〜ます: Polite Verb Endings (ます・ました・ません)
Building the polite forms
Everything starts from the ます-stem: make the stem first, then bolt on the ending. How you build the stem depends on the verb group:
| Verb group | How to make the stem | Example |
|---|---|---|
| る-verbs (Group 2) | drop る | 食べる → 食べ |
| う-verbs (Group 1) | change the final u sound to i | 飲む (nomu) → 飲み (nomi) |
| Irregular | memorize | する → し, 来る → 来 (き) |
Once you have the stem, the full polite set is regular for every verb:
| Ending | Meaning | 食べる (eat) | 飲む (drink) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜ます | do / will do | 食べます | 飲みます |
| 〜ません | don't / won't | 食べません | 飲みません |
| 〜ました | did (past) | 食べました | 飲みました |
| 〜ませんでした | didn't (past) | 食べませんでした | 飲みませんでした |
Notice the past negative: it's 〜ません plus でした, not a single word. The two irregular verbs just plug their stems into the same set:
ヤッタンは宿題をしました。
ヤッタンは しゅくだいを しました。
Yattan did his homework.
する → し + ました.
弟はまだ来ません。
おとうとは まだ きません。
His little brother hasn't come yet.
来る → 来(き) + ません.
What the ます-form lets you say
Japanese verbs come in two registers: a casual plain (dictionary) form like 食べる, and a polite form like 食べます. They mean the same thing — the difference is how formal you sound, so the ます ending is really a politeness dial. As a learner it's the form you'll use most: polite enough for teachers, shopkeepers, and people you've just met, but never rude. Pick by who you're talking to:
- ます-form: polite, neutral, safe. Use it with strangers, teachers, customers, coworkers, and anyone you want to show respect to.
- Plain (dictionary) form: casual. Use it with close friends, family, and children — and inside longer sentences where grammar requires the plain form (for example before こと or in many connective patterns). The plain past is the ta-form (/grammar/n5/ta-form).
When in doubt as a beginner, choose ます-form: sounding slightly too polite is friendly; sounding too casual can come across as rude. The ending also carries a built-in non-past meaning — it covers both "I eat" and "I will eat," with context deciding which:
ヤッタンは毎朝パンを食べます。
ヤッタンは まいあさ パンを たべます。
Yattan eats bread every morning.
先生は明日来ます。
せんせいは あした きます。
The teacher will come tomorrow.
Same ます ending — context (明日) makes it future.
モチは日本語を勉強します。
モチは にほんごを べんきょうします。
Mochi studies Japanese.
The conjugation traps
Most ます errors come from the stem, not the ending. Watch for these four:
- Adding ます to the wrong stem. For う-verbs you change u → i first: 書く (kaku) → 書きます, not 書く + ます.
- Forming the past negative as one word. "Didn't eat" is 食べませんでした (ません + でした), not 食べませんだった or 食べましなかった.
- Saying 来ます wrong. 来る becomes 来ます and is read きます, not くます. The reading shifts with the stem.
- Doubling up with です. Verbs already carry their own polite ending, so don't add です: 食べます (✓), not 食べますです.
In use
Use ません to say you don't or won't do something, and ました for something already finished — with ませんでした closing the loop on a polite past negative:
モチはコーヒーを飲みません。
モチは コーヒーを のみません。
Mochi doesn't drink coffee.
ヤッタンは昨日テストを受けました。
ヤッタンは きのう テストを うけました。
Yattan took a test yesterday.
先生は今日学校に来ませんでした。
せんせいは きょう がっこうに きませんでした。
The teacher didn't come to school today.
来ません + でした = polite past negative.
The short version
- ます-form is the polite verb ending — your default in conversation.
- Build the ます-stem: drop る (る-verbs), u→i (う-verbs), し / 来(き) (irregular).
- The set: ます (do), ません (don't), ました (did), ませんでした (didn't).
- Past negative = ません + でした — two parts.
- Use plain form with close friends and family; the plain past is the ta-form (/grammar/n5/ta-form).
Practice it
Choose the correct ます / ません / ました / ませんでした ending.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
ヤッタンは毎朝パンを食べ＿＿＿。
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between ます-form and dictionary form?
They mean the same thing; only the politeness differs. ます-form (食べます) is polite and safe for most people. Dictionary form (食べる) is casual, for friends and family. Beginners should default to ます-form.
How do I make the past negative?
Take the ます-stem, then add ませんでした: 飲む → 飲みませんでした ('didn't drink'). It's ません plus でした — two parts, not one word.
Does ます mean present or future?
Both. ます is non-past, so 行きます can mean 'I go' or 'I will go.' Context — words like 明日 (tomorrow) — tells you which.
How do する and 来る become polite?
They're irregular: する → します, and 来る → 来ます (read きます). After that they take ません, ました, and ませんでした just like any other verb.
Where 〜ます fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- です · N5 — です is the polite 'to be': NOUN/な-adjective + です means 'is/are.' Learn the negative じゃありません, past でした, how です attaches to い-adjectives, and the plain だ.
- ございます・でございます · N4 — ございます is a very polite ある/あります and でございます a very polite です. Learn how shop staff and announcements use these courteous 丁寧語 forms, plus 〜うございます set phrases.
- Imperative & Prohibition · N4 — The plain imperative (行け, 食べろ, しろ, 来い) gives a blunt command, and dictionary form + な (行くな) forbids one. Learn the formation, the harsh tone, and softer alternatives.
- 尊敬語 · N4 — Sonkeigo (尊敬語) raises the person you're talking about — the listener or a third party — never yourself. Learn お〜になる, お〜ください, the passive honorific, and the special verbs.
Don't confuse it with
- The て-form · N5 — The て-form is the gateway to dozens of Japanese grammar patterns. Learn the conjugation rules for every verb group, the famous song trick, and see clear examples.
Once this clicks, go on to
- を · N5 — を marks the direct object of a verb (パンを食べる), the path you move along (道を歩く), and the place you leave (家を出る). Learn all three uses with examples.
Hear it in a real conversation
See this pattern used naturally in a real-situation dialogue:
More N5 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜ながら — 〜ながら describes doing two actions at the same time ('while doing'). Learn the formation from the ます-stem, which action is the main one, and see clear examples.
- 〜になる / 〜くなる — なる means 'become.' Learn the three patterns: noun + に + なる, な-adjective + に + なる, and い-adjective (drop い) + く + なる, plus how なる differs from する.
- 〜にする — 〜にする means to decide on or choose something (コーヒーにします = I'll have coffee) and to deliberately make X a certain way (静かにする). Learn the pattern and how it differs from なる.
- 〜のが上手 / 〜のが下手 — 上手 (good at) and 下手 (bad at) are な-adjectives. Learn NOUNが上手, VERBのが上手, the が vs を trap, and why you shouldn't call yourself 上手.
- 〜のが好き — 好き means 'like': a thing takes が (音楽が好き). To like doing something, nominalize the verb with の: 読むのが好き. Learn the formation, 大好き/嫌い, and common particle mistakes.
- Past Tense — The plain past た-form means 'did.' It follows the same sound changes as the て-form (just て→た, で→だ): 食べた, 行った, 飲んだ. Learn it by verb group.