By ProDev Teach | Updated May 2025
📘 Meaning & Usage
The **た-form** (also known as the past tense form) is used to express actions that have already happened or to indicate a past state. It is one of the most important verb conjugations in Japanese and is commonly used in both formal and informal speech.
Structure:
- For **Group 1** (Godan verbs): Remove the final う (u) sound and replace it with った (tta), いた (ita), or えた (eta), depending on the verb’s ending sound.
- For **Group 2** (Ichidan verbs): Drop the る (ru) and add た (ta).
- For **Group 3** (Irregular verbs): する becomes した (shita), くる becomes きた (kita).
Example: 食べる (taberu) → 食べた (tabeta) (ate)
💡 Example Sentences
- 昨日、映画を見た。
I watched a movie yesterday. - 朝ごはんを食べた。
I ate breakfast. - 宿題をした。
I did my homework. - 公園で遊んだ。
I played at the park. - 本を読んだ。
I read a book.
📝 Grammar Notes
- In Japanese, the **た-form** is the past tense of the verb and is used to describe actions that happened in the past.
- For **Group 1 (Godan verbs)**, the final う sound changes to った, いた, or えた depending on the verb’s ending sound.
- For **Group 2 (Ichidan verbs)**, simply drop the る and add た.
- For **Group 3 (Irregular verbs)**, する becomes した and くる becomes きた.
- The **た-form** is used in both positive and negative past tense sentences, depending on the auxiliary verb used.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct た-form of the verb:
- 昨日、学校へ______。
- 朝ごはんを______。
- 昨日の夜、テレビを______。
✔ Sample Answers:
- 昨日、学校へ行った。
- 朝ごはんを食べた。
- 昨日の夜、テレビを見た。
2. Translate into Japanese using the た-form:
- I went to the park yesterday.
- I ate sushi last night.
- I did my homework in the morning.
✔ Sample Answers:
- 昨日、公園へ行った。
- 昨夜、寿司を食べた。
- 朝、宿題をした。
📚 Vocabulary List
- 映画（えいが） – movie
- 食べる（たべる） – to eat
- 宿題（しゅくだい） – homework
- 公園（こうえん） – park
- 本（ほん） – book
🈷 Kanji List
- 食（たべ） – to eat
- 見（み） – to see
- 宿（しゅく） – homework
- 本（ほん） – book
- 公（こう） – park
🔗 Related Grammar
- ～ている – expresses a continuing action or state (e.g., I am eating). It is often used with the て-form of verbs.
- ～たことがある – used to talk about experience (e.g., I have done something before).
- ～なかった – negative past tense form (e.g., I didn’t do something).
🧠 Summary
- Meaning: The た-form is used to express the past tense of verbs.
- Usage: It is used to indicate actions or states that happened in the past.
- Level: JLPT N5
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I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.
