ます (masu) — Polite Non-Past (Present & Future)
The standard polite affirmative verb ending. Japanese has no separate future tense, so ます covers habitual actions (things done regularly) and settled future plans, as well as the present.
Structure
[Verb stem] + ます
Examples
毎朝コーヒーを飲みます。
Maiasa koohii o nomimasu.
I drink coffee every morning.
毎朝 (every morning) — habitual present action
明日東京に行きます。
Ashita Toukyou ni ikimasu.
I will go to Tokyo tomorrow.
明日 (tomorrow) — confirmed future action
日本語を勉強しています。
Nihongo o benkyou shite imasu.
I am studying Japanese.
ています = polite continuous action/state
• Conjugation Groups: For U-verbs (Godan), shift the final 'u' vowel to 'i' and add ます (書く kaku → 書きます kakimasu). For Ru-verbs (Ichidan), drop る and add ます (食べる taberu → 食べます tabemasu). Irregulars: する→します, 来る→来ます (kimasu). • The Powerful Stem: The part before ます (kaki-, tabe-) works like a noun and attaches to other grammar: に行く (go to do), たい (want to do), ながら (while doing). • Politeness Level: This is teineigo (polite speech), suited to colleagues, strangers, and acquaintances.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ます is tested against.
vs Dictionary/plain form (書く, 食べる)
ます is the polite register used with people you don't know well or in formal settings; the plain (dictionary) form is casual, used with close friends and family, and is the form required before much grammar (と思う, つもり, before nouns).
vs ています (continuous)
Plain ます states a habit or future plan (飲みます = I drink / will drink); ています states an action in progress or an ongoing state (飲んでいます = I am drinking).
More verb forms
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