You've learned how to conjugate the te-form. Now the question is: what does it actually do? When a te-form verb connects to another verb, there are four main functions. About 95% of te-form usage in everyday Japanese falls into one of these four.
Use 1: Action Sequence
The most basic use. The first action happens, then the next one follows.
Verb te-form + Verb = Do A, then do B
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ご飯を食べて学校へ行きます。 | I eat, then go to school. |
| 今朝テレビを見て音楽を聞いて会社へ行きます。 | This morning I watched TV, listened to music, then went to the office. |
Key points:
- If there are two or more te-forms in a row, it's always action sequence.
- The tense is determined by the final verb: 行きます (not yet done), 行きました (all done).
- The te-form itself doesn't specify whether the action is completed or not -- look at the last verb.
Use 2: Method / Means / Tool
The te-form describes how the next action is done -- the method, means, or tool used.
Method te-form + Verb = Do B by means of A
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 今日はバスに乗って学校へ行きました。 | Today I went to school by bus. |
| 歩いて学校へ行きました。 | I walked to school. |
| テレビを見て日本語を習います。 | I learn Japanese by watching TV. |
| 塾に通って勉強しています。 | I study by attending a cram school. |
How to identify this use: Ask yourself, "How is the second action accomplished?" If the te-form verb is the answer, it's method/means.
Note: For nouns as tools, you don't need the te-form -- just use で: バスで行きます. But with a verb (乗る, 使う, etc.), you use the te-form method pattern.
Use 3: State / Manner
The te-form describes the state or posture during the next action.
State te-form + Verb = Do B while in state A
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 立って食べる。 | Eat while standing. |
| 急いで帰る。 | Rush home (go home in a hurry). |
| 公園のベンチに座って音楽を聞きます。 | Listen to music sitting on a park bench. |
How to identify this use: Would translating it as "after doing A" sound strange? "After standing, eat" -- weird. "After sitting, listen to music" -- weird. That means it's not sequence but state.
Use 4: Cause / Reason
The te-form states the cause of the following result.
Cause te-form + Result = Because of A, B happened
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| トラックと衝突して怪我しました。 | I collided with a truck and got injured. |
| 椅子から落ちて怪我をしました。 | I fell from a chair and got hurt. |
| ポケットから落ちて携帯が壊れました。 | It fell from my pocket and my phone broke. |
How to identify this use: This develops naturally from sequence -- A has to happen before B. When A and B form a cause-and-effect relationship, it becomes the cause use.
Summary Table
| Use | Clue | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | Multiple te-forms; "after" sounds natural | テレビを見て寝ます。 |
| Method | One te-form; answers "how?" | バスに乗って行きます。 |
| State | One te-form; "after" sounds weird | 立って食べる。 |
| Cause | One te-form; cause and effect | 落ちて壊れました。 |
Important rule: Method, state, and cause always have just one te-form with one verb. Two or more te-forms chained together can only be action sequence.
One Sentence, Two Interpretations
Sometimes the same sentence can be read both ways:
テレビを見て日本語を習います。
Reading 1 (sequence): After watching TV, I'll study Japanese. Reading 2 (method): I study Japanese by watching TV.
Both are valid. Context determines the intended meaning.
Wrap-Up
- Te-form + verb has four uses: sequence, method, state, cause
- Two or more te-forms = always sequence
- Method/state/cause have only one te-form + one verb
- If "after" sounds unnatural, it's not sequence -- consider the other three
- The same sentence can sometimes have two valid readings
Practice
Q1. What use of te-form is this? "バスに乗って学校へ行きます"
Answer
Method / means.
Taking the bus is the method of getting to school. 乗って describes "how" the going happens.
Q2. Does "急いで帰る" mean "after hurrying, go home"? What use is this?
Answer
No, "after hurrying" sounds unnatural. This is the state use.
急いで describes the manner of going home -- rushing home, going home in a hurry.
Q3. What use is "朝ご飯を食べて歯を磨いて学校へ行きます"? Why?
Answer
Action sequence.
There are two te-forms chained together (食べて, 磨いて). Two or more te-forms always indicate sequence. It means: eat breakfast, brush teeth, then go to school.