Japanese 教える: teach or tell information

The idea

教おしえる is an ichidan verb: remove final る and add ます or て to make 教おしえます and 教おしえて. 教おしえません is polite negative and 教おしえました is polite past; the non-past can describe a habit or the future. Mark the recipient with に and the subject or information with を. 教おしえる can mean “tell” as well as “teach”; 聞きく is to ask or listen.

Examples

• 先生せんせいが学生がくせいに日本語にほんごを教おしえます。The teacher teaches Japanese to students.
• 今日きょうは名前なまえを教おしえません。I will not tell my name today.
• 昨日きのう、友達ともだちに道みちを教おしえました。Yesterday I told a friend the way.
• 駅えきへの行いき方かたを教おしえてください。Please tell me how to get to the station.
• 友達ともだちが子こどもに漢字かんじを教おしえています。A friend is teaching a child kanji.
• わたしの電話番号でんわばんごうを教おしえてもいいですか。May I tell you my phone number?

Watch out

The dictionary form 教おしえる is plain speech. In polite conversation use 教おしえます; the て form is 教おしえて, not the dictionary form plus て.

Try it yourself

1. 先生せんせいが学生がくせいに日本語にほんごを＿。（教おしえる→ます）

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   教えます

   教おしえます is the polite non-past of 教おしえる; context tells whether it describes a habit or a future action.

2. ＿。（教おしえる→て）

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   教えて

   教おしえて is the て form of 教おしえる. It can join clauses or precede ください in a request.

3. 学生がくせい＿日本語にほんごを教おしえます。（に／を）

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   に

   に marks the person receiving what is shown or taught; を marks the thing or information.

Use it today

Make a new sentence with 教おしえる. Change it to the polite past and identify its particle, then compare it with the table.