〜ます: Polite Verb Endings (ます・ました・ません)
What it means
〜ます is the polite present/future ending for verbs. 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. As a learner, ます-form is the form you'll use most: it's polite enough for teachers, shopkeepers, and people you've just met, but never rude.
The ます ending also has 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.
How to form it
First you make the ます-stem, then you attach the ending. Building 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. That's the one most learners forget.
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.
The negative and past in use
Use ません to say you don't or won't do something, and ました for something already finished:
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.
Polite vs plain (dictionary) form
Both forms are correct Japanese — 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).
When in doubt as a beginner, choose ます-form. Sounding slightly too polite is friendly; sounding too casual can come across as rude.
Common mistakes
- 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.
Quick recap
- 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).
Your turn
Choose the correct ます / ません / ました / ませんでした ending.
Start the 5-question drill →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.