0039 – Japanese basics (N5-N3) –  ます形 (masu form)

Why do we study ます when we study Japanese?

Verb ます(masu) form

Soon after you start learning Japanese, you’ll notice that there are a lot of sentences that end withます (masu).

ます is actuallyan auxiliray that gives the nuance of politeness.

So, speaking without ます (masu), your Japanese may be considered to be rude.

That’s why we learn Japanese with ます first.

Politeness : Politeness in Japanese

3 groups of Japanese verbs

When we add the auxiliary of politeness, ます (masu) to a verb, the verb form must be changed

But before we go straight to that part, we need to check that there are 3 groups of verbs in Japanese.

g1 : verb end

• -u : 書く (kaku : to write)

g2 : verb end

• -iru : 起きる (okiru : to wake up)
• -eru : 寝る (neru : to sleep)

g3 : 2 verbs

• 来る (kuru : to come)
• する (suru : to do)

How to conjugate a verb into masu form

The rule for adding ます (masu) is

g1 : 

• -u → -i + masu

• • 書く → 書きます (kakU → kakI masu) : to write

g2 :

• -iru → -i + masu

• • 起きる → 起きます (okIRU → okI MASU) : to wake up

• -eru → -e + masu

• • 寝る → 寝ます (nERU → nE masu) : to sleep

g3 :

• 来る → 来ます (kuru → ki masu) : to come

• する → します (suru → shi masu) : to do

So for example, 

I wake up at 7 am every day :

without politeness for speaking :

毎日、７時に起きる。

mainichi shichi ji ni okiru

with politeness for speaking :

毎日、７時に起きます。

mainichi shichi ji ni oki masu.