Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 7: 7/13

~て (Sequence)

And, And then, After that (sequence)

Structure

Verb[て]+ (Action) Phrase

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Particle

  • Word Type

    Conjunctive Particle

  • Register

    Standard

  • 品詞

    助詞

  • 単語の種類

    接続助詞

  • 使用域

    一般

About Verb + て+ B

The form of a verb, followed by another verb phrase is often translated to 'then', or 'and then', and is how Japanese lists sequences of events that happen one after another.
  • ショッピングセンター()()(もの)します
    To go to the mall and then shop.
  • パン()()
    I bought some bread, (and) then ate it.
Caution
This grammar construction is used for listing things that happen in order, for example 'I did (A), then (B), then (C)'. Other grammar structures will need to be used if you would like to talk about things that happen/happened in no particular order. For example たり~たりする, which will appear in a sentence like 'I did things like (C), and (A), oh, and (B)!'

Examples

  • (ばん)(はん)()()(みが)いた

    I ate dinner and brushed my teeth.

  • ともこ(かぎ)かけ()かけました

    Tomoko locked up the house and left.

  • 明日(あした)()()(あさ)ごはん()()(もの)()きます

    Tomorrow I will wake up at 9 (and), eat breakfast, and go shopping.

    The て-form can be used more than once in a sentence.

  • 東京(とうきょう)()(なに)の?」

    'What did you do after you went to Tokyo?'
    ('You went to Tokyo, and then what did you do?')

  • ひとみさん(かあ)さん()一緒(いっしょ)(もど)ました

    I met Hitomi's mother, and we went back together.

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Verb + て+ B – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (7 in total)

  • MikkaT

    MikkaT

    About 6 months ago

    Thanks, that makes sense.

  • komocode

    komocode

    About 6 months ago

    「うちにかえって昼寝ひるねをしたい。」(かえる)

    ‘I want to go home and take a nap.’

    Should it be I want to return home?

  • Maxinoume

    Maxinoume

    About 2 days ago

    What’s the difference between the lesson here and this earlier lesson?

    At first glance, the earlier lesson details only shows sentences with a comma after て but when you look in the example sentences, it isn’t always the case.

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