0041 – Japanese basics (N5-N3) –  ます形 2 (masu form – negative / past)

grammar

How do I make a negative sentence and past sentence with masu-form?

 

Negative form (present) of masu form

 

If you want to make a negative sentence with masu-form, you need to change the form of ます :

 

ません

masen

 

is used.

 

For example, 

 

わたしは毎日働きません

watashi wa mainichi hataraki masen.

I don’t work every day.

 

たなかさんは9時に寝ません

Tanaka-san wa ku ji ni ne masen.

Tanaka-san does not sleep at 9 pm.

*ます形 (masu form)

 

How to make a past tense sentence with ます?

 

To make a past tense sentence using ます, we need to change the form of ます again :

 

ました

mashita

 

for example,

 

わたしは昨日働きました

watashi wa kinou hataraki mashita.

I worked yesterday.

 

and to make ました to the negative form

 

ませんでした

masendeshita

 

is used, such as :

 

わたしは昨日働きませんでした

watashi wa kinou hataraki masendeshita.

I didn’t work yesterday.

 

Compare 4 forms of ます

 

Let’s compare 4 forms of ます.

 

Present tense, affirmative :

わたしは毎日働きます

watashi wa mainichi hataraki masu.

I work every day.

 

Present tense, negative :

わたしは毎日働きません

watashi wa mainichi hataraki masen.

I don’t work every day.

 

Past tense, affirmative :

わたしは昨日働きました

watashi wa kinou hataraki mashita.

I worked yesterday.

 

Past tense, negative :

わたしは昨日働きませんでした

watashi wa kinou hataraki masendeshita.

I didn’t work yesterday.

 

*ます形 (masu form)

Comment