しました から。・ki·re·i ni shi·ma·shi·ta ka·ra。 = Because (I) cleaned (it).

⑥ With -な・-na adjectives or nouns to make adverbs

• with -な・-na adjectives: 静かに歩きました。・しずか に あるきました。・shi·zu·ka ni a·ru·ki·ma·shi·ta。 = (I) walked quietly.
• with nouns: 平和に暮らしています。・へいわ に くらしています。・he·i·wa ni ku·ra·shi·te·i·ma·su。 = Living peacefully. (lit. “in peace”)