ます ／ ません (polite non-past)
masu masen
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
Polite present/future affirmative and negative.
ます is the polite ending for verbs, and ません is its negative. 食べます "I eat / I will eat", 食べません "I don't eat / I won't eat". One form covers both present habits and the future; Japanese does not separate them. To make it, change the dictionary form: Group 1 verbs swap the final う-sound for the い-sound (書く→書きます), Group 2 verbs drop る (食べる→食べます), and する→します, 来る→きます.
Polite conversation with anyone you are not close to, and nearly every N5 sentence. The part before ます (the ます-stem) is reused later for たい, ましょう, ながら and more, so learn it well.
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
Group 1: change final う-sound to い-sound + ます (書く→書きます, 話す→話します, 待つ→待ちます, 読む→読みます, 買う→買います, 帰る→帰ります)Group 2: drop る + ます (食べる→食べます, 見る→見ます)Group 3: する→します, 来る→きますNegative: ます→ません
Visual diagram
書く
dictionary form (Group 1)
- + き + ます書きますpolite present / future
- + き + ません書きませんpolite negative
- + き + ました書きましたpolite past
- + き + ませんでした書きませんでしたpolite past negative
Natural examples
毎日日本語を勉強します。
まいにち にほんごを べんきょうします。
I study Japanese every day.
Habit: "every day" + ます.
明日、友達に会います。
あした、ともだちに あいます。
Tomorrow I will meet a friend.
Future: "tomorrow" + the same ます form.
私はお酒を飲みません。
わたしは おさけを のみません。
I don't drink alcohol.
Negative: ます → ません.
毎朝七時に起きます。
まいあさ しちじに おきます。
I get up at seven every morning.
Group 2: 起きる → 起きます.
土曜日は働きません。
どようびは はたらきません。
I don't work on Saturdays.
Group 1: 働く → 働き + ません.
Similar grammar and the difference
The past forms of the same polite ending. Compare side by side
The plain equivalent: 食べる = 食べます, used with friends and inside longer sentences. Compare side by side
The plain negative: 食べない = 食べません. Compare side by side
Common mistakes
- ✗
- 食べるます
- ✓
- 食べます
- Why
- ます replaces る in Group 2 verbs; it never attaches to the full dictionary form.
- ✗
- 話しますません
- ✓
- 話しません
- Why
- ません replaces ます; you do not keep both.
- ✗
- 明日は食べますでしょう。(for simple future)
- ✓
- 明日は食べます。
- Why
- ます already covers the future. No extra word is needed.
The ます form covers both present habit and future. The part before ます (the ます-stem) is used to build many other patterns: たい, ましょう, ながら, やすい, すぎる, に行く.
JLPT N5 tips
On the exam
- Time words tell you the tense: 毎日／明日／来週 → ます／ません; 昨日／先週 → ました／ませんでした.
- Distractors are usually wrongly built stems (食べります, 帰ます, 話ます). Sort the verb group first, then build the stem.
Frequently asked questions
What does ます ／ ません (polite non-past) mean?
Polite present/future affirmative and negative. ます is the polite ending for verbs, and ません is its negative. 食べます "I eat / I will eat", 食べません "I don't eat / I won't eat". One form covers both present habits and the future; Japanese does not separate them. To make it, change the dictionary form: Group 1 verbs swap the final う-sound for the い-sound (書く→書きます), Group 2 verbs drop る (食べる→食べます), and する→します, 来る→きます.
How do you form ます ／ ません (polite non-past)?
Group 1: change final う-sound to い-sound + ます (書く→書きます, 話す→話します, 待つ→待ちます, 読む→読みます, 買う→買います, 帰る→帰ります) / Group 2: drop る + ます (食べる→食べます, 見る→見ます) / Group 3: する→します, 来る→きます / Negative: ます→ません. V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is ます ／ ません (polite non-past) used?
Polite conversation with anyone you are not close to, and nearly every N5 sentence. The part before ます (the ます-stem) is reused later for たい, ましょう, ながら and more, so learn it well.
What is the difference between ます ／ ません (polite non-past) and ました／ませんでした?
The past forms of the same polite ending.
What is the difference between ます ／ ません (polite non-past) and Dictionary form?
The plain equivalent: 食べる = 食べます, used with friends and inside longer sentences.
What is a common mistake with ます ／ ません (polite non-past)?
Wrong: 食べるます Right: 食べます ます replaces る in Group 2 verbs; it never attaches to the full dictionary form.
Quick check
What goes in ( )? 私は 毎日 コーヒーを（ ）。