JLPT N5 grammar · The TE-Form Core

Verb て形けい (Te form): meaning, usage and examples

Verb て形けい (Te form) means: Verb te-form (used for requests, joining actions, etc.).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 飲のんで、食たべて、して、来きて

   [te-form] of "drink, eat, do, come"

2. 読よんで、ねて、運転うんてんして、来きて

   [te-form] of "read, sleep, drive, come"

3. ちょっと待まってください。

   Please wait a moment.

4. 本ほんを読よんで、寝ねました。

   I read a book and went to sleep.

5. 駅えきまで歩あるいて行いきます。

   I walk to the station.

When to use it

The て-form is the foundation of countless patterns: 〜ている, 〜てください, 〜てもいい, 〜てから, etc.

Nuance

G1 て-form rules depend on the final consonant: this must be memorized (む→んで, く→いて, ぐ→いで, etc.).

Compare

て-form has no tense: it depends on context and the auxiliary that follows.

Tip: Master the て-form conversion rules. They unlock a huge number of grammar patterns at once.

More on this in The Japanese te-form.