ましたフォーム
In this lesson, you will learn about the ました-form, which is the past form of verbs. You will learn how to put verbs in the past affirmative and the past negative.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to express yourself in the past.
The ました-form is the past tense in Japanese. Much like the ます-form, the ichidan verbs and the godan verbs will conjugate differently, although they will have the same rules as the ます-form. For the ichidan verbs, the る syllable will be replaced by ました; for the godan verbs, the final syllable う will turn into a い.
りんごをたべました。
Ringo o tabemashita.
I ate an apple.
おちゃをのみました。
Ocha o nomimashita.
I drank tea.
ほんをよみました。
Hon o yomimashita.
I read a book.
きょねんにほんにいきました。
Kyonen nihon ni ikimashita.
I went to Japan last year.
Remember that with いく (to go) the future and present will take the particle へ, because we have not reached our destination yet, but in the past, it will take the particle に because we have reached our destination.
The て-form of verbs can also be in the past. In that context, it will mean 'I was doing something'.
べんきょうしていました。
Benkyou shiteimashita.
I was studying.
おこのみやきをたべていました。
Okonomiyaki o tabeteimashita.
We were eating Okonomiyaki.
The case of the verb いく
Both in the て-form, present and past, the verb いく (to go) will have nuances. In English, saying 'I am going' basically mean the future, as in 'I will go to school, I am going to school' and has the meaning that you are on your way. In Japanese, いっています or いっていました do not have the same meaning.
ジェレミはにほんにいっています。
Jeremi wa nihon ni itteimasu.
This sentence means that Jeremy has gone to Japan and is still in Japan. It can also mean that Jeremy has left for Japan (let's say he is on the plane right now).
In the past, it will also have a connotation that Jeremy left for Japan and is still in Japan.
ジェレミはにほんにいっていました。
Jeremi wa nihon ni itteimashita.
You could translate these sentences as 'Jeremy is leaving for Japan' or 'has left for Japan' and 'Jeremy has left for Japan'. Only the context will tell you the right translation.
In the negative
The negative form of ました is ませんでした. We will put the verb in the negative and then add でした, which is the verb です in the past.
チーズはたべませんでした。
Chiizu wa tabemasen deshita.
I did not eat the cheese.
コーラはのみませんでした。
Koora wa nomimasen deshita.
I did not drink the cola.
カナダにいきませんでした。
Kanada ni ikimasen deshita.
I did not go to Canada.
The て-form can also have this form.
ビールはのんでいませんでした。
Biiru wa nondeimasen deshita.
I was not drinking beer.
The verb です in the past
The verb です in the past is でした.
このねこはわたしのねこでした。
Kono neko wa watashi no neko deshita.
This cat was my cat.
おもしろいほんでした。
Omoshiroi hon deshita.
It was an interesting book.
In the past negative, it will be ではありませんでした or じゃありませんでした.
わたしのせいではありませんでした。
Watashi no sei dewa arimasen deshita.
It was not my fault.
しかじゃありませんでした。
Shika ja arimasen deshita.
It was not a deer.
ひきこもりとこどくし
Hikikomori and lonely deaths
Since we saw the verbs in negative present and negative past, let's talk about something not so happy. It is also important not to brush away the negative side of the Japanese society, although there are a lot of positive things as well (like the vending machines at every street corner!)
If you like anime and manga, you might have heard the term 'hikikomori' before. It is often related to people who are into anime and manga, although it is not always the case. Hikikomori are a raising phenomenon in Japan where people shut themselves for many years out from society. Most of them bring forth the fact that they cannot fit in the extreme by-the-book society of Japan. This affects mostly adolescents and young adults who will avoid any social contact and will shut themselves in their parents' home for months or years. Most do not go to school or do not work.
Another phenomenon is on the rise in Japan and it is the kodokushi (or lonely deaths). The rapid increase of these instances is due to the difficult economic situation in Japan and the rising problem of the Japanese population becoming older and older.
Kodokushi happens when an old individual dies in their home alone and is not discovered for several weeks or even months. They are often people who do not have a family or have cut ties with their family. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the number of older people is rising (60% of people in Japan are over the age of 60) and the number of available places in old people's homes do not change. Thus, these individuals cannot be taken care of and ultimately die in their homes without people knowing about their death for several months.
This unfortunate event has giving birth to cleaning companies that have an increasing demand of going into the homes of these individuals to clean up their bodies and their homes. In most cases, authorities have been called by neighbours due to the smell.
