What Is the ます-stem?
The ます-stem (also called the verb stem or 連用形 れんようけい) is one of the most useful building blocks in Japanese. It is formed by removing ます from the polite present form of any verb.
| Dictionary form | ます-form | ます-stem |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (to eat) | 食べます | 食べ |
| 見る (to see) | 見ます | 見 |
| 話す (to speak) | 話します | 話し |
| 書く (to write) | 書きます | 書き |
| 使う (to use) | 使います | 使い |
| 勉強する (to study) | 勉強します | 勉強し |
| 来る (to come) | 来ます | 来 (き) |
💡 The ます-stem is not a complete word on its own — it always attaches to something else. In this lesson, we look at three of the most important patterns it creates.
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