JLPT N5
ます
Polite verb ending
Structure
Verb stem ます
How it works
The ます (masu) form is a polite verb ending used to show respect to the person you are speaking to. It is the standard way to express actions in formal or semi-formal situations, such as talking to teachers, bosses, or strangers. In its base form, it expresses the present habitual action or the future tense.
Examples
毎日、コーヒーを飲みます。
I drink coffee every day.
明日、日本語を勉強します。
I will study Japanese tomorrow.
田中さんは、学校へ行きます。
Mr. Tanaka goes to school.
Common mistakes
Mixing dictionary form (e.g., 食べる) with polite endings (e.g., 食べます) in the same conversation, which makes the politeness level inconsistent.
Tip
To make a sentence negative, change ます to ません. To make it past tense, change ます to ました. These four patterns (ます, ません, ました, ませんでした) are the foundation of polite Japanese.
More JLPT N5 grammar
See ます in real Japanese
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