Japanese Grammar: Most Common Verb Tenses Explained

Author
Written byIchika Yamamoto

DEFINITION: Tenses can indicate a relationship between the time the action in a verb occurs and the time the verb is uttered, In Japanese exist only two tenses, the present and the past tense.

PRESENT TENSE

In this tense exist two forms the affirmative and negative present.

Affirmative

In Japanese for the affirmative tense you can add the word ます (masu) in the final of the verb or not.

EnglishJapaneseRomanji
I'm eating私は食べていますWatashi wa tabete imasu
You are dancingあなたが踊っているAnata ga odotte iru
He is playing彼が演奏しているますKare ga ensō shite irumasu
She is cooking彼女は料理ですKanojo wa ryōridesu
We are writing我々は書いているWareware wa kaite iru
They are painting彼らは,塗装されていますKarera wa, tosō sa rete imasu

Negative

In Japanese for the affirmative tense you can add the word masen in the final of the verb or not.

EnglishJapaneseRomanji
I do not play果たし再生されませんWatashi wa saisei sa remasen
you don't danceあなたはダンスはありませんAnata wa dansu wa arimasen
He is not singing彼は歌っていませんKare wa utatte imasen
She is not writing彼女が執筆されていませんKanojo ga shippitsu sa rete imasen
We are not swimming我々は,水泳されていませんWareware wa, suiei sa rete imasen
They are not jumping彼らはジャンプしていないKarera wa janpu shite inai

PAST TENSE

In this tense exist two forms the affirmative and negative past.

Affirmative

In Japanese for the affirmative tense you can add the word mashita in the final of the verb or not.

EnglishJapaneseRomanji
I was singing私が歌っていたWatashi ga utatte ita
You were eatingあなたが食べていたAnata ga tabete ita
He was jumping彼がジャンプしたKare ga janpu shita
She was running彼女は走っていたKanojo wa hashitte ita
We were playing私たちは遊んでいたWatashi-tachi wa asonde ita
They were playing彼らが遊んでいたKarera ga asonde ita

Negative

In Japanese for the affirmative tense you can add the word masen deshita in the final of the verb or not.

EnglishJapaneseRomanji
I was not playing私は再生されていないWatashi wa saisei sa rete inai
You did not playあなたは演奏されなかったAnata wa ensō sa renakatta
He did not dance彼は踊ることはなかったKare wa odoru koto wa nakatta
She did not read彼女が読んでいないKanojo ga yonde inai
We did not work我々は動作しませんでしたWareware wa dōsa shimasendeshita
They did not sing彼らが歌うしませんでしたKarera ga utaushimasendeshita
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