polite non-past verb form

The masu form makes a verb polite and covers both present habits and the future. Godan verbs change the final u sound to i and add masu (kaku to kakimasu); ichidan verbs drop ru and add masu (taberu to tabemasu). Suru becomes shimasu and kuru becomes kimasu.

Examples

• 毎日まいにち日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします。

  Mainichi nihongo o benkyou shimasu.

  I study Japanese every day.

• 明日あす東京とうきょうに行いきます。

  Ashita Toukyou ni ikimasu.

  I will go to Tokyo tomorrow.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 毎日 every day
• 日本語 Japanese language
• 勉強 study
• する to do
• 明日 tomorrow
• 行く to go

Related patterns · Verb forms

• 〜ません polite negative (do not / will not)
• 〜ました / 〜ませんでした polite past (did / did not)
• 〜ない plain negative verb form
• 〜た plain past verb form
• 辞書形 dictionary (plain non-past) form and its uses
• 〜たことがあります have done (something) before (experience)