Most Japanese learners only know た as the past tense marker. But た actually has eight different meanings.
Consider these two sentences:
A. 昨日買ったケーキが美味しかった。 → The cake I bought yesterday was delicious. B. 負けた人はビールを買いに行く。 → The person who loses goes to buy beer.
The た in A is indeed past tense, but what about B? "The person who loses" — the game hasn't even started yet, so how can anyone have "lost"? This た actually refers to the future.
All Eight Uses at a Glance
1. Past — The most basic use
- 昨日映画を見た。 → I watched a movie yesterday.
2. Completion — The action is finished
Unlike simple past, completion emphasizes that something is "done," not necessarily long ago.
- もう昼食を済ませた。 → I've already finished lunch. (Just completed)
Past vs Completion: 「昨日食べた」= past (something from yesterday), 「もう食べた」= completion (already finished).
3. State — A lasting result
Describes the resulting state of an action.
- 曲がった道 → A curved road (it bent and stays bent)
- 優れた人 → An outstanding person (a state-like description)
4. Future — A special use when modifying nouns
When た modifies a noun, it can express a future-completed state.
- 負けた人はビールを買いに行く。 → The person who loses goes to buy beer. (The game hasn't happened yet, but "the person who will have lost" is a future state)
Key point: When modifying a noun, た doesn't necessarily mean past. It describes a "completed state," and that state can be in the future.
5. Discovery — Opening the door to find...
Expresses discovering a fact after doing something. Often paired with たら/と.
-
調べてみると、その人の名前はなかった。 → When I looked it up, I found that the person's name wasn't there.
-
窓を開けたら、雪が降っていた。 → When I opened the window, I found it was snowing outside.
6. Counterfactual — If only I had...
Expresses a hypothetical situation contrary to fact. Often uses 「~ば/たら……のに」.
-
早く行けば間に合ったのに。 → If I had gone earlier, I would have made it in time. (In reality, I didn't make it)
-
もっと勉強していたら、合格したのに。 → If I had studied more, I would have passed. (In reality, I didn't pass)
7. Recollection — I remember back when...
Recalling past events.
-
子供の頃よくそこへ遊びに行った。 → I used to go there to play a lot when I was a kid.
-
あの頃は楽しかったなあ。 → Those were fun times.
8. Confirmation — Right, that's correct
Confirming something you already know in your mind. Often uses 「~でしたね」.
-
今日は私の誕生日でしたね。 → Today is my birthday, right. (Not forgetting — just confirming)
-
やっぱり私の母でした。 → It really was my mother after all.
The confirmation た is not "past" — my birthday is today, not in the past. It means "I have confirmed a fact in my mind."
Quick Reference Table
| Use | Keywords | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past | 昨日, 去年 | 昨日見た |
| Completion | もう, すでに | もう食べた |
| State | Modifies noun (result) | 曲がった道 |
| Future | Modifies noun (not yet happened) | 負けた人 |
| Discovery | たら/と + new finding | 開けたら雪だった |
| Counterfactual | ば/たら + のに | 行けば間に合ったのに |
| Recollection | ~なあ | 楽しかったなあ |
| Confirmation | ~でしたね | 誕生日でしたね |
Self-Test
Q1. What use of た is 「窓を開けたら、猫がいた。」?
Show answer
Discovery. After opening the window, I found a cat — たら introduces a new discovery.
Q2. What use of た is 「もっと早く来ればよかったのに。」?
Show answer
Counterfactual. "If only I had come earlier" — in reality, I didn't come early. ば + のに = contrary to fact.
Q3. 「勝った人が先に選ぶ。」— Is this た past or future?
Show answer
Future. The competition hasn't happened yet; "the person who wins" is something that will be determined in the future. When た modifies a noun, it can express a future-completed state.
Summary
- た is not just past tense — it has eight uses
- When modifying a noun, た can refer to the future (describing a "completed state")
- Discovery た often pairs with たら/と
- Counterfactual た often pairs with ば/たら……のに
- Confirmation た is not past — it's confirming a fact in your mind