Daily Actions: Your First Verbs (ます Form)

Welcome to the exciting world of Japanese verbs! This lesson introduces common verbs in the polite ます (masu) form, which is crucial for everyday conversation. Mastering this form will significantly improve your ability to communicate politely and effectively.

What is the ます Form?

The ます (masu) form is a polite verb ending used to express the present and future tense in Japanese. Think of it as the default polite form you'll use in most situations, especially when speaking to people you don't know well, elders, or in formal settings. It’s formed by attaching ます to the verb stem. The "verb stem" is created by removing the final 'u' sound from the dictionary form (the form you'll find in dictionaries) and adding ます. We'll break this down further as we go.

Why is it important?

Using the ます form is a fundamental aspect of Japanese politeness. It shows respect and consideration for the listener. While there are even more polite forms, the ます form is your go-to for almost all daily interactions.

Basic Structure: Dictionary Form - "u" + ます = ます Form

Common Daily Action Verbs

Let's explore some essential daily action verbs and their ます form:

Verb (Dictionary Form)	ます Form	Romaji	Meaning	Notes
たべる (taberu)	たべます	tabemasu	to eat	Remember the 'be' part of 'taberu' becomes the stem.
のむ (nomu)	のみます	nomimasu	to drink	Note that 'nomu' is a 'u' ending verb but follows the same conjugation rule. 'mu' -> 'mi' + ます
みる (miru)	みます	mimasu	to see/watch/look	Can mean to watch TV, see a movie, or simply look at something.
いく (iku)	いきます	ikimasu	to go	This is an irregular verb. Pay close attention.
くる (kuru)	きます	kimasu	to come	Another irregular verb!
する (suru)	します	shimasu	to do	A very common and versatile irregular verb. Used for many activities.
きく (kiku)	ききます	kikimasu	to listen/ask	Context determines if you're listening to music or asking a question.
よむ (yomu)	よみます	yomimasu	to read	Be careful not to confuse this with 'nomu' (to drink).
かう (kau)	かいます	kaimasu	to buy
かえる (kaeru)	かえります	kaerimasu	to return/go home
べんきょうする (benkyou suru)	べんきょうします	benkyou shimasu	to study	This is a "suru" verb. The "suru" portion conjugates.
はなす (hanasu)	はなします	hanashimasu	to speak/talk
ねる (neru)	ねます	nemasu	to sleep
おきる (okiru)	おきます	okimasu	to wake up

Irregular Verbs: する (suru), くる (kuru), and いく (iku)

する (suru) -> します (shimasu): "To do." This verb is irregular and extremely common.
くる (kuru) -> きます (kimasu): "To come." Also irregular.
いく (iku) -> いきます (ikimasu): "To go." While technically regular, it's important to note that 'iku' turns into 'ikimasu' and not 'ichimasu'.

Particles: The Glue of Japanese Sentences

Before diving into more example sentences, let's briefly touch on particles. Particles are small words that follow nouns or verbs and indicate their function in the sentence. They're essential for understanding the grammatical structure of Japanese.

を (o/wo): Marks the direct object of a verb. For example, "what is being eaten/drank/watched".
に (ni): Indicates a direction, location, or time.
へ (e): Indicates direction. Similar to に but emphasizes the destination.
と (to): Indicates "with" (someone), "and", or a quote.
で (de): Indicates the location where an action takes place or the means by which something is done.

Example Sentences

Let's use the verbs we've learned with some common particles to create more complex sentences.

ごはんを たべます。 (Gohan o tabemasu.) I eat rice. (ごはん = rice, を = direct object marker, たべます = eat)
みずを のみます。 (Mizu o nomimasu.) I drink water. (みず = water, を = direct object marker, のみます = drink)
えいがを みます。 (Eiga o mimasu.) I watch a movie. (えいが = movie, を = direct object marker, みます = watch)
がっこうへ いきます。 (Gakkou e ikimasu.) I go to school. (がっこう = school, へ = direction marker, いきます = go)
ともだちとえいがを みます。 (Tomodachi to eiga o mimasu.) I watch a movie with my friend. (ともだち = friend, と = with, えいが = movie, を = direct object marker, みます = watch)
ほんを よみます。 (Hon o yomimasu.) I read a book. (ほん = book, を = direct object marker, よみます = read)
おんがくを ききます。 (Ongaku o kikimasu.) I listen to music. (おんがく = music, を = direct object marker, ききます = listen)
コーヒーを のみます。 (Ko-hi- o nomimasu.) I drink coffee. (コーヒー = coffee, を = direct object marker, のみます = drink)
うちへ かえります。 (Uchi e kaerimasu.) I go home. (うち = home, へ = direction marker, かえります = return/go home)
きょうしつでべんきょうを します。 (Kyoushitsu de benkyou o shimasu.) I study in the classroom. (きょうしつ = classroom, で = location of action marker, べんきょう = study, を = direct object marker, します = do/study)
あさはやく おきます。(Asa hayaku okimasu.) I wake up early in the morning. (あさ = morning, はやく = early, おきます = wake up)
よるおそく ねます。(Yoru osoku nemasu.) I sleep late at night. (よる = night, おそく = late, ねます = sleep)

Expanding Your Vocabulary

Here are a few more useful nouns to use with your new verbs:

テレビ (terebi): Television
しゅくだい (shukudai): Homework
ほん (hon): Book
ざっし (zasshi): Magazine
てがみ (tegami): Letter
しゃしん (shashin): Photograph
にもつ (nimotsu): Luggage

Practice Exercises

Let's put your knowledge to the test! Try translating the following sentences into Japanese using the ます form. Remember to use the correct particles!

I go to the park.

Answer
こうえんへいきます。(Kouen e ikimasu.)
I read a magazine.

Answer
ざっしをよみます。(Zasshi o yomimasu.)
I listen to the radio.

Answer
ラジオをききます。(Rajio o kikimasu.)
I do my homework.

Answer
しゅくだいをします。(Shukudai o shimasu.)
I watch television with my family.

Answer
かぞくとテレビをみます。(Kazoku to terebi o mimasu.)

Now, try creating your own sentences using the verbs and vocabulary you've learned.

More Practice!

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb in the ます form.

わたしはまいにちコーヒーを ________。（I drink coffee every day.）

Answer
のみます (nomimasu)
かれはとしょかんでほんを ________。（He reads a book in the library.）

Answer
よみます (yomimasu)
こどもたちはこうえんで ________。（The children play in the park. (Hint: You'll need to look up "to play")

Answer
あそびます (asobimasu)
わたしはあしたがっこうへ ________。（I will go to school tomorrow.）

Answer
いきます (ikimasu)
かのじょはよくえいがを ________。（She often watches movies.）

Answer
みます (mimasu)

Tip

Remember that the ます form indicates both present and future tense. The context of the sentence will usually make it clear which tense is being used. For example:

"あした、がっこうへいきます (Ashita, gakkou e ikimasu)" means "Tomorrow, I will go to school." (Future)
"まいにち、がっこうへいきます (Mainichi, gakkou e ikimasu)" means "Every day, I go to school." (Present)