Reference shelf

Verbs

動詞

At this stage, the useful question is not “which group is this verb?” but “what time, role, and relationship does this sentence need?”

ますpolite frame

Anchor idea

The ending carries time and polarity.

The same polite form works for I, you, and they. A time expression tells you whether non-past means a habit or a future event.

The ます family carries tense and polarity. The base verb does not change for person or number.

non-past +ます

non-past −ません

past +ました

past −ませんでした

行きます・来ます・帰ります pair with に or へ for destination, で for transport, と for company, and に for exact time.

destinationplace に／へ

transportvehicle で

companyperson と

timetime に

A transitive verb acts directly on a marked thing. The place where the action occurs takes で.

thing affectednoun を

place of actionplace で

tool / languagemeans で

ませんか softly invites someone. ましょう proposes the shared decision or accepts it.

invitationverb ませんか

proposalverb ましょう

あげます follows something from giver to recipient. もらいます frames the same kind of exchange from the receiver.

give to someoneperson に thing をあげます

receive from someoneperson に／から thing をもらいます

もう + a past verb marks an expected action as complete. まだです is the compact reply when it remains incomplete.

already didもう verb ました

not yetまだです