Japanese reference
目指す
めざす
to aim for
Regular · 32 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 | めざす (mezasu)aim for |
| Polite, masu | めざします (mezashimasu)aim for |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | めざさない (mezasanai)do not aim for |
| Polite negative | めざしません (mezashimasen)do not aim for |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | めざした (mezashita)aimed for |
| Polite past | めざしました (mezashimashita)aimed for |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | めざさなかった (mezasanakatta)did not aim for |
| Polite past negative | めざしませんでした (mezashimasendeshita)did not aim for |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | めざして (mezashite)aiming for (and then) |
| Polite te-form | めざしまして (mezashimashite)aiming for (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | めざしている (mezashiteiru)be aiming for |
| Polite te-iru | めざしています (mezashiteimasu)be aiming for |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | めざせば (mezaseba)if you aim for |
| Rare literary polite conditional | めざしますれば (mezashimasureba)if you aim for (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 | めざしたら (mezashitara)if you aim for |
| Polite conditional, tara | めざしましたら (mezashimashitara)if you aim for |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | めざせる (mezaseru)can aim for |
| Polite potential | めざせます (mezasemasu)can aim for |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | めざそう (mezasou)let's aim for! |
| Polite volitional | めざしましょう (mezashimashou)let's aim for! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | めざしたい (mezashitai)want to aim for |
| Polite desire, tai | めざしたいです (mezashitaidesu)want to aim for |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | めざされる (mezasareru)be affected when someone aims for |
| Polite passive | めざされます (mezasaremasu)be affected when someone aims for |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | めざさせる (mezasaseru)make or let someone aim for |
| Polite causative | めざさせます (mezasasemasu)make or let someone aim for |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | めざさせられる (mezasaserareru)be made to aim for |
| Polite causative-passive | めざさせられます (mezasaseraremasu)be made to aim for |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | めざすな (mezasuna)do not aim for! |
| Polite negative request | めざさないでください (mezasanaidekudasai)please do not aim for |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | めざします (mezashimasu)aim for |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | めざしません (mezashimasen)do not aim for |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | めざしました (mezashimashita)aimed for |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | めざしませんでした (mezashimasendeshita)did not aim for |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | めざしてください (mezashitekudasai)please aim for |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | めざさないでください (mezasanaidekudasai)please do not aim for |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | めざしましょう (mezashimashou)let's aim for! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | めざしてもいい (mezashitemoii)may aim for |
| Polite permission | めざしてもいいです (mezashitemoiidesu)may aim for |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | めざしてはいけない (mezashitehaikenai)must not aim for |
| Polite prohibition | めざしてはいけません (mezashitehaikemasen)must not aim for |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | めざしなさい (mezashinasai)aim for (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | めざしてみる (mezashitemiru)try to aim for |
| Polite try doing | めざしてみます (mezashitemimasu)try to aim for |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | めざしてしまう (mezashiteshimau)aim for completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | めざしてしまいます (mezashiteshimaimasu)aim for completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | めざしておく (mezashiteoku)aim for in advance |
| Polite preparation | めざしておきます (mezashiteokimasu)aim for in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | めざしたことがある (mezashitakotogaaru)have the experience of: aimed for |
| Polite past experience | めざしたことがあります (mezashitakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: aimed for |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | めざすと (mezasuto)whenever you aim for |
| Polite automatic result | めざしますと (mezashimasuto)whenever you aim for |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | めざすなら (mezasunara)if you mean to aim for |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | めざすだろう (mezasudarou)probably aim for |
| Polite probability | めざすでしょう (mezasudeshou)probably aim for |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | めざせ (mezase)aim for! |
| Polite request | めざしてください (mezashitekudasai)please aim for |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.