～て (Conjunction)And, Then (Linking events)

The う-Verb (Past) expresses a completed action or one that took place in the past, similar to '-ed' in English. The Verb + て form looks similar but with た replaced by て. It is used to connect actions in chronological order or in other grammar patterns, such as asking a favor (てください) or permission (てもいいか). The て form has no tense; tense is determined by what follows it in the sentence.

The Verb + て form is used to connect a verb to another verb, or another part of the sentence. When combined with もいい (meaning 'even' + 'good' or 'okay'), it asks for or grants permission. For example, 食べてもいい？with a question mark means 'Can I eat this?' (literally, 'Is it okay even if I eat this?'), while 食べてもいい with no question mark means 'you can eat it.'

The Verb + て form connects verbs or parts of a sentence. One common use of this form is to connect it to the existence verb いる to express continuing or repeated actions, like going to work or going to sleep at the same time every day. Note that the specific nuance of ている can depend on the verb and context (see ている① and ている②).

The dictionary form of an う-verb (e.g., 買う) is its base form, describing non-past actions (e.g., 買う = 'I buy' or 'I will buy'). It's used casually or as part of other grammatical patterns. In contrast, the て-form (verb + て) connects verbs to show sequences or to form requests and various other grammar structures (e.g., 買ってください = 'Please buy...').

The Verb + て form connects verbs or parts of a sentence. When combined with いた, it describes a past state. For example, 食べていた means 'I was eating,' and 死んでいた means 'it was dead.' Whether ていた conveys an action ('was -ing') or a state depends on the verb. In casual speech, ていた is often shortened to てた.

The Verb + て form is used to connect a verb to another verb, or another part of the sentence. It's commonly used to list actions in sequence, such as 食べて寝る ('I eat, and (then) sleep'). Adding から after the て form emphasizes the sequence, as in 食べてから寝る ('I eat, and (after that) I will sleep').

Both 連用形 and the て form connect sequential actions, but 連用形 sounds more formal and is often used in writing. For example, 起きて becomes 起き, e.g. ８時に起きて、朝ご飯を食べました 'I got up at 8 o'clock, then ate breakfast.' → ８時に起き、朝ご飯を食べました. (Same meaning, different register.)

The negative form of a る-verb expresses that someone does not or will not perform an action (e.g., 食べない = 'I do not eat' or 'I will not eat'). The Verb + て form, on the other hand, connects verbs with other sentence elements, expressing sequences, requests, or permission. For example, 食べて can mean 'Eat, please' in a casual request.

The Verb + て form is used to connect a verb to another verb, or another part of the sentence. When combined with いる, it describes an ongoing action or state. For example, 食べている means 'I am eating,' and 死んでいる means 'I am dead.' Whether ている conveys an action (like 'is -ing') or a state depends on the verb. In casual speech, ている is often shortened to てる.

The Verb + て form connects verbs or parts of a sentence. When an 'instantaneous' verb (one that expresses a single change in state) is combined with the existence verb いる in the ている form, it expresses an ongoing state. For example, 死んでいる means '(It) is dead.' With other verbs, ている conveys a meaning similar to the English 'is...-ing' (see ている①).

The dictionary form of a る-Verb (e.g., 食べる) is its basic, informal form used to describe present or future actions (e.g., 食べる = 'I eat' or 'I will eat'). In contrast, the て form (verb + て) connects verbs, describing sequential actions or appearing in requests and other grammar patterns (e.g., 食べてください = 'Please eat').

The Verb + て form connects verbs or parts of a sentence. One of the most common uses of this form is to describe actions that occur in sequence, similar to the English 'then' or 'and then.' For example, 水を買って、飲んだ means 'I bought (some) water, and then drank it.'

The non-past or dictionary form is the base form of a verb, used for habitual or future actions. Meanwhile, the Verb + て form connects verbs, indicating actions in sequence or as part of complex grammar patterns. Note that unlike the non-past form, the Verb + て form has no tense or politeness level on its own, which are instead determined by what follows.

The Verb + て form connects verbs or parts of a sentence. A common use is to express thanks by combining it with the giving verb くれる (also in the Verb + て form) and ありがとう. For example, 教えてくれてありがとう means 'Thank you for teaching me.' This is a casual form, and a more polite version would use honorific verbs (くださる or いただく) and add ございます.

The Verb + て form connects verbs or parts of a sentence. It can also be used by itself as a casual request. For example, 食べて would mean 'Please eat [this.]' These casual requests are often followed by the sentence-ending particle ね to further soften them. To express a more polite request, the てください form should be used.