Learn Japanese Verb Conjugation: Formal Form / Masu Form

皆さんこんばんは。Good evening learners! Have you supper?^^ be sure you don't get hungry while learning^^. In this class we are learning the very very important lesson, because you will often use this lesson if you go to Japan or if you try to talk with Japanese people who is not familiar with you. Today, we will learn how to make the sentence to be polite using masu form conjugation and desu copula. Hmm can't wait? Ok, let's start the lesson.

First of all, you must know the rule of Japanese verb groups and can identify include which group the verb is. If you haven't known yet. Please see the post below to learn the Japanese verb groups.

Also Read: Learn 3 Japanese Verb Groups Lesson

And then, let's learn the main lesson for today about how to conjugate a verb into masu form or formal/polite form of the verb:

This is the formula to make a verb into masu form:
Stem form verb + Masu = Masu form verb

example: aruki + masu = arukimasu
Do you know what the stem form verb is? stem form or called renyoukei (連用形) is the one of five basic conjugations of japanese verb. We have just learnt it, do you remember?, click the link below to see the post.

Learn also: 5 Basic Conjugations Of Japanese Verb

Before we learn the masu form conjugation, I want to inform when this form is used. This form is used in situations required politeness or a degree of formality, and is more appropriate for general use. So if you want your sentence to be polite you just need to change the verb into masu form, and if there is no verb in your sentence, you just attach desu in the end of your sentence^^, we will learn about desu (です) copula in the future post, for now, we only focus to learn the masu form conjugation.

How to conjugate a verb into masu form / formal form verb

For group 1 verbs / Godan doushi

First you need change the verb into stem in a way to change the u vowel in the ending of the verb to i vowel (notice for tsu ending verb become chi) and then just attach masu (ます) to the ending of the verb. See the table below.

Masu form: Group 1 verbs
dictionary form	masu form
kau	kaimasu
shiru	shirimasu
katsu	kachimasu
shinu	shinimasu
nomu	nomimasu
tobu	tobimasu
kaku	kakimasu
oyogu	oyogimasu
hanasu	hanashimasu

For group 2 verbs / ichidan doushi

To make masu form from verbs of group 2 is very simple, just drop the ru ending and attach masu (ます). See the table below.

Masu form: Group 2 verbs
dictionary form	masu form
taberu	tabemasu
miru	mimasu
shiraberu	shirabemasu
kiru	kimasu
deru	demasu
dekiru	dekimasu
kariru	karimasu

For group 3 verbs / fukisoku doushi

This group contains two verbs only which have irregular conjugation. The two verbs are suru means to do and kuru means to come, suru in masu form become shimasu while kuru become kimasu.

Masu form: Group 3 verbs
dictionary form	masu form
suru	shimasu
kuru	kimasu

Past Tense Masu Form Conjugation

Now, we will learn how to conjugate a masu form into past tense. Well, I think there is no special here, if you want to say a past tense sentence politely, just change the MASU ending of masu form verbs to MASHITA. Yeah, it's like su ending verb in group 1 right?

Negative Masu Form Conjugation

And if you want to say the negative formal sentence, you just change the MASU ending of masu form verbs to MASEN.

Negative Past Tense Masu Form Conjugation

And the last is how to make masu form verb into negative past tense, to make negative past tense conjugation of masu form verb just change the MASU ending to MASEN DESHITA^^.

And here's the table of masu form conjugations:

Masu Form Verb Conjugations
positive	past tense	negative	negative past tense
kaimasu	kaimashita	kaimasen	kaimasen deshita
tabemasu	tabemashita	tabemasen	tabemasen deshita
shimasu	shimashita	shimasen	shimasen deshita
kimasu	kimashita	kimasen	kimasen deshita

Alright everyone, that's all for today's lesson, before I am back, I will give you more example sentances and now you understand the use of masu form and can conjugate a verb into masu form correctly and quickly.

明日私は日本に行きます
Ashita, watashi wa nihon ni ikimasu
I am going to Japan, tomorrow
私はインドネシアから来ました
Watashi wa indoneshia kara kimashita
I came from Indonesia
お酒が飲みません
Osake ga nomimasen
I do not drink Sake
日本で富士山を見ませんでした
Nihon de fujisan o mimasen deshita
I did not see the Fuji mountain in Japan

Ok, my today's task finished^^ and I will prepare to write next lesson for tomorrow, jaa mata ashita ne minna, see you tomorrow learners.

Posted by Riizhu