Mastering Japanese Past Tense Verbs

Once you’ve mastered present tense verb conjugations, what comes next? Now you’re ready to take your skills to the next level with Japanese past tense verbs. Past tense verbs add dimension to your Japanese language ability, allowing you to talk about past events and completed actions.

Before we begin, take a moment to review the polite form, dictionary form, and negative form of present tense verbs. We’ll build on these to conjugate past tense verbs, so it will help to have the information fresh in your mind.

Japanese Past Tense Verbs—Formal/Polite Conjugation

We will start with the polite form, which is also called the -masu form. In the polite form, the -masu suffix is modified to make affirmative and negative past tenses, like this:

1. -ました (-mashita, affirmative past tense)
2. -ませんでした (-masen deshita, negative past tense)

As you can see, only the suffix changes. This makes the polite form of past tense verbs much easier to conjugate than the dictionary form, but we’ll get to that later.

Let’s look at how we conjugate the past tense of “masu” verbs.

Group 1 Verbs: う-Verbs

Remember that for Group 1 verbs, we change the end of the verb stem to the 2nd row of the hiragana chart (the い row). Then add “ました” to the suffix to form the past tense of the verb.

Example Sentences

1.  病院に行きました。
(Byōin ni ikimashita)
I went to the hospital.

2.  お母さんと話しました。
(Okāsan to hanashimashita)
I spoke with my mother.

Group 2 Verbs:  る-Verbs

For Group 2 verbs, we add “ました” to the verb stem.

Example Sentences

1.  ピザを食べました。
(Piza o tabemashita)
I ate pizza.

2.  10時に寝ました。
(Jūji ni nemashita)
I went to sleep at 10.

Group 3 Verbs:  Irregular Verbs

Change the irregular verbs する and 来る to a stem based on the 2nd row of the hiragana chart, as we did with the -masu form. Then add “ました” to form the past tense of the verb.

Example Sentences

1.  宿題をしました。
(Shukudai o shimashita)
I did my homework.

2.  友達が家に来ました。
(Tomodachi ga ie ni kimashita)
My friend came to my house.

Polite Negative Past Tense Form

Next, let’s look at the negative past tense form.

Group 1 Verbs:  う-Verbs

As with the affirmative form, change the suffix of the verb stem to the 2nd row of the hiragana chart, and add “ませんでした.”

Example Sentences

1.  あの本を読みませんでした。
(Ano hon o yomimasen deshita)
I didn’t read that book.

2.  牛乳を買いませんでした。
(Gyūnyū o kaimasen deshita)
I didn’t buy milk.

Group 2 Verbs:  る-Verbs

For Group 2 verbs, add “ませんでした” to the stem to form the negative past tense verb.

Example Sentences

1.  窓を開けませんでした。
(Mado o akemasen deshita)
I didn’t open the window.

2.  間に合うことができませんでした。
(Maniau koto ga dekimasen deshita)
I couldn’t get there on time.

Group 3 Verbs:  Irregular Verbs

As we did above, change the irregular verbs する and 来る to a stem based on the 2nd row of the hiragana chart. Then add “ませんでした” to form the negative past tense of the verb.

Example Sentences

1. 洗濯をしませんでした。 (Sentaku o shimasen deshita): I didn’t do the laundry.
2. お父さんと一緒に来ませんでした。 (Otousan to issho ni kimasen deshita): I didn’t come with my father.

When to Use the Polite Form?

Use the polite form when you are talking to a superior like a teacher, supervisor, coworkers, customers, people you don’t know or are meeting for the first time. Use the plain form (dictionary form) when talking to friends and family and coworkers with whom you have a close relationship.

Japanese Past Tense Verbs—Casual/Plain Form

Now that you’ve studied the polite form of past tense verbs, you’re ready for the more difficult plain form, also known as the dictionary form.

The past tense of dictionary form verbs is conjugated by adding the following:

1. -た・だ (-ta/da, affirmative past tense)
2. -なかった (-nakatta, negative past tense)

Let’s look at how to conjugate the affirmative past tense.

Group 1 Verbs:  う-Verbs

As you can see, the verb stem changes depending on the –う row ending of the verb. These changes are important, so let’s look at some examples of each.

**The exception to this is 行く, which changes to 行った rather than 行いた.

Example Sentences

1. 手紙を書いた。 (Tegami o kaita): I wrote a letter.
2. 新聞を読んだ。 (Shinbun o yonda): I read a newspaper.
3. 新しい車を買った。 (Atarashii kuruma o katta): I bought a new car.

Group 2 Verbs:  る-Verbs

The Group 2 past tense verb conjugation is much easier. Just add “た” to the verb stem.

Example Sentences

1. あの映画を見た。 (Ano eiga o mita): I saw that movie.
2. 友達とレストランで食べた。 (Tomodachi to resutoran de tabeta): I ate with my friend at a restaurant.

Group 3 Verbs:  Irregular Verbs

Form the irregular past tense verb by adding “た” to the irregular verb stem.

Example Sentences

1. 何をした？ (Nani o shita): What did you do?
2. どこから来た？ (Doko kara kita): Where did you come from?

Plain/Casual Negative  Past Tense Verbs

Next, we will look at the negative form of plain past tense verbs.

Group 1 Verbs:  う-Verbs

For Group 1 verbs, change the end of the verb stem to the 1st row of the hiragana chart (the あ row). Then add “なかった” to form the negative past tense verb.

Example Sentences

1. 公園に行かなかった。 (Koen ni ikanakatta): I didn’t go to the park.
2. ビールを飲まなかった。 (Biiru o nomanakatta): I didn’t drink beer.

Group 2 Verbs:  る-Verbs

For Group 2 verbs, add “なかった” to the verb stem to form the negative past tense.

Example Sentences

1. その看板を見なかった。 (Sono kanban o minakatta): I didn’t see that sign.
2. 昼ごはんを食べなかった。 (Hirugohan o tabenakatta): I didn’t eat lunch.

Group 3 Verbs:  Irregular Verbs

Form the irregular past tense verb by adding “なかった” to the irregular verb stem. Note that the reading of 来 changes to “ko” in the plain negative form.

Example Sentences

1. 何もしなかった。 (Nani mo shinakatta): I didn’t do anything.
2. 誰も来なかった。 (Dare mo konakatta): Nobody came.

More Information About the Plain Form

Use the plain form when talking to family, friends, and coworkers with whom you are close. When in doubt about whether to use the plain form or not, follow the other person’s lead. (Note that this doesn’t apply with a superior like a supervisor or teacher, who may use the plain form with you, but you should still use the polite form when replying.) You’ll often see the plain form in writing, such as in novels and newspaper articles.

By now, you should be familiar with all types of Japanese past tense verbs. We’ve covered the polite and casual forms of both affirmative and negative verbs. Now you’re ready to talk about the past and completed actions. Use this guide as a reference as you continue to learn new verbs, and eventually, you will be able to automatically conjugate new verbs. Happy studying!