English← Back to selectionEnglish← Back to selectionChapter 5 · Lesson 5 — Verbs
One shape carries you everywhere in public: the ます-form. It’s always polite, never rude, and means both “I do” and “I will do.” Learn a verb in this shape and you can use it today — no grammar gymnastics required.
| Meaning | Dictionary form | Polite ます-form |
|---|---|---|
| to go | 行くiku | 行きますikimasu |
| to eat | 食べるtaberu | 食べますtabemasu |
| to drink | 飲むnomu | 飲みますnomimasu |
| to see / watch | 見るmiru | 見ますmimasu |
| to read | 読むyomu | 読みますyomimasu |
| to come | 来るkuru | 来ますkimasu |
| to do | するsuru | しますshimasu |
“Wait, verbs are this tidy in ます?! はい、楽勝！ (rakushō — easy win!)” — Tsuki (…she hasn’t met the て-form yet)
Negatives & past — just swap the tail
Here’s the elegant part: to say don’t, did, or didn’t, you never touch the front of the verb — you just change the ます tail. Four forms, one verb.
“Four meanings from one stem — ふふ, so economical. なるほど.” — Selene
Making plans & making friends
Two tiny tail-swaps turn any verb into an invitation — the fastest way to turn a stranger into a friend in Japan.
～ましょう = “let’s …” (assumes a yes)
～ませんか = “won’t you…? / shall we…?” (softer, gives a choice)
“いっしょに アイスクリームを 食べませんか? — that’s how I made my first friend here!” — Marina 🍦
Kanji Story Cards · No. 6, 7 & 8
Kō — the Crossroads Traveller
go · carry out
The shape is an old picture of a crossroads — the very place where “going” begins. Stand at the junction and choose your path.
Rai — the Ripening Wheat
come · next
Originally a drawing of ripening wheat — the harvest that comes each year. So 来 means “come,” and also “next”: the time still on its way.
Shoku — Lid Over the Bowl
eat · food
A peaked lid resting over a bowl of rice — shelter for the food, and the warm promise of a meal about to be eaten.
Tsuki’s nemesis — tamed
The て-form is the gateway to half of Japanese grammar (requests, “-ing,” linking actions). It looks scary because the change depends on the verb’s group. So first, meet the three groups — there are only three.
⚠️ A few verbs look like Group 2 but are secretly Group 1 — most famously 帰る (to go home) → 帰って. You’ll learn these by ear.
Two uses you’ll use every day
Now that you can build the て-form, here’s the payoff — two everyday powers it switches on instantly.
Dialogue · a weekend plan
The cast plans a Saturday out — using everything from this chapter. And yes, Tsuki trips on a て-form.
Kanji Guild · Roster #3 — the verb crew
Seven new verb-kanji this chapter — a whole guild of townsfolk, each doing their job around town.
🏅 Guild total: 27 recruits (your 20 + these 7). Notice the radicals already working: 飲 and 食 both carry the “eat/drink” energy; 読 and 話 share a “words” part you’ll meet soon.
Next chapter → describing your world: い-adjectives and な-adjectives, so you can finally say something is 大きい, おいしい, or きれい. 🌸