Many people think Japanese tense is simple — た is past, る is present/future. But the truth is: た is far more than just past tense. It has at least eleven different uses.
Tense vs Aspect in Japanese
| Concept | Meaning | Japanese expression |
|---|---|---|
| Tense (テンス) | When it happens | Past vs Non-past |
| Aspect (アスペクト) | What stage the action is at | Start / Continuation / Completion / Resulting state |
Japanese tense splits into just two categories: past (た) and non-past (る). There is no separate "future tense" — the future is expressed through non-past + context:
あと10日間で私は30歳です。 In ten more days, I'll be 30. (Non-past form for future)
Aspect (アスペクト), on the other hand, is far richer:
| Aspect | Expression | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Start | ～はじめる | 書き始める。 Start writing. |
| Continuation | ～つづける | 書き続ける。 Continue writing. |
| Completion | ～おわる/きる | 書き終わる。 Finish writing. |
| Resulting state | ～ている | 書いている。 Is writing / has written. |
The Eleven Uses of た
1. Past
The most basic use — something that happened in the past:
昨日、パンを食べた。 I ate bread yesterday.
2. Completion
The action has been completed (not necessarily in the past):
レポートはもう書いた。 I've already written the report.
3. State
Describes a state rather than an action:
窓が閉まった部屋。 A room with the windows closed. (た modifies a noun here, expressing a state)
4. Future (certain future)
明日の試験が終わったら遊ぼう。 Let's hang out after tomorrow's exam is over.
Here, 終わった is not past tense — it's a hypothetical condition meaning "once it's done."
5. Discovery
Discovering that something has happened or that something is there:
ここにあった！ It was here all along! (Just discovered it)
料理はもうなくなっていた。 The food was already gone. (Discovered upon arrival)
6. Counterfactual
Hypothesizing a situation contrary to reality:
もし電話をかけなかったら、あの飛行機に乗っていた。 If I hadn't made that phone call, I would have been on that plane.
7. Confirmation
Used to confirm something from memory:
明日は何曜日だった？ What day is tomorrow again? (I forgot — just confirming)
8. Recollection
Suddenly remembering something:
あ、そうだった。 Oh, right. (Just remembered)
9. Command
A forceful command (mostly masculine speech):
よし、俺は買った！ Right, I'm buying it! (A decisive declaration)
10. Resolution / Determination
Expressing a firm decision:
決めた。明日から頑張る。 I've decided. I'll work hard starting tomorrow.
11. Emphasis
やっと欲しいパソコンを買うことができた。 I was finally able to buy the computer I wanted.
と思う vs と思っている
The combination of thinking verbs and tense is quite nuanced:
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 彼が来ると思う。 | I think he'll come. (Current thought) |
| 彼が来たと思った。 | I thought he had come. (Past thought + past action) |
| 彼が来ると思った。 | I thought he would come. (Past thought + future action) |
For the third person, "thinking" must use ている:
| ✗ Incorrect | ○ Correct |
|---|---|
| あの人は自分が偉いと思う ✗ | あの人は自分が偉いと思っている ○ |
Why? Because と思う means "what I'm thinking right now" — only the speaker can know that. When describing someone else's thoughts, you must use と思っている (the state of holding that thought continuously).
時 vs ところ
| 時 | ところ | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | When ... | The stage/scene of ... |
| Conjugation | Verb dictionary form / た-form + 時 | Verb dictionary form / ている / た + ところ |
| Focus | A point in time | The stage of an action |
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 日本へ行く時、カバンを買う。 | I'll buy a bag before going to Japan. (行く = haven't gone yet) |
| 日本へ行った時、カバンを買う。 | I'll buy a bag after arriving in Japan. (行った = already arrived) |
| 洗っているところ。 | In the middle of washing. |
ている vs た: Modifying Nouns
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 壊れている橋 | A bridge that is broken (ongoing state) |
| 壊れた橋 | A broken bridge (resulting state as a description) |
The two are often interchangeable, but た feels more like an adjective (describing a quality), while ている emphasizes the continuing state.
Summary
- Japanese tense only has past (た) and non-past (る) — there's no independent future tense
- た has eleven uses: past / completion / state / future / discovery / counterfactual / confirmation / recollection / command / resolution / emphasis
- と思う can only be used for the first person; use と思っている for the third person
- 時 focuses on a point in time; ところ focuses on the stage of an action
- To determine the specific meaning of た, look at time adverbs and context
Self-Test
Q1. Is the た in 「ここにあった！」 past tense?
Show answer
No, it's the discovery use of た. The speaker just discovered something is here, using た to express "Oh, it was here all along!" The thing has been there the whole time — it's not "it was here in the past."
Q2. Why can't you say 「あの人は自分が偉いと思う」?
Show answer
Because と思う expresses "what I'm thinking right now" and can only be used for the first person. To describe a third person "thinking that..." you must use と思っている (the state of continuously holding that thought): 「あの人は自分が偉いと思っている」.
Q3. What's the difference between 「日本へ行く時、カバンを買う」 and 「日本へ行った時、カバンを買う」?
Show answer
- 行く時 → Buy a bag when (before) going to Japan = buy before departure
- 行った時 → Buy a bag when (after) having gone to Japan = buy after arriving
行く is non-past (haven't gone yet); 行った is past (already arrived). The tense of the verb before 時 determines the order of events.