Learn Japanese grammar with the melody of the silver bells

Lesson #18 Perspectives on how to use the TE-て Base form of the verb.

Remembering how verbs are placed in stems can be a challenge, but singing the following syllables in the following order to the music of Silver Bells will help you better remember which syllable of the verb ending goes with which ending te.

(To be done with the music of Silver Bells preferably the Bing Crosby version)

Bu mu nu nde

u tsu ru tte

kuite

Guide

This is how we put the verbs in base te ——

(play it again Sam) repeat

*Verbs ending in BU, MU or NU become NDE. Verbs ending in U, TSU, RU become TTE o. Verbs ending in KU become ITE and verbs ending in GU become IDE.

Verbs that end in these syllables

Become these basic Te endings

BU, MU, NU NDE

U, TSU, RU TTE

KUITE

GUIDE

Here are some examples of how to put a te base verb.

Ex. 1asobu – to play – becomes asonde

1. asonde iru = playing

2. asonde kudasai = please play

3. asonde wa naranai = you can’t play here, it’s against the rules to play

Ex. 2 kamu – to chew – becomes kande

1. kande iru – to chew

2. kande kudasai – please chew

3. kande wa naranai – you must not chew

Ex 3. harau – pay – becomes haratte

1. haratte iru – paying

2. haratte kudasai – please pay

3. haratte wa naranai- you better not pay.

Ex4 Inoru – pray – turns inotte

1. inotte kudasai – please pray

2. inotte iru – praying

3. inotte wa naranai – it is bad to pray here

Ex 5 utsu – hit becomes ute

1. ute iru – hit

2. utte kudasai – please press

3. utte wa naranai – it is bad to hit here

Former 6 hataraku – work – becomes hataraite iru

1. hataraite iru – working

2. hataraite kudasai – please work

3. hataraite wa naranai – it is forbidden for you to work.

Ex 7 oyogu – swim – becomes oyoid

1. oyoid iru – swim

2. oyoid kudasai – please swim

3. oyoid wa naranai – you shouldn’t swim around here