Video
Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel
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.
ユミは、いつも朝ごはんを食べる？
Do you always have breakfast, Yumi?
ううん、食べない。
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.
- 勉強します → 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: コーヒーを飲みますか。/ Do you want some coffee?
Casual: コーヒー飲む？ / 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？（↑）
You can also add の at the end in casual speech: どこ行くの？
This 「の」 softens the tone and often adds a slightly feminine or gentle nuance, though men also use it depending on context and personality.
Casual equivalents of polite forms
In casual speech, several polite expressions change to shorter, softer forms:
- はい (yes) → うん
- いいえ (no) → ううん
Patterns you learned in earlier lessons also become casual:
- 〜ませんか (polite invitation) → 〜ない？
- カフェに行きませんか。 = Would you like to go to a cafe?
→ カフェに行かない？
- カフェに行きませんか。 = Would you like to go to a cafe?
- 〜てください (polite request) → 〜て。
- この写真を見てください。 = Please look at this photo.
→ この写真を見て。
- この写真を見てください。 = Please look at this photo.
- 〜ています (ongoing action / result) → 〜ている or 〜てる
- 兄は本を読んでいます。 = My brother is reading a book.
→ 兄は本を読んでいる。/ 兄は本を読んでる。 - 姉は結婚しています。 = My sister is married.
→ 姉は結婚している。 / 姉は結婚してる。
- 兄は本を読んでいます。 = My brother is reading a book.
5. Let’s Practice!
Change to short form negatives:
| Verb (Positive) | Short Form (Negative) |
|---|---|
| 洗う (to wash, arau) | 洗わない (arawanai) |
| 運転する (to drive, unten suru) | 運転しない (unten shinai) |
| 来る (to come, kuru) | 来ない (konai) |
| 着る (to wear, kiru) | 着ない (kinai) |
Answer these casually:
- Q: 今晩、何する？
A: 映画見る。 - Q: 車を運転する？
A: ううん、しない。 - Q: 週末、買い物に行く？
A: うん、行く！
6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QCan 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.
- QCan 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.
- QDo 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.
- QWhen 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.
- QWhat 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.
- QDo 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).
In casual speech, い-adjectives work smoothly in their short form, but な-adjectives and nouns need a bit more care. The short form だ often sounds abrupt if used alone. In many situations, speakers either drop だ or add a sentence-ending particle like よ or ね to make it sound natural (e.g., きれいだね, 学生だよ).
So while you can use the short forms in casual situations, be aware that な-adjectives and nouns may require small adjustments to sound natural.
- QI 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.
- QThe 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.
