Introduction
So far, you’ve learned about the past tense of verbs:
- 昨日、テレビを見ました。
Yesterday, I watched TV. - 友だちと話しました。
I talked to a friend.
These are polite forms used in formal conversations. But in casual settings like chatting with friends or texting, Japanese speakers use plain (short) forms—especially in the past tense.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use the past tense short forms of verbs, how to conjugate them, and how to sound natural when talking about what you did.
1. What Is the Past Tense Short Form (Plain Form)?
The past tense short form is the informal version of verbs used when describing actions that have already happened.
| Polite Form | Short Form |
|---|---|
| 食べました (ate) | 食べた |
| 飲みませんでした (didn’t drink) | 飲まなかった |
| 行きました (went) | 行った |
| 勉強しました (studied) | 勉強した |
You’ll hear these forms in:
- Daily conversations
- Anime and manga
- Text messages
- Grammar structures (like 〜と思った, 〜から来た)
2. How to Make the Past Tense Short Form
Affirmative Form (did)
- Step 1: Start with the verb’s て-form
- ru-verbs: change る to て
- u-verbs ending with:
- う, つ, る → change to て
- む, ぶ, ぬ → change to んで
- く → change to いて (one exception: いく → いって)
- ぐ → change to いで
- す → して
- Step 2: Change て → た / で → だ
| Verb | て-form | Past Short |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (to eat) | 食べて | 食べた |
| 飲む (to drink) | 飲んで | 飲んだ |
| 書く (to write) | 書いて | 書いた |
| 行く (to go) | 行って (NOT: いきて) | 行った |
| 泳ぐ (to swim) | 泳いで | 泳いだ |
| 撮る (to take [a photo, etc.]) | 撮って | 撮った |
| 待つ (to wait) | 待って | 待った |
| 会う (to meet) | 会って | 会った |
| 来る (to come) | 来て | 来た |
| する (to do) | して | した |
Remember how to make the verb te-form? If you want to review, please see here:
Negative Form (didn’t do)
Just take the negative present short form and change:
ない → なかった
| Verb | Negative | Negative Past |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (to eat) | 食べない | 食べなかった |
| 飲む (to drink) | 飲まない | 飲まなかった |
| 行く (to go) | 行かない | 行かなかった |
| 来る (to come) | 来ない | 来なかった |
| する (to do) | しない | しなかった |
3. Real-Life Examples
Q&A in Casual Speech
昨日、テレビを見た？
Did you watch TV yesterday? / Watch TV yesterday?
うん、見た。／ううん、見なかった。
Yeah, I did. / Nope, didn’t.
昼ご飯、何を食べた？
What’d you eat for lunch? / What did you have for lunch?
ハンバーガーを食べた。
Had a hamburger. / I ate a hamburger.
週末、どこに行った？
Where did you go on the weekend?
いや、どこにも行かなかった。
Nope, I didn’t go anywhere.
4. Practice: Conjugation Drill
Turn the following into past tense short forms:
| Verb | Past | Negative Past |
|---|---|---|
| 起きる (to wake up) | 起きた | 起きなかった |
| 話す (to talk) | 話した | 話さなかった |
| 作る (to make) | 作った | 作らなかった |
| 泳ぐ (to swim) | 泳いだ | 泳がなかった |
| 書く (to write) | 書いた | 書かなかった |
| 出かける (to go out) | 出かけた | 出かけなかった |
| 会う (to meet) | 会った | 会わなかった |
5. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QCan I use short forms in writing?
- A
Yes—but only in informal writing like texts, social media, or personal notes. In formal writing (emails, essays), use polite forms.
- QIs the short form rude?
- A
No, it’s not rude—it’s just casual. Use it with people you know well (friends, classmates, siblings). With teachers or strangers, stick to polite forms.
- QWhat’s the difference between 〜ました and 〜た?
- A
〜ました = polite / 〜た = casual
They both mean “did,” but are used in different contexts.
- QWhy does making the past tense form (～た / ～だ) use the same pattern as the て-form?
- A
That’s a key feature of Japanese verb conjugation! The て-form (used for requests, connecting clauses, etc.) and the plain past affirmative form (た/だ) share the exact same sound changes from the dictionary form. They are like grammatical twins. So, mastering the て-form conjugation automatically gives you the plain past form – just change て to た or で to だ. It’s a consistent rule that makes learning easier once you grasp the て-form.
- QHow do I ask questions using the past tense short form (e.g., “Did you see it?”)?
- A
It’s very simple! Just use the affirmative past short form (the 〜た or 〜だ form) and end the sentence with rising intonation (like you’re asking a question in English). You don’t need to add か (ka). Example:
- もう寝た？ (Mou neta? ↑ – Did you sleep already? / Did they sleep already?)
- 宿題した？ (Shukudai shita? ↑ – Did you do your homework?)
- QAre する (suru) and 来る (kuru) the only irregular verbs I need to worry about for the past tense short form?
- A
Yes, for the plain past tense, する (suru → した – shita) and 来る (kuru → 来た – kita) are the two main irregular verbs you need to memorize. Their negative past forms (しなかった – shinakatta, 来なかった – konakatta) are regular, based on their ない-forms (しない, こない). All other verbs follow the standard conjugation patterns linked to their て-forms or ない-forms.
6. Conclusion
Now you know how to:
✅ Form the past tense short form of verbs
✅ Talk about what you did casually
✅ Understand everyday Japanese better
🎯 Try answering these questions using past tense short forms:
- 昨日、何をした？
- 日曜日、どこに行った？
- 朝ごはん、何を食べた？
Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?
Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.
Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.
