If you’ve ever tried to string together a few verbs in Japanese and stumbled on how to say ‘I eat and then drink,’ you’ve already met the te form. It’s the connector that turns a pile of verbs into a flowing sentence. This list gathers around 172 te form entries-covering common verbs, their te form conjugations, and natural example sentences so you can see how each one behaves in real Japanese. Before drilling the changes, review dictionary form versus masu form.
Each entry shows you the plain verb, its te form, a straightforward meaning, and a practical example sentence. There’s audio playback too, so you can train your ears while you study.
Ready to make the Japanese te form feel a little less mysterious and a lot more useful? Scroll to the bottom of this article to find the free printable Japanese te form vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Japanese te form flashcards.
If this topic helped, explore more in our Japanese learning section. it’s the easiest way to keep building related vocabulary without jumping around the web.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve nailed the te form? The quick quiz below gives you a friendly nudge – no pressure, just a way to see which verbs might need another look.
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Browse the Full List
| Word | Reading | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 切る | きる | う-verb | to cut | 紙を切って、箱に入れました。 | I cut the paper and put it in the box. | |
| 劣る | おとる | う-verb | to be inferior to; to be less good at; to fall behind | その製品は品質で他社に劣っている。 | That product is inferior to other companies in quality. | |
| 勉強する | べんきょうする | irregular | to study | 図書館で勉強して、試験に備えました。 | I studied at the library and prepared for the exam. | |
| 動かす | うごかす | う-verb | to move; to shift; to stir; to budge; to change position | 机を少し動かして、部屋を広くしました。 | I moved the desk a little and made the room feel larger. | |
| 動く | うごく | う-verb | to move | 机を少し動かしてください。 | Please move the desk a little. | |
| 収める | おさめる | る-verb | to dedicate; to make an offering; to pay | 彼は会費を収めて、会議に参加した。 | He paid the membership fee and joined the meeting. | |
| 取る | とる | う-verb | to take | 写真を撮って、メモを取ります。 | I take photos and take notes. | |
| 受け取る | うけとる | う-verb | to receive; to get; to accept | 彼は手紙を受け取って、すぐに読んだ。 | He received the letter and read it right away. | |
| 合わせる | あわせる | る-verb | to match; to adjust; to fit | 音楽に合わせて、みんなで踊った。 | We danced together to the music. | |
| 吸う | すう | う-verb | to smoke, to inhale | 彼は外でタバコを吸っている。 | He is smoking a cigarette outside. | |
| 呼ぶ | よぶ | う-verb | to call | 先生を呼んで、質問しました。 | I called the teacher and asked a question. | |
| 唸る | うなる | う-verb | to groan; to moan | 犬が低く唸って、近づくなと言っているようだった。 | The dog growled low, as if telling me not to come closer. | |
| 困る | こまる | う-verb | to be troubled | 雨が降って困っています。 | I'm troubled because it's raining. | |
| 売る | うる | う-verb | to sell | 店で野菜を売っていました。 | They were selling vegetables at the store. | |
| 売れる | うれる | る-verb | to sell well | この本は口コミで広がって、よく売れている。 | This book spread by word of mouth and is selling well. | |
| 変える | かえる | る-verb | to change | 予定を変えて、明日にしました。 | I changed the plan and made it for tomorrow. | |
| 失う | うしなう | う-verb | to lose | 彼は大切な鍵を失って、困っている。 | He lost an important key and is in trouble. | |
| 奪う | うばう | う-verb | to snatch away; to steal | 犯人は財布を奪って、走り去った。 | The culprit snatched the wallet and ran away. | |
| 始まる | はじまる | う-verb | to begin (intransitive) | 授業が始まって、みんな静かになりました。 | Class began, and everyone became quiet. | |
| 始める | はじめる | る-verb | to begin (transitive) | 新しい仕事を始めて、毎日忙しいです。 | I started a new job, and I'm busy every day. | |
| 守る | まもる | う-verb | to protect | 約束を守って、時間どおりに来ました。 | I kept my promise and came on time. | |
| 寝る | ねる | る-verb | to sleep | 早く寝て、明日にそなえます。 | I go to bed early and prepare for tomorrow. | |
| 届ける | とどける | る-verb | to deliver (transitive) | 荷物を届けてください。 | Please deliver the package. | |
| 履く | はく | う-verb | to put on (lower body) | 寒いので、厚い靴下を履いてください。 | It's cold, so please put on thick socks. | |
| 巻く | まく | う-verb | to roll | マフラーを巻いて出かけました。 | I wrapped a scarf around my neck and went out. |
Free Japanese Te Form Vocabulary List and Flashcard PDFs to Download
You can grab the purple Japanese te form vocabulary list button for a 100% free, no-signup PDF. Then use the teal Japanese te form flashcards button to download the matching flashcards, also completely free and no signup required.
