Four basic polite verb forms
Choose time and polarity without a person table.
The polite stem stays the same across the four basic forms: 読みます, 読みません, 読みました, 読みませんでした. They express nonpast affirmative, nonpast negative, past affirmative, and past negative.
Nonpast can describe a habit or future event. 毎日読みます means read every day, while 明日読みます means will read tomorrow. The form does not change according to the subject’s person or number.
Examples
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- まいにち、mainichievery day
- ほんhonbook / booksJapanese does not require a plural ending here.
- をoobject markerUsually pronounced o. Marks what the action affects; English often expresses this through word order.
- よみます。yomimasuread (polite)
“I” is understood from context here; there is no written Japanese word for it in this sentence.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- あしたashitatomorrow
- はwatopic markerPronounced wa. Marks what the following comment is about; it is not the word “is”.
- よみません。yomimasenwill not read (polite)The negative nonpast takes a future meaning with “tomorrow”.
“I” is understood from context here; there is no written Japanese word for it in this sentence.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- きのうkinouyesterday
- はwatopic markerPronounced wa. Marks what the following comment is about; it is not the word “is”.
- よみませんでした。yomimasendeshitadid not read (polite)
“I” is understood from context here; there is no written Japanese word for it in this sentence.
Keep in mind
“Nonpast” includes future uses; it does not mean every English present tense translates with ます.