ます形

The ます form (丁寧語 - ていねいご) is the foundation of polite Japanese. Unlike the casual 'dictionary form,' using ます ensures you sound polite and professional. Importantly, the ます form attaches to verbs and verb suffixes (unlike です, which is used for nouns and adjectives).

1. Tense and Meaning
This form is 'non-past,' meaning it covers:

• Present Habits: 毎日、コーヒーを飲みます (I drink coffee every day).
• Future Actions: 明日、学校へ行きます (I will go to school tomorrow).

Note: The ます form does not mean "am doing right now" (present continuous). For example, 飲みます means "I drink" or "I will drink," not "I am drinking" (which uses 〜ています).

2. How to Form It
You must first find the ます-stem (連用形 - れんようけい) of the verb:

• Group 1 (Godan / U-verbs): Change the final う-sound to an い-sound.
  Example: 行く（いく） → 行き + ます = 行きます
  Note: Pay special attention to verbs ending in つ and す, as they shift to ち and し respectively (e.g., 待つ（まつ） → 待ちます, 話す（はなす） → 話します). Also, some verbs ending in いる or える are actually Group 1 verbs (e.g., 帰る（かえる） → 帰ります, 走る（はしる） → 走ります). These follow the う to い rule. Additionally, five special honorific verbs (いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, なさる, くださる, ござる) change their final る to い instead of り (e.g., くださる → くださいます).
• Group 2 (Ichidan / Ru-verbs): Group 2 verbs always end in いる or える (though as noted above, not all verbs with these endings belong to Group 2). Drop the final る.
  Example: 食べる（たべる） → 食べ + ます = 食べます
• Group 3 (Irregular): These must be memorized.
  する → します
  来る（くる） → 来ます（きます）

Bonus Note: The ます-stem is a crucial building block for many other grammar patterns! For example, you attach it to 〜たい (want to do) or 〜に行く (go to do). It can also often act as a noun on its own, such as 休む（やすむ - to rest）becoming 休み（やすみ - a break/holiday）.

3. The Masu-Box (Conjugation Summary)
To become proficient in polite Japanese, it is helpful to see how the ending changes for different meanings:

• Affirmative: 〜ます (do/will do)
• Negative: 〜ません (do not/will not do)
• Past: 〜ました (did)
• Past Negative: 〜ませんでした (did not)
• Volitional: 〜ましょう (let's do)
• Invitation: 〜ませんか (won't you/would you like to do?)
• Question: 〜ますか (do you/will you do?)

4. Social Usage
While it is the standard for public life, using it with very close friends or family can sometimes feel 'distant' or cold. However, for beginners, it is the most important form to learn first because it is the safest default and rarely offensive.