Use 着る for shirts, coats and other clothing worn on the upper body.
The idea
着る is an ichidan verb. Mark the garment with を: シャツを着ます means “put on a shirt” or “wear a shirt” habitually. 着ています describes the resulting state: someone has it on.
| Dictionary form | Polite non-past | Polite negative | Polite past | て form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 着る | 着ます | 着ません | 着ました | 着て |
Examples
- 毎朝、白いシャツを着ます。I put on a white shirt every morning.
- 寒いので、コートを着ます。I will put on a coat because it is cold.
- 姉は今日、赤いセーターを着ています。My older sister is wearing a red sweater today.
- 昨日、青いジャケットを着ました。Yesterday I wore a blue jacket.
- 家ではスーツを着ません。I do not wear a suit at home.
- 暖かいジャケットを着てください。Please put on a warm jacket.
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Watch out
Do not use 着る for every item: trousers and shoes usually take はく, while hats take かぶる. The homophone 切る means “cut” and is a godan verb.
Try it yourself
＿。（着る→ます）
Show answer or example answer
着ます
着ます is the polite non-past: remove る and add ます.
＿。（着る→て）
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着て
着て is the て form: remove る and add て.
今、シャツを＿。（着ています／着ます）
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着ています
着ています describes the shirt being worn now; 着ます normally describes putting it on or a habit.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
＿。（着る→ます）
＿。（着る→て）
今、シャツを＿。（着ています／着ます）
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Describe what you put on in the morning, then say what you are wearing now.