待つ expresses waiting. The examples use polite everyday Japanese.
The idea
待つ is a godan verb. 待ちます is polite non-past, 待ちません negative, 待ちました past and 待って the て-form. を marks the person or thing awaited; で marks where one waits. Here the verb is transitive.
| Dictionary form | Polite non-past | Polite negative | Polite past | て-form | Plain negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 待つ | 待ちます | 待ちません | 待ちました | 待って | 待たない |
Examples
- 駅の前で友だちを待ちます。I wait for a friend in front of the station.
- ここで少し待ってください。Please wait here a little.
- 昨日は一時間待ちました。Yesterday I waited for an hour.
- 今日はバスを待ちません。I will not wait for the bus today.
- 母が来るまで待ちます。I will wait until my mother comes.
- 私は外で待っています。I am waiting outside.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
The godan て-form is 待って, not 待ちて. まで can mean “until” before a clause.
Try it yourself
Choose the particle in brackets. 友だち＿待ちます。（を／に）
Show answer or example answer
を
を is correct. を marks the person or thing awaited; で marks where one waits.
Complete the ending to make the verb’s て-form. ここで待＿ください。（待つ→て）
Show answer or example answer
って
って completes 待って. 待って is the て-form of 待つ; it joins actions or precedes ください in a request.
Complete the ending to make the polite past. 昨日、一時間待＿。（待つ→ました）
Show answer or example answer
ちました
ちました completes 待ちました. 待ちました is the polite past of 待つ; 昨日 places the event yesterday.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Choose the particle in brackets. 友だち＿待ちます。（を／に）
Complete the ending to make the verb’s て-form. ここで待＿ください。（待つ→て）
Complete the ending to make the polite past. 昨日、一時間待＿。（待つ→ました）
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Adapt an example with 待つ to your own life, then put it into the polite past. Check the particle and verb form.