Japanese grammar
What does ～ます／～ません mean? Japanese grammar N5
～ます／～ません means polite present form: do ~ / not do ~.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N5 |
|---|---|
| Structure | V ます V ません |
| Romaji | ~ masu / ~ masen |
| Meaning | polite present form: do ~ / not do ~ |
Forming it
| Group 1 (godan) | かく → かきます (change the う row to the い row) |
|---|---|
| Group 2 (ichidan) | たべる → たべます (drop る) |
| Group 3 (irregular) | する → します、くる → きます |
How to use it
Express habits, facts, or future plans (polite).
- The ます form is NOT only present tense — it covers both present and FUTURE. 「明日行きます」= I will go tomorrow.
- Japanese does not conjugate by person (I/you/he all use the same form) — easier than Vietnamese and English in this respect.
- The negative is ません.
Examples
毎日日本語を勉強します。
I study Japanese every day.
肉を食べません。
I do not eat meat.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong明日行きますでしょう。
Correct明日行きます。
The ます form already includes the future, so nothing extra is needed to show future tense.