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Teach Us, Teacher

Various patterns of TE-form verbs (Lesson 9)

In the previous lesson, you learned the basic pattern for changing the MASU-form verbs to the TE-form : simply change MASU to TE.

But today, let’s learn another pattern. In this pattern, you are to change not only MASU but also one syllable before it. If the syllable before MASU is RI, you change RI and MASU together, RIMASU, to TTE. So, ATSUMARIMASU (to gather) becomes ATSUMATTE. This rule also applies, when the syllable before MASU is I or CHI. Here, too, you change I or CHI and MASU together to TTE.

If the syllable before MASU is MI, NI or BI, you change both the syllable and MASU to NDE. For example, YOMIMASU (to read) becomes YONDE.

Now, if the syllable before MASU is KI, you change the syllable and MASU to ITE. So, KIKIMASU (to listen to) becomes KIITE. If the syllable before MASU is GI, you change the syllable and MASU to IDE. So, ISOGIMASU (to hurry) becomes ISOIDE.

IKIMASU (to go) is the only exception to this rule. It becomes ITTE. 

Let’s memorize this by a song. The song tells you how you can change MASU-form verbs to TE-form verbs, depending on the syllables before MASU.
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