- Four plain forms: dictionary (do), ない (don’t), た (did), なかった (didn’t).
- Plain form = casual speech with friends and family, plus most grammar patterns.
- The た-form is built exactly like the て-form, with た instead of て.
- Plain forms of です: だ, じゃない, だった, じゃなかった.
Polite vs. plain at a glance
| Polite | Plain | |
|---|---|---|
| eat | たべます | たべる |
| don’t eat | たべません | たべない |
| ate | たべました | たべた |
| didn’t eat | たべませんでした | たべなかった |
Meaning stays the same, only the politeness level changes. If you haven’t learned the polite forms yet, start with the ます form.
When to use the plain form
- Casual conversation with friends, family, and people younger than you.
- Inside longer sentences: before こと, とおもう (I think), から (because), and when describing nouns.
- Writing like diaries, novels and newspapers (in a slightly different style).
Dictionary form
This is the form you’ll find in dictionaries: it always ends in an u-sound. たべる, のむ, いく, する, くる.
ない form (negative)
Covered in detail in the ない form. In short: Group 2 drops る + ない (たべない), Group 1 changes u to a + ない (のまない), する → しない, くる → こない.
た form (past)
Take the て-form and replace て with た (or で with だ):
| Dictionary | て-form | た-form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| たべる | たべて | たべた | ate |
| のむ | のんで | のんだ | drank |
| かう | かって | かった | bought |
| かく | かいて | かいた | wrote |
| いく | いって | いった | went |
| する | して | した | did |
| くる | きて | きた | came |
The negative past: ない → なかった: たべなかった (didn’t eat).
The plain form of です
| Polite | Plain | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| がくせいです | がくせいだ | is a student |
| がくせいじゃないです | がくせいじゃない | isn’t a student |
| がくせいでした | がくせいだった | was a student |
| がくせいじゃなかったです | がくせいじゃなかった | wasn’t a student |
In real casual speech, だ is often dropped, especially in questions: がくせい？ (are you a student?). More in what です means.
Casual conversation
- きのうなにした？kinō nani shita?What did you do yesterday?
- えいがみたeiga mitaI watched a film.
- ばんごはんたべる？bangohan taberu?Are you going to eat dinner?
- ううん、たべないuun, tabenaiNah, I won’t eat.
Notice that particles like を are often dropped in casual speech, too.
のみます →
いきました →
たべませんでした →
がくせいです →
Frequently asked questions
What is the plain form in Japanese?
The plain form (also called casual or dictionary form) is the non-polite verb form: たべる (eat), たべない (don't eat), たべた (ate), たべなかった (didn't eat). It's used with friends and inside many grammar patterns.
How do you make the ta form in Japanese?
Make the te-form and replace て with た (or で with だ): たべて → たべた, のんで → のんだ, いって → いった.
When should I use the plain form?
With close friends, family and people younger than you, and inside longer sentences. With strangers and colleagues, use the polite ます form.