Polite Form
Let’s learn how to change Dictionary Form into Polite Form.
In regards to verbs and adjectives,
what you find in a dictionary is categorised as Dictionary Form.
Generally speaking, when you speak or write in Japanese,
you should change the verb (or adjective) Dictionary Form into Polite Form every time.
Change Verb Dictionary Form to Polite Form
All you need to do is to change Dictionary Form into Stem Form, then add one of the endings below.
| Present tense (positive) | Stem Form + ます |
| Present tense (negative) | Stem Form + ません |
| Past tense (positive) | Stem Form + ました |
| Past tense (negative) | Stem Form + ませんでした |
Click here if you don’t know how to make Stem Form.
Exercise
Task: Change verbs in Dictionary Form into ますForm.
- およぐ
- のる
- ねる
- する
- はなす
- たべる
- もらう
- おきる
- つくる
- まつ
- くる
- およぐ → およぎます
- のる → のります
- ねる → ねます
- する → します
- はなす → はなします
- たべる → たべます
- もらう → もらいます
- おきる → おきます
- つくる → つくります
- まつ → まちます
- くる → きます
Change いAdjective into Polite Form
Other than ‘Present tense (positive)’ below, you have to remove い at the end of いadjective Dictionary Form to add the following endings.
| Present tense (positive) | Dictionary Form + です |
| Present tense (negative) | Dictionary Form (Remove い) + くないです |
| Past tense (positive) | Dictionary Form (Remove い) + かったです |
| Present tense (negative) | Dictionary Form (Remove い) + くなかったです |
Change なAdjective into Polite Form
You have to remove な at the end of なadjective Dictionary Form to add the following endings.
| Present tense (positive) | Dictionary Form (Remove な) + です |
| Present tense (negative) | Dictionary Form (Remove な) + じゃないです |
| Past tense (positive) | Dictionary Form (Remove な) + でした |
| Present tense (negative) | Dictionary Form (Remove な) + じゃなかったです |