Japanese reference
書く
かく
to write
Regular · 34 form tables
Rows describe verb forms and levels of politeness. Honorific and humble forms are labeled separately. Strong commands appear under additional forms.
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Basic
Non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form | かく (kaku)write (plain) |
| Polite, masu | かきます (kakimasu)write (polite) |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | かかない (kakanai)do not write (plain) |
| Polite negative | かきません (kakimasen)do not write (polite) |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | かいた (kaita)wrote (plain) |
| Polite past | かきました (kakimashita)wrote (polite) |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | かかなかった (kakanakatta)did not write (plain) |
| Polite past negative | かきませんでした (kakimasendeshita)did not write (polite) |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | かいて (kaite)write and ... |
| Polite te-form | かきまして (kakimashite)writing (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | かいている (kaiteiru)be writing |
| Polite te-iru | かいています (kaiteimasu)be writing |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | かけば (kakeba)if (you) write |
| Rare literary polite conditional | かきますれば (kakimasureba)if you write (rare and literary). In ordinary polite conversation, use the plain conditional and make the main clause polite |
Conditional, tara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, tara | かいたら (kaitara)if (you) write; after writing |
| Polite conditional, tara | かきましたら (kakimashitara)if you write |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | かける (kakeru)can write |
| Polite potential | かけます (kakemasu)can write |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | かこう (kakou)let's write |
| Polite volitional | かきましょう (kakimashou)let's write! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | かきたい (kakitai)want to write |
| Polite desire, tai | かきたいです (kakitaidesu)want to write |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | かかれる (kakareru)be written |
| Polite passive | かかれます (kakaremasu)be written |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | かかせる (kakaseru)make or let someone write |
| Polite causative | かかせます (kakasemasu)make or let someone write |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | かかせられる (kakaserareru)be made to write |
| Polite causative-passive | かかせられます (kakaseraremasu)be made to write |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | かくな (kakuna)do not write! |
| Polite negative request | かかないでください (kakanaidekudasai)please do not write |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | かきます (kakimasu)write |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | かきません (kakimasen)do not write |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | かきました (kakimashita)wrote |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | かきませんでした (kakimasendeshita)did not write |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | かいてください (kaitekudasai)please write |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | かかないでください (kakanaidekudasai)please do not write |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | かきましょう (kakimashou)let's write! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | かいてもいい (kaitemoii)may write |
| Polite permission | かいてもいいです (kaitemoiidesu)may write |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | かいてはいけない (kaitehaikenai)must not write |
| Polite prohibition | かいてはいけません (kaitehaikemasen)must not write |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | かきなさい (kakinasai)write (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | かいてみる (kaitemiru)try to write |
| Polite try doing | かいてみます (kaitemimasu)try to write |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | かいてしまう (kaiteshimau)write completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | かいてしまいます (kaiteshimaimasu)write completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | かいておく (kaiteoku)write in advance |
| Polite preparation | かいておきます (kaiteokimasu)write in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | かいたことがある (kaitakotogaaru)have the experience of: wrote |
| Polite past experience | かいたことがあります (kaitakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: wrote |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | かくと (kakuto)whenever you write |
| Polite automatic result | かきますと (kakimasuto)whenever you write |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | かくなら (kakunara)if you mean to write |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | かくだろう (kakudarou)probably write |
| Polite probability | かくでしょう (kakudeshou)probably write |
Respect
Honorific
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Honorific | おかきになる (okakininaru)write (honoring the subject) |
| Polite honorific | おかきになります (okakininarimasu)write (honoring the subject) |
Humble
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Humble | おかきする (okakisuru)write (humbly) |
| Polite humble | おかきします (okakishimasu)write (humbly) |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | かけ (kake)write! (command) |
| Polite request | かいてください (kaitekudasai)please write |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.