Te form in Japanese and the main four usages, explained

What is Japanese te form?

To tell the truth, Japanese native speakers do not know what the te form is. They don’t learn the Japanese language in the same way as Japanese learners do. In general, however, when we say “te form”, it refers to a combination of a verb and the conjunctive particle, “te”, or a combination of an adjective and the conjunctive particle. In this blog post, I will explain main four usages of te-formed words. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand how to use te-formed words properly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Joining two words
  • Example #1: how to join two adjectives
• Making a cause-and-effect structure
  • Example #2: how to make a cause-and-effect structure
• Making a chronological order
  • Example #3: how to make a chronological order
• Making a smooth connection with an auxiliary verb
  • Example #4: how to make a smooth connection with an auxiliary verb
• Summary

Joining two words

We can join two words by conjugating the first word to its te form. In this regard, the role of a te-formed word is similar to that of the combination of a word and “and” in English. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to join two adjectives

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kono – この : a determiner used before a noun which refers to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “momo” to say “this peach” in Japanese.
• momo – 桃 (もも) : a noun meaning ‘peach’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “kono momo”, to make the subject in the sentence.
• amaku – 甘く (あまく) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “amai“, which means ‘sweet’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “amaku” to make its te form, “amaku te”.
• oishii – 美味しい (おいしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘delicious’ in Japanese.

In English, adjectives can be linked via “and” like “sweet and delicious”. Unfortunately, however, this method doesn’t work well in Japanese. The Japanese case particle, “to“, corresponds well to “and”, but we cannot say “amai to oishii” or just “amai oishii”. Neither sounds natural. In Japanese, a preceding adjective always needs to be changed to its te form to have a smooth connection with its following adjective. In this example, “amai” has been conjugated to its te form, “amaku te”, to have the smooth connection with another i-adjective, “oishii”.

Making a cause-and-effect structure

When we want to make a cause-and-effect structure in a sentence, we can use a te-formed word. A word before the conjunctive particle, “te”, refers to a cause and a word after the particle refers to an effect. Let me explain this usage in detail through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to make a cause-and-effect structure

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• samuku – 寒く (さむく) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “samui”, which means ‘cold’ in Japanese.
• furueru – 震える (ふるえる) : a verb meaning ‘to shake’, ‘to shiver’, or such in Japanese.

This example looks quite similar to the last one. Honestly speaking, it’s not easy to understand that this is a cause-and-effect structure, not a parallel expression. In writing, therefore, Japanese native speakers tend to use a reason marker like “node” instead of a te-formed word. Still, using a te-formed word is one good option when we want to make a cause-and-effect structure in a sentence. In the example, “samui” has been conjugated to its te form, “samuku te”, to say why “I” is shivering.

Making a chronological order

When we want to make a chronological order in a sentence, we can use a te-formed word. A word before the conjunctive particle, “te”, refers to an event happening earlier and a word after the conjunctive particle refers to an event happening later. Let me explain this usage in detail through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to make a chronological order

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• gakkou – 学校 (がっこう) : a noun meaning ‘school’ in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle used to indicate a place to which someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “gakkou” to say where “watashi” will go.
• it – 行っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku”, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• benkyou suru – 勉強する (べんきょうする) : a verb meaning ‘to study’ in Japanese. This can be considered as the verb form of “benkyou“.

Going to school is an event happening before studying. In the example, therefore, “iku” has been conjugated to its te form, “it te”, and “benkyou suru” remains as its plain form. When we want to make a chronological order in a sentence, using a te-formed word would be a good option.

Making a smooth connection with an auxiliary verb

When we want to connect a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb with an auxiliary verb, we should conjugate the preceding word to its te form. A word before the conjunctive particle, “te”, plays a significant role in meaning and a word after the conjunctive particle supports the preceding word. Let me explain this usage in detail through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to make a smooth connection with an auxiliary verb

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• oshie – 教え (おしえ) : one conjugation of the verb, “oshieru”, which means ‘to tell’, ‘to teach’, ‘to inform’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• kudasai – ください : one conjugation of the verb, “kudasaru”, which means ‘to give’ or such in Japanese. This can also work as an auxiliary verb to add the meaning of ‘please’ to its preceding word. In the example, it works as an auxiliary verb.

In the example. “oshieru” has been conjugated to its te form, “oshie te”, to have the smooth connection with its following auxiliary verb, “kudasai”. When we want to connect a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb with an auxiliary verb, we should conjugate the preceding word to its te form.

Sometimes, Japanese learners use te-formed words, especially verbs, as command forms. This usage can be considered as a special case of this fourth usage. Japanese native speakers quite often omit an auxiliary verb after a verb or adjective. For example, in this case, they say “watashi ni oshie te” instead of its full expression. As a result of this kind of omission, the te-formed verb, “oshie te”, appears to be a command form. This is why te-formed verbs can work as their command forms.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the main four usages of te-formed words. Let me summarize them as follows.

1. Joining two words
2. Making a cause-and-effect structure in a sentence
3. Making a chronological order in a sentence
4. Making a smooth connection with an auxiliary verb

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.