Skip to content
JLPT N5Verb Forms

ません / ませんでした— Polite Negative

The polite negative forms of verbs: ません for present/future ("do not / will not") and ませんでした for the past ("did not"). Used with strangers or superiors.

Grammar path · 練習

Practice this in the path

A short lesson: the pattern, its sentence anatomy, a quick quiz and a sentence to build.

Pro lessonUNIT 10 · VERB FORMS

Structure · 形

[Masu-stem] + ません (present neg) / ませんでした (past neg)

Examples · 例文

  • お酒は飲みません。

    Osake wa nomimasen.

    I don't drink alcohol.

    飲み (stem) + ません (polite present negative).

  • あの映画は見ませんでした。

    Ano eiga wa mimasen deshita.

    I didn't watch that movie.

    見 (stem) + ませんでした (polite past negative).

  • 今朝は何も食べませんでした。

    Kesa wa nani mo tabemasen deshita.

    I didn't eat anything this morning.

    食べ (stem) + ませんでした (polite past negative); 何も + negative = "nothing at all."

Usage notes · 注意

  • The Polite Quartet: ます (do/will), ました (did), ません (don't/won't), ませんでした (didn't).
  • Etymology: すみません (excuse me/sorry) comes from 済む (to end/resolve) + ません — literally "it is not resolved (in my heart)".

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ません is tested against.

vsない / なかった (plain negative)

ません/ませんでした are the polite forms; ない/なかった are the plain (casual) equivalents used with friends. Same meaning, different register.

vs〜ないです / 〜なかったです

Attaching です to the plain negative (飲まないです) is a slightly softer, more conversational polite negative than 飲みません, which is more standard/formal.

More verb forms

Study Japanese grammar on LenGaki

Everything on this page, ready to study

  • 7,788 JLPT vocabulary words, N5 through N1, with readings and audio (N5 free)
  • 2,057 kanji with on'yomi, kun'yomi and stroke-order practice
  • 445 grammar points with examples and commonly-confused comparisons
  • Full-length N5 and N4 mock exams, timed, with real listening audio (N5 sets 1 and 2 free)