GRAMMAR TOOLS
Japanese Plain Form
The plain form is used in casual speech and as a building block for many Japanese sentences.
It is also sometimes called the short form.
01
What is the Plain Form?
Japanese has polite forms and plain forms. The basic meaning can stay the same, but the style changes.
WHERE YOU WILL SEE PLAIN FORMS
Plain form does not simply mean “remove ます or です.”
02
Plain Form Map
First, see the whole system at a glance.
| Type | Present / Future | Past | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Negative | Affirmative | Negative | |
| Verb | たべる | たべない | たべた | たべなかった |
| い-adjective | おいしい | おいしくない | おいしかった | おいしくなかった |
| な-adjective | きれいだ* | きれいじゃない | きれいだった | きれいじゃなかった |
| Noun | がくせいだ* | がくせいじゃない | がくせいだった | がくせいじゃなかった |
03
The 4 Plain Forms
Now let’s look at each word type more closely.
たべる
to eat
おいしい
delicious
✓ おいしい
✕ おいしいだ
きれい
beautiful / clean
がくせい
student
04
What about だ?
The plain affirmative form of な-adjectives and nouns uses だ. But you will not hear it in exactly the same way in every sentence.
だ is often omitted.
この部屋、きれい！
This room is beautiful!
だ appears naturally.
Some grammar patterns use だ.
だ changes to な.
✓ きれいなので ✕ きれいだので
05
Plain Form in Conversation
Plain forms are very common in casual Japanese. Real conversation can also become shorter than a full textbook sentence.
06
Where is the Plain Form Used?
明日は 雨が 降る と思います。
I think it will rain tomorrow.
日本に 行く と言っていました。
They said they would go to Japan.
忙しい から、 今日は 行きません。
I’m not going today because I’m busy.
These patterns have their own rules. You can learn them one at a time later.
07
Plain Form Practice
Start with the forms shown on this page. Say the plain form first, then check your answer.
Make it Plain
Everything here uses forms already shown on this page.
Try Other Verbs
Try the same four plain forms with other common verbs.
POLITE FORM
たべます
eat / will eat
PRESENT / FUTURE AFFIRMATIVEMake it plain.
PLAIN FORM