Japanese reference
買う
かう
to buy
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 | かう (kau)buy (plain) |
| Polite, masu | かいます (kaimasu)buy (polite) |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative, nai | かわない (kawanai)do not buy (plain) |
| Polite negative | かいません (kaimasen)do not buy (polite) |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past, ta | かった (katta)bought (plain) |
| Polite past | かいました (kaimashita)bought (polite) |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | かわなかった (kawanakatta)did not buy (plain) |
| Polite past negative | かいませんでした (kaimasendeshita)did not buy (polite) |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | かって (katte)buy and ... |
| Polite te-form | かいまして (kaimashite)buying (and then) |
Te iru
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-iru: ongoing action / resulting state | かっている (katteiru)be buying; have bought |
| Polite te-iru | かっています (katteimasu)be buying |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | かえば (kaeba)if (you) buy |
| Rare literary polite conditional | かいますれば (kaimasureba)if you buy (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 | かったら (kattara)if (you) buy; after buying |
| Polite conditional, tara | かいましたら (kaimashitara)if you buy |
Mood
Potential
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Potential | かえる (kaeru)can buy |
| Polite potential | かえます (kaemasu)can buy |
Volitional
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Volitional | かおう (kaou)let's buy |
| Polite volitional | かいましょう (kaimashou)let's buy! |
Desire, tai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Desire, tai | かいたい (kaitai)want to buy |
| Polite desire, tai | かいたいです (kaitaidesu)want to buy |
Voice
Passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive | かわれる (kawareru)be bought |
| Polite passive | かわれます (kawaremasu)be affected when someone buys |
Causative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative | かわせる (kawaseru)make or let someone buy |
| Polite causative | かわせます (kawasemasu)make or let someone buy |
Causative passive
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Causative-passive | かわせられる (kawaserareru)be made to buy |
| Polite causative-passive | かわせられます (kawaseraremasu)be made to buy |
Commands
Negative imperative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative imperative | かうな (kauna)do not buy! |
| Polite negative request | かわないでください (kawanaidekudasai)please do not buy |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | かいます (kaimasu)buy |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | かいません (kaimasen)do not buy |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | かいました (kaimashita)bought |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | かいませんでした (kaimasendeshita)did not buy |
Requests
Request with kudasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request with kudasai | かってください (kattekudasai)please buy |
Negative request
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Request not to act | かわないでください (kawanaidekudasai)please do not buy |
Invitation with mashou
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Invitation with mashou | かいましょう (kaimashou)let's buy! |
Permission
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Permission | かってもいい (kattemoii)may buy |
| Polite permission | かってもいいです (kattemoiidesu)may buy |
Not allowed
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | かってはいけない (kattehaikenai)must not buy |
| Polite prohibition | かってはいけません (kattehaikemasen)must not buy |
Instruction with nasai
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Instruction with nasai | かいなさい (kainasai)buy (instruction) |
Aspect
Try doing
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Try doing | かってみる (kattemiru)try to buy |
| Polite try doing | かってみます (kattemimasu)try to buy |
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | かってしまう (katteshimau)buy completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | かってしまいます (katteshimaimasu)buy completely or regrettably |
Preparation
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Preparation | かっておく (katteoku)buy in advance |
| Polite preparation | かっておきます (katteokimasu)buy in advance |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | かったことがある (kattakotogaaru)have the experience of: bought |
| Polite past experience | かったことがあります (kattakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: bought |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | かうと (kauto)whenever you buy |
| Polite automatic result | かいますと (kaimasuto)whenever you buy |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | かうなら (kaunara)if you mean to buy |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | かうだろう (kaudarou)probably buy |
| Polite probability | かうでしょう (kaudeshou)probably buy |
Additional forms
Strong command
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Imperative | かえ (kae)buy! (command) |
| Polite request | かってください (kattekudasai)please buy |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.