We have learned the long forms of verbs, adjectives, and nouns, which always appear at the end of sentences. Starting from this lesson, we’ll explore the short forms of verbs, adjectives, and nouns, commonly used in conversations with familiar people. These short forms also serve functional roles within sentences. Both the short affirmative (dictionary form) and the te-form are types of short forms.

Short forms are used in conversations with friends and as modifiers within sentences, such as ‘something to do’ or ‘something which…’. When functioning as modifiers, short forms are placed before nouns, similar to adjectives. In these modifier clauses, the subject is always marked with “ga” instead of “wa”.

Long forms are always used at the end of sentences. The following examples demonstrate how short and long forms are utilized. Orange text indicates short forms, while blue text represents long forms.