18 Aug
Conjugations of ます-form | Minna no Nihongo | Lesson 4
### Conjugations of the ます-Form in "Minna no Nihongo" | Lesson 4
In Lesson 4 of "Minna no Nihongo," you'll dive into the conjugations of verbs in the ます (masu) form, which is essential for creating polite statements in Japanese. The ます-form is used in everyday conversation and is crucial for maintaining politeness. This lesson will cover the basics of conjugating verbs into the ます-form and how to use these conjugations to express various tenses and aspects.
### 1. **Present Positive: ます (Masu)**
The basic ます-form is used to describe actions in the present tense politely. This form is used for both affirmative statements and general truths.
- **Example:**
- 食べます (tabemasu) — I eat / I will eat.
- 行きます (ikimasu) — I go / I will go.
### 2. **Present Negative: ません (Masen)**
To form the present negative, you add ません (masen) to the verb stem. This indicates that the action is not performed or the statement is negative.
- **Example:**
- 食べません (tabemasen) — I do not eat.
- 行きません (ikimasen) — I do not go.
### 3. **Past Positive: ました (Mashita)**
For the past positive, you change ます (masu) to ました (mashita). This is used to describe actions that have been completed or events that happened in the past.
- **Example:**
- 食べました (tabemashita) — I ate.
- 行きました (ikimashita) — I went.
### 4. **Past Negative: ませんでした (Masen deshita)**
To form the past negative, replace ます (masu) with ませんでした (masen deshita). This indicates that the action did not occur or the statement is negative in the past tense.
- **Example:**
- 食べませんでした (tabemasen deshita) — I did not eat.
- 行きませんでした (ikimasen deshita) — I did not go.
### Conjugation Summary
Here’s a concise table summarizing the conjugations of verbs in the ます-form:
| Tense / Form | Affirmative | Negative |
|--------------|------------------|--------------------|
| Present | ます (masu) | ません (masen) |
| Past | ました (mashita) | ませんでした (masen deshita) |
### Practical Examples
1. **Daily Routine:**
- **Present Positive:** 毎朝コーヒーを飲みます。(Maiasa kōhī o nomimasu.) — I drink coffee every morning.
- **Present Negative:** 週末は働きません。(Shūmatsu wa hatarakimasen.) — I do not work on weekends.
- **Past Positive:** 昨日映画を見ました。(Kinō eiga o mimashita.) — I watched a movie yesterday.
- **Past Negative:** 先週は旅行しませんでした。(Senshū wa ryokō shimasen deshita.) — I did not travel last week.
2. **Inquiries and Responses:**
- **Present Positive:** あなたは日本に行きますか？(Anata wa Nihon ni ikimasu ka?) — Are you going to Japan?
- **Response (Positive):** はい、行きます。(Hai, ikimasu.) — Yes, I am going.
- **Response (Negative):** いいえ、行きません。(Iie, ikimasen.) — No, I am not going.
- **Past Positive:** 週末にパーティーに行きましたか？(Shūmatsu ni pātii ni ikimashita ka?) — Did you go to the party on the weekend?
- **Response (Positive):** はい、行きました。(Hai, ikimashita.) — Yes, I went.
- **Response (Negative):** いいえ、行きませんでした。(Iie, ikimasen deshita.) — No, I did not go.
Understanding and practicing these conjugations will enable you to construct polite and accurate statements in Japanese. Whether you’re talking about current activities, past events, or making polite inquiries, mastering the ます-form is a key step in achieving fluency. Happy studying!
