Can I use short forms in writing?

Yes, but only in informal writing like texting or journaling. For formal writing (essays, business emails), use polite forms.

Can short forms be used in manga or anime?

Absolutely! Most casual dialogue in manga, anime, or drama uses short forms to sound natural and conversational.

Do short forms work for all tenses?

Yes! You’ll learn more short-form tenses (like past and te-form) in future lessons, but today’s lesson focused on the present affirmative and negative.

When should I absolutely avoid using short forms?

Avoid short forms in formal situations (job interviews, presentations), business communication (emails, talking to clients/superiors), when speaking to strangers, elders, teachers, or anyone of higher social status, unless they initiate using short forms with you first. Stick to ます/です (masu/desu) forms to show respect and be safe. Using short forms inappropriately can be perceived as rude or childish.

What happens if I accidentally use short forms with my boss or a stranger?

Don't panic! Especially as a learner, most people will understand it was an honest mistake. However, it can sound inappropriate or overly familiar. The best thing to do is quickly apologize (like 「あっ、すみません！」 - A, sumimasen!) and immediately switch back to polite forms (ます/です). This shows you recognize the politeness levels, even if you slipped up.

Do adjectives and nouns have short forms too?

Yes! For い-adjectives, the short form is simply the adjective itself (e.g., 高いです takai desu → 高い takai). For な-adjectives and nouns, you replace です (desu) with だ (da) (e.g., きれいです kirei desu → きれいだ kirei da; 学生です gakusei desu → 学生だ gakusei da). You use these in the same casual situations.

I see "short form," "plain form," and "dictionary form" used. What's the difference? Which term should I use?

Great question! They essentially refer to the same thing: the basic, informal style of verbs and adjectives used in casual Japanese, as opposed to the polite ます/です forms. "Dictionary form" often specifically means the base form you find in a dictionary (usually present/non-past affirmative). "Plain form" and "short form" are common umbrella terms used in textbooks for this overall casual style, including negatives, past tense, etc. You can use "plain form" or "short form" – both are widely understood by learners and teachers.

The article mentions dropping particles like は (wa) and を (o) is common. Does this change the meaning? Is it always okay?

Dropping particles like は (wa), を (o), and sometimes へ (e) or に (ni - direction) is very common in fast, casual speech if the meaning is clear from context. It doesn't usually change the core meaning, but it relies heavily on context. Crucial particles marking grammatical roles or relationships (like が ga, も mo, と to, で de, から kara, まで made) are less likely to be dropped. As a beginner, it's safer to keep particles until you develop a stronger feel for natural conversation flow. Omitting them incorrectly can cause confusion.

How to Use Japanese Short Forms (Plain Forms) for Casual Conversations

Introduction

If you’ve started learning Japanese, you’ve probably already encountered polite verb forms like たべます (tabemasu) or いきます (ikimasu). These are great for formal situations—but what if you want to speak casually with your friends?

Welcome to the world of short forms, also known as plain forms or informal verb forms! In this lesson, you’ll learn how to form them, when to use them, and how they make your Japanese sound more natural in everyday conversation.

1. What Are Short Forms (Plain Forms) in Japanese?

In Japanese, verbs have two forms, the long form (polite form) and the short form (plain form).
Short forms are used in informal speech, and can also be used to create more complex sentence structures.

Casual speech (with friends, family, or people your age)
Inner thoughts
Manga and anime dialogue

Examples:

Polite Form (Long)	Short Form
たべます (tabemasu)	たべる (taberu)
のみます (nomimasu)	のむ (nomu)
しません (shimasen)	しない (shinai)
きます (kimasu)	くる (kuru)
きません (kimasen)	こない (konai)

2. How to Make the Short Form

Japanese verbs fall into three groups:

Ru-verb (Group 2 Verb)

Present affirmative

Drop ます, add る

たべます (to eat) → たべ → たべる
ねます (to sleep) → ね → ねる

Present negative

Replace る with ない

たべる → たべない
ねる → ねない

U-verb (Group 1 Verb)

Present affirmative

Drop ます, change the final -i sound to the u-row

のみます (to drink) → のみ (nomi) → のむ (nomu)
あいます (to meet) → あい (ai) → あう (au)

Present negative

Replace -u with -anai.
※ add -わない if the word ends with う

のむ (nomu) → のまない (nomanai)
あう (au) → あわない (awanai)　※ NOT: ああない

Irregular Verb

します → する (positive) / しない (negative)
きます → くる (positive) / こない (negative)

3. When Do Japanese People Use Short Forms?

Casual Conversations

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Used when speaking with:

Friends
Family
Classmates
People younger than you

Example:

Ken and Yumi are classmates in college.

Ken

ユミは、いつも朝あさごはんを食たべる？
Do you always have breakfast, Yumi?

Yumi

ううん、食たべない。
No, I don’t.　

4. Short Form in Casual Speech: Important Notes

No need for です / ます

Short forms replace the polite ending. So instead of:

勉強べんきょうします → 勉強する

If you use “です, ます” in conversation between friends, they will feel distanced from you.

Omitting particles is common

In casual speech, particles like は, を, and に are often dropped.

Polite: コーヒーを飲のみますか。/ Do you want some coffee?
Casual: コーヒー飲のむ？ / Want some coffee?

Question intonation

You don’t need to use the particle か for questions. Just raise your pitch at the end.

❌ どこに行くか？
✅ どこ行く？（↑）

5. Let’s Practice!

Change to short form negatives:

Verb (Positive)	Short Form (Negative)
洗あらう (to wash, arau)	洗わない (arawanai)
運転うんてんする (to drive, unten suru)	運転しない (unten shinai)
来くる (to come, kuru)	来ない (konai)
着きる (to wear, kiru)	着ない (kinai)

Answer these casually:

Q: 今晩こんばん、何なにする？
A: 映画えいが見みる。
Q: 車くるまを運転うんてんする？
A: ううん、しない。
Q: 週末しゅうまつ、買かい物ものに行いく？
A: うん、行いく！

6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q Can I use short forms in writing?: A
Yes, but only in informal writing like texting or journaling. For formal writing (essays, business emails), use polite forms.

Q Can short forms be used in manga or anime?: A
Absolutely! Most casual dialogue in manga, anime, or drama uses short forms to sound natural and conversational.

Q Do short forms work for all tenses?: A
Yes! You’ll learn more short-form tenses (like past and te-form) in future lessons, but today’s lesson focused on the present affirmative and negative.

Q When should I absolutely avoid using short forms?: A
Avoid short forms in formal situations (job interviews, presentations), business communication (emails, talking to clients/superiors), when speaking to strangers, elders, teachers, or anyone of higher social status, unless they initiate using short forms with you first. Stick to ます/です (masu/desu) forms to show respect and be safe. Using short forms inappropriately can be perceived as rude or childish.

Q What happens if I accidentally use short forms with my boss or a stranger?: A
Don’t panic! Especially as a learner, most people will understand it was an honest mistake. However, it can sound inappropriate or overly familiar. The best thing to do is quickly apologize (like 「あっ、すみません！」 – A, sumimasen!) and immediately switch back to polite forms (ます/です). This shows you recognize the politeness levels, even if you slipped up.

Q Do adjectives and nouns have short forms too?: A
Yes! For い-adjectives, the short form is simply the adjective itself (e.g., 高いです takai desu → 高い takai). For な-adjectives and nouns, you replace です (desu) with だ (da) (e.g., きれいです kirei desu → きれいだ kirei da; 学生です gakusei desu → 学生だ gakusei da). You use these in the same casual situations.

Q I see “short form,” “plain form,” and “dictionary form” used. What’s the difference? Which term should I use?: A
Great question! They essentially refer to the same thing: the basic, informal style of verbs and adjectives used in casual Japanese, as opposed to the polite ます/です forms. “Dictionary form” often specifically means the base form you find in a dictionary (usually present/non-past affirmative). “Plain form” and “short form” are common umbrella terms used in textbooks for this overall casual style, including negatives, past tense, etc. You can use “plain form” or “short form” – both are widely understood by learners and teachers.

Q The article mentions dropping particles like は (wa) and を (o) is common. Does this change the meaning? Is it always okay?: A
Dropping particles like は (wa), を (o), and sometimes へ (e) or に (ni – direction) is very common in fast, casual speech if the meaning is clear from context. It doesn’t usually change the core meaning, but it relies heavily on context. Crucial particles marking grammatical roles or relationships (like が ga, も mo, と to, で de, から kara, まで made) are less likely to be dropped. As a beginner, it’s safer to keep particles until you develop a stronger feel for natural conversation flow. Omitting them incorrectly can cause confusion.

Conclusion

Learning Japanese short forms is a huge step toward sounding natural and fluent in everyday situations. With this form, you’ll be able to chat casually with friends, understand real-life conversations, and dive deeper into manga and anime.

✅ Learn the conjugation
✅ Practice casual Q&A
✅ Sound more like a native speaker

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.