Politer version ①（ ていねいご/ ですor ます）

Today, I will talk about ていねいご (one of Japanese polite form). In Japanese there are  polite forms and a casual form. 

Please put at the end of sentences　'です' or 'ます’　when you speak politely.

1.     When should you use polite version?

 

Adults are expected to use a polite version. When addressing certain people. You will probably use です or ます with are: 

1) people of higher social rank

or

2) people you are not familiar with.

 

Deciding when to use polite or casual version are a matter of “feel”. It may be better to use them for everyone except family and friends.

In addition, it is a good idea to use the same version for each person.

 Much later, we will learn a politer version of the language called そんけいご honorific and けんじょうご humble form. It will be used by store clerks, receptionists, and such will speak to you in those forms. But for now, 

let’s concentrate on just ていねいご （です、ます　form), 

which is the base for そんけいご and けんじょうご.

At this point, what you should know is there are the way to make it polite by putting ですor ます. 

Also, you should know conjugation is changed depends on verb categories.  I will mention about more detail of conjugation (short (casual), past, negative) on another page because conjugation is little complicate.

 

2.     When and where you put 　です　or 　ます?

 

"です" is the polite form of is/am/are/be. It can also come after noun and adjectives to make a sentence polite. 

"ます" comes after Verb steam, and functions to make the sentence polite.

 

This is summarized list to know when you put” ます” or” です”

 

Noun	＋	です
Adjective or Adjective verb	＋	です
Verb	＋	ます

 

These are example sentences whose” です”

 

·        あしたは、はれです。　It is sunny tomorrow.

·        あなたは、やさいしいです。You are kind.

·        これは、ペンです。This is a pen. 

3. How to conjugate into polite form of verbs?  (see more details in Verb conjugation )

there are 2 types of verbs, one of them is called ru-verbs which end is Ru in the dictionary form. The other one is called u-verbs which end is U in the dictionary form. In addition to ru-verbs and u-verbs, there are 2 irregular verbs. The vowels are different in the short casual(dictionary) forms and the long(polite) forms.

 

Let ‘s see how to conjugate verbs in each verb category. 

•         For ru-verbs: Remove the 「る」and add ”ます” 

Example: たべる (to eat) → たべ→たべます

 

•         For u-verbs: Changes the last vowel sound from an / u / vowel sound to an / i / vowel sound　and add ”ます”

Example: いく (to go) → いき→いきます

 

•         ２Irregular verbs する　(to do) and くる　( to come):

 

1.        Change 「する」to「し」and add” ます”

　　　する→し→します

2.        Change 「くる」to 「き」and add” ます”

      くる→き→きます

 

Next is examples sentences whose” ます”

 

·        わたしは、まいにち　テレビ　を　みます。I watch TV every day 

·        わたしは、ほん　を　よみます　I read a book

·        わたしは　しゅくだい　を　します I will do homework

·        わたしは　ごご　５じ　に　うち　に　かえります。I come home 5pm

 

Review Exercise

 

A)    Please fill in the blank with です or ます. You can find the answer at the bottom.

 

1.     わたしは、がくせい（　）。I am student

2.     わたしは、　まいあさ　あさごはん　を　たべ（　）。I eat breakfast every morning

3.     あなたは、　１２がつ　に　にほん　に　いき(　)。You will go to Japan December.

4.     １１じはん　(  )。　It is 11:30

 

 

 

B)    Please fill in the blanks into polite form using the cues. You can find the answer at the bottom.

 

 

1.    (たべる)　

わたしは、ちゅうしょく　を　(   ) 。　

I eat lunch

2.   （いく）

かれは、まいにち　しごと　に　（　）。

He goes to work everyday

3.    （する）

かのじょ　は　こうえん　で　うんどう　を（　）。

She does exercise in the park.

4.  （くる）

せんせい　は　まいあさ　がっこう　に　（　）。

The teacher comes to school in the morning.

 

ANSWER

 

A-1. です

A-2.　ます

A-3. ます

A-4.　です

 

 

B-1.　たべます

B-2. いきます

B-3. します

B-4. きます