KANAKUMA

JLPT N5 · Verb forms and tenses

Vた

Forms the plain past verb form

Meaning

Forms the plain past verb form.

Formation

  1. Take the て form and swap て for た, で for だ: 書いて → 書いた, 読んで → 読んだ
  2. Group 2: 食べます → 食べた; group 3: した, 来た (kita)

When to use it

Core use
Forms the plain past verb form

Examples

14 sentences

  • 昨日きのう映画えいがを見たみた

    I watched a film yesterday.

  • 昨日きのう宿題しゅくだいをした

    I did my homework yesterday.

  • 昨日きのう、駅えきの近くちかくで友達ともだちに会ったあった

    Yesterday I met a friend near the station.

  • 雨あめがやんだから、窓まどを開けたあけた

    The rain stopped, so I opened the window.

  • 小さなちいさな荷物にもつを運んはこんだ

    I carried the small luggage.

  • 青いあおい封筒ふうとうを選んえらんだ

    I chose a blue envelope.

  • 古いふるい雑誌ざっしを捨てすてた

    I threw away the old magazines.

  • 台所だいどころの窓まどを開けあけた

    I opened the kitchen window.

6 more examples

  • 旅行りょこうの写真しゃしんを見みた

    I looked at the travel photos.

  • 短いみじかい手紙てがみを書いかいた

    I wrote a short letter.

  • 友達ともだちの話はなしを聞いきいた

    I listened to my friend's story.

  • 駅えきの名前なまえを覚えおぼえた

    I memorized the station name.

  • 家いえの鍵かぎを探しさがした

    I looked for the house key.

  • 晩ご飯ばんごはんの準備じゅんびをした

    I prepared dinner.

Important notes

  • The た form follows the same sound changes as the て form: 書いて → 書いた, 読んで → 読んだ. In patterns such as 食べた後で it marks completion and can refer to the future.

Common mistakes

  • 行く is the exception — 行った, not 行いた. Keep the voicing (読んで → 読んだ, 泳いで → 泳いだ) and do not just add た to the dictionary form.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

  1. 旅行りょこうの写真しゃしんを見みた
  2. 駅えきの名前なまえを覚えおぼえた
  3. 晩ご飯ばんごはんの準備じゅんびをした

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