持つ expresses holding or having something. The examples use polite everyday Japanese.

The idea

持つ is a godan verb. 持ちます is polite non-past, 持ちません negative, 持ちました past and 持って the て-form. を marks the thing held or possessed; に can mark the hand in which it is held. Here the verb is transitive.

Patterns to compare
Dictionary formPolite non-pastPolite negativePolite pastて-formPlain negative
持もつ持もちます持もちません持もちました持もって持もたない

Examples

  • 私わたしはかばんを持もっています。I have a bag with me.
  • この荷物にもつを持もってください。Please hold this luggage.
  • 右手みぎてに傘かさを持もちます。I hold an umbrella in my right hand.
  • 私わたしは車くるまを持もっていません。I do not own a car.
  • 昨日きのう、重おもい荷物にもつを持もちました。Yesterday I carried heavy luggage.
  • 財布さいふを持もって、家いえを出でます。I take my wallet and leave the house.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

持っています can describe possession or carrying, depending on context; it is not limited to an action in progress.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the particle in brackets. かばん＿持もっています。（を／に）

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    を

    を is correct. を marks the thing held or possessed; に can mark the hand in which it is held.

  2. Complete the ending to make the verb’s て-form. この荷物にもつを持も＿ください。（持もつ→て）

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    って

    って completes 持って. 持って is the て-form of 持つ; it joins actions or precedes ください in a request.

  3. Complete the ending to make the polite past. 昨日きのう、重おもい荷物にもつを持も＿。（持もつ→ました）

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    ちました

    ちました completes 持ちました. 持ちました is the polite past of 持つ; 昨日 places the event yesterday.

Use it today

Adapt an example with 持つ to your own life, then put it into the polite past. Check the particle and verb form.