# Use of mas-form



## Kerr1gan

As a foreigner can you get by using only the mas-form, ikimasu, shimasu, tabemasu etc. or will Japanese people take offense somehow?


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## tadas

For bussiness, keeping polite form is better. For your friends, you may use more friendly form as others say to you. It sounds more friendly.

iki-masu -> iku
iki-masu-ka? -> iku? (with a rising intonation)

Note:
When you eliminate "masu" for a question, you don't have to keep "ka". "ka" without "masu" sounds strong or massive like father to son.


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## Kerr1gan

Ok, so for the familiar form you just remove the -emas ? Like

tabemasu -> tabu
shimasu -> shu
hanashimasu -> hanashu
kimasu -> ku
kaimasu -> kau

I know I'm screwing this up badly,sorry


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## tadas

When you remove "masu", the verb will be root form. This is familiar style.

tabemasu -> taberu
shimasu -> suru
hanashimasu -> hanasu
kimasu -> kiru
kaimasu -> kau

I think you know the root forms at first. When you add "masu" with a verb, the verb will change to connect with "masu".
#Inflection is so complicated that I cannot explain well...


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## Kerr1gan

Okey thanks Tadas


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## 涼宮

tadas said:


> When you remove "masu", the verb will be root form. This is familiar style.
> 
> tabemasu -> taberu
> shimasu -> suru
> hanashimasu -> hanasu
> kimasu -> kiru
> kaimasu -> kau
> 
> I think you know the root forms at first. When you add "masu" with a verb, the verb will change to connect with "masu".
> #Inflection is so complicated that I cannot explain well...



Actually it's pretty easy. I don't really understand why many people are taught the polite form first instead of the verb's stem. Forming the verb's stem is the easiest thing in Japanese and it's far better to teach the stem formation instead of ''take the -masu form and drop it'' useless rule. The stem is used for many constructions so starting with the polite form isn't the best option in my opinion.

Take the infinitive of a verb and change the last sound to -i if the verb _does not_ end in -eru/iru; if the verb ends in -eru/iru simply drop -ru, and voilà, that's all to form the root. Iku > iki, wakaru > wakari, utau > utai, hanasu > hanashi ('cause there isn't si sound in JP), matsu > machi ('cause there isn't tsi sound), shinu > shini, yomu > yomi, taberu > tabe, ikiru > iki, etc, etc. Irregulars roots are only suru and kuru and that's it. Knowing the stem and being able to form it is the best option, then we just have to add the endings like -masu without aaany problem! 

Of course one has to learn the few exceptions verbs like kaeru > kaeri, majiru > majiri, shiru > shiri, kiru (切る) > kiri. But they're simply few and don't pose any troubles to the above rule.


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## Kerr1gan

Awesome man, that's some good news, so the polite form would just be adding -masu to those roots. What other forms would you use? I take it the root forms are for family and friends? Is there another form for adressing femalea for example?


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## 涼宮

As I said, the root in Japanese is used for many constructions, so listing all of them would be too long. For example, if you add -nasai to the stem you form one of the imperative forms. Taberu > tabe > tabenasai, yomu > yomi > yominasai, etc. The root doesn't have to do with sex or family. It is also possible to use the root as a connector instead of the te-form. ご飯を食べて、映画館に行く > ご飯を食べ、映画館に行く. You will have to learn all the constructions that use the root as you learn Japanese over time .


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## Kerr1gan

Okey thanks Sbaeneg, appreciate it


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