The past tense is used to express a past action, existence, state, situation, etc.
In Japanese, the past tense is indicated by changing part of the predicate to “ใ”.
The change is different when the predicate is a verb, an i-adjective, a na-adjective or a noun.
In particular, the change of i-adjectives can be unusual.
This page explains the past tense of an affirmative sentence, a negative sentence and a question sentence, divided into cases where the predicate is a verb, i-adjective, na-adjective or noun.
Past Tense Format of Affirmative Sentence
The past tense of a affirmative sentence changes depending on whether the predicate is a verb, an i-adjective, a na-adjective or a noun.
When the predicate is a verb, it changes from “ใใใพใ” to “ใใใพใใ”.
When the predicate is an i-adjective, it changes from “ใใใงใ” to “ใใใใฃใใงใ”.
When the predicate is a na-adjective, it changes from “ใใใงใ” to “ใใใงใใ”.
When the predicate is a noun, it changes from “ใใใงใ” to “ใใใงใใ”.
To make it clear that something happened in the past, words that indicate the past, such as yesterday “ๆจๆฅ“, last week “ๅ ้ฑ” or last month “ๅ ๆ“, are often included in a past tense sentence.
When a Predicate Is a Verb
็งใฏใใๆฏๆฅใใๆฅๆฌ่ชใใใๅๅผทใใพใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
็งใฏใใๆจๆฅใใๆฅๆฌ่ชใใใๅๅผทใใพใใใ
ๅ้ใฏใใๅญฆๆ กใซใใ่กใใพใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅ้ใฏใใๆจๆฅใใๅญฆๆ กใซใใ่กใใพใใใ
When a Predicate Is an I-adjective
ๅคใฏใใๆใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅปๅนดใฎใใๅคใฏใใๆใใฃใใงใใ
็งใฏใใใจใฆใใใๅฌใใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
็งใฏใใๅ ้ฑใใใจใฆใใใๅฌใใใฃใใงใใ
When a Predicate Is a Na-adjective
ใใฎ่กใฏใใ้ใใงใใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใใฎ่กใฏใใๆใใ้ใใงใใใใ
ๅผใฏใใใตใใซใผใใใไธๆใงใใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅผใฏใใๅญไพใฎๆใใใตใใซใผใใใไธๆใงใใใใ
When a Predicate Is a Noun
ใ็ถใใใฏใใ่ญฆๅฏๅฎใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใ็ถใใใฏใใๆใใ่ญฆๅฏๅฎใงใใใ
ใใใฏใใๆธฏใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใใใฏใใ๏ผๅนดๅใใๆธฏใงใใใ
Past Tense Format of Negative Sentence
In the past tense of a negative sentence, the predicate changes from “ใใใพใใ” to “ใใใพใใใงใใ”. Also, it changes from “ใใใชใใงใ” to “ใใใชใใฃใใงใ”.
This change is common when the predicate is a verb, an i-adjective, a na-adjective or a noun.
“ใใใพใใใงใใ” is a slightly formal expression.
In everyday conversation, most people would use “ใใใชใใฃใใงใ”.
To make it clear that something happened in the past, words that indicate the past, such as yesterday “ๆจๆฅ“, last week “ๅ ้ฑ” or last month “ๅ ๆ“, are often included in a past tense sentence.
When a Predicate Is a Verb
็งใฏใใใ้ ใใใ้ฃฒใฟใพใใใ
็งใฏใใใ้ ใใใ้ฃฒใพใชใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
็งใฏใใๆจๆฅใใใ้ ใใใ้ฃฒใฟใพใใใงใใใ
็งใฏใใๆจๆฅใใใ้ ใใใ้ฃฒใพใชใใฃใใงใใ
ใๆฏใใใฏใใไปๆฅใใๆใใใ่ฒทใใพใใใ
ใๆฏใใใฏใใไปๆฅใใๆใใใ่ฒทใใชใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใๆฏใใใฏใใๅ ้ฑใใๆใใใ่ฒทใใพใใใงใใใ
ใๆฏใใใฏใใๅ ้ฑใใๆใใใ่ฒทใใชใใฃใใงใใ
When a Predicate Is an I-adjective
ๅๆตท้ใฏใใๆใใใใพใใใ
ๅๆตท้ใฏใใๆใใชใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅๆตท้ใฏใใๅปๅนดใใๆใใใใพใใใงใใใ
ๅๆตท้ใฏใใๅปๅนดใใๆใใชใใฃใใงใใ
็งใฏใใๆฒใใใใใพใใใ
็งใฏใใๆฒใใใชใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
็งใฏใใๆฒใใใใใพใใใงใใใ
็งใฏใใๆฒใใใชใใฃใใงใใ
When a Predicate Is a Na-adjective
ใใฎ็ฌใฏใใๅ ๆฐใงใฏใใใพใใใ
ใใฎ็ฌใฏใใๅ ๆฐใงใฏใชใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใใฎ็ฌใฏใใๅ ๆใใๅ ๆฐใงใฏใใใพใใใงใใใ
ใใฎ็ฌใฏใใๅ ๆใใๅ ๆฐใงใฏใชใใฃใใงใใ
ๅผใฏใใในใใผใใซใใ็ฑๅฟใงใฏใใใพใใใใ
ๅผใฏใใในใใผใใซใใ็ฑๅฟใงใฏใชใใงใใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅผใฏใใๆใใในใใผใใซใใ็ฑๅฟใงใฏใใใพใใใงใใใใ
ๅผใฏใใๆใใในใใผใใซใใ็ฑๅฟใงใฏใชใใฃใใงใใใ
When a Predicate Is a Noun
ใๆฏใใใฏใใไผ็คพๅกใงใฏใใใพใใใ
ใๆฏใใใฏใใไผ็คพๅกใงใฏใชใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใๆฏใใใฏใใ๏ผๅนดๅใใไผ็คพๅกใงใฏใใใพใใใงใใใ
ใๆฏใใใฏใใ๏ผๅนดๅใใไผ็คพๅกใงใฏใชใใฃใใงใใ
ใใฎ่กใฏใใ้ฆ้ฝใงใฏใใใพใใใ
ใใฎ่กใฏใใ้ฆ้ฝใงใฏใชใใงใใ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใใฎ่กใฏใใไปฅๅใใ้ฆ้ฝใงใฏใใใพใใใงใใใ
ใใฎ่กใฏใใไปฅๅใใ้ฆ้ฝใงใฏใชใใฃใใงใใ
Past Tense Format of Question Sentence
The past tense of a question sentence changes depending on whether the predicate is a verb, an i-adjective, a na-adjective or a noun.
When the predicate is a verb, it changes from “ใใใพใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ” to “ใใใพใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ”.
When the predicate is an i-adjective, it changes from “ใใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ” to “ใใใใฃใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ”.
When the predicate is a na-adjective, it changes from “ใใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ” to “ใใใงใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ”.
When the predicate is a noun, it changes from “ใใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ” to “ใใใงใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ”.
To make it clear that something happened in the past, words that indicate the past, such as yesterday “ๆจๆฅ“, last week “ๅ ้ฑ” or last month “ๅ ๆ“, are often included in a past tense sentence.
When a Predicate Is a Verb
ๅ้ใฏใใๆฅๆฌใซใใ่กใใพใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅ้ใฏใใๅปๅนดใใๆฅๆฌใซใใ่กใใพใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
ใใชใใฏใใใใฅใผในใใใ่ฆใพใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใใชใใฏใใๆจๆฅใใใใฅใผในใใใ่ฆใพใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
When a Predicate Is an I-adjective
ๅฆนใฎใใ้ซชใฏใใ้ทใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅฆนใฎใใ้ซชใฏใใ้ทใใฃใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
ใณใผใใผใฏใใ่ฆใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใณใผใใผใฏใใ่ฆใใฃใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
When a Predicate Is a Na-adjective
ๅ้ใฎใใๆ่ฆใจใใใใชใใฎใใๆ่ฆใฏใใๅใใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅ้ใฎใใๆ่ฆใจใใใใชใใฎใใๆ่ฆใฏใใๅใใงใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
่ฉฆ้จใฏใใ็ฐกๅใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ๅ ้ฑใฎใใ่ฉฆ้จใฏใใ็ฐกๅใงใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
When a Predicate Is a Noun
ใใใฏใใๆนใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใใใฏใใ๏ผ๏ผๅนดๅใใๆนใงใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
ใใฎไบบใฏใใๅ็ด็ใงใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ
โฌ๏ธ Past tense
ใใฎไบบใฏใใๅ็ด็ใงใใใ๏ผ๏ผโคด๏ธ๏ผ