A1 Verb Basics 1 min read Leicht

Polite Negative: ません (masen) — "I don't..."

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

To make a polite verb negative, simply replace the final {ます|masu} with {ません|masen}.

  • Identify the polite verb ending in {ます|masu}.
  • Remove the {ます|masu} suffix completely.
  • Attach {ません|masen} to the remaining verb stem.
Verb-stem + ます (Affirmative) ➡️ Verb-stem + ません (Negative)

Overview

To make a polite negative sentence in Japanese ("I don't...«, »I won't..."), simply replace ます with ません. This is one of the easiest and most regular patterns in Japanese — no exceptions, no irregular forms. If you know the masu form of any verb, you automatically know its negative.
食べます (I eat) → 食べません (I don't eat). 行きます (I go) → 行きません (I don't go). します (I do) → しません (I don't do).
来ます (I come) → 来ません (I don't come). Like the affirmative masu form, ません covers both present habitual ("I don't eat fish) and future negation (I won't go tomorrow"). Context determines which meaning is intended.
In casual Japanese, the plain negative form is used instead (食べない, 行かない), but ません is the safe, polite choice for all formal and semi-formal situations. Note that ません can also be used to make polite invitations: 一緒に行きませんか (Won't you go together with me? = Would you like to go together?).
This negative question pattern is a very common and natural way to invite someone in Japanese.

Meanings

The {ません|masen} form is the standard polite way to express negation for verbs in Japanese. It is used in almost all social situations where you are not speaking to close friends or family.

1

Simple Negation

Denying an action in the present or future.

“{明日、学校へ行きません|あした、がっこうへいきません}”

“{コーヒーを飲みません|こーひーをのみません}”

Masu-stem Negative Conjugation

Verb (Dictionary) Polite Affirmative Polite Negative
食べる (taberu) 食べます 食べません
飲む (nomu) 飲みます 飲みません
行く (iku) 行きます 行きません
する (suru) します しません
来る (kuru) 来ます 来ません
話す (hanasu) 話します 話しません
買う (kau) 買います 買いません
見る (miru) 見ます 見ません

Reference Table

Reference table for Polite Negative: ません (masen) — "I don't..."
Form Structure Example
Affirmative Stem + ます 食べます
Negative Stem + ません 食べません
Question Stem + ますか 食べますか
Negative Question Stem + ませんか 食べませんか
Past Affirmative Stem + ました 食べました
Past Negative Stem + ませんでした 食べませんでした

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
肉を食べません。

肉を食べません。 (Dining)

Neutral
肉を食べません。

肉を食べません。 (Dining)

Informell
肉を食べない。

肉を食べない。 (Dining)

Umgangssprache
肉食わない。

肉食わない。 (Dining)

The Masu-Stem Transformation

Verb Stem

Affirmative

  • ます Polite Yes

Negative

  • ません Polite No

Polite vs Casual Negation

Polite
食べません I don't eat
Casual
食べない I don't eat
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Beispiele nach Niveau

1

{私は肉を食べません|わたしはにくをたべません}

I do not eat meat.

2

{日本語を話しません|にほんごをはなしません}

I do not speak Japanese.

3

{テレビを見ません|てれびをみません}

I do not watch TV.

4

{学校へ行きません|がっこうへいきません}

I do not go to school.

1

{今日は働きません|きょうははたらきません}

I am not working today.

2

{お酒を飲みません|おさけをのみません}

I do not drink alcohol.

3

{宿題をしません|しゅくだいをしません}

I do not do homework.

4

{ここには来ません|ここにはきません}

I do not come here.

1

{そんなことは言いません|そんなことはいいません}

I would not say such a thing.

2

{この電車は止まりません|このでんしゃはとまりません}

This train does not stop here.

3

{あまり本を読みません|あまりほんをよみません}

I don't read books much.

4

{会議には参加しません|かいぎにはさんかしません}

I will not participate in the meeting.

1

{その提案には同意しません|そのていあんにはどういしません}

I do not agree with that proposal.

2

{彼は決して嘘をつきません|かれはけっしてうそをつきません}

He never tells a lie.

3

{この機械は動きません|このきかいはうごきません}

This machine does not work.

4

{そんなことは認めません|そんなことはみとめません}

I will not allow such a thing.

1

{一切の責任を負いません|いっさいのせきにんをおいません}

I take no responsibility whatsoever.

2

{妥協はいたしません|だきょうはいたしません}

I will not compromise.

3

{その事実を否定しません|そのじじつをひていしません}

I do not deny that fact.

4

{例外は認めません|れいがいはみとめません}

I do not allow exceptions.

1

{微塵も疑いません|みじんもうたがいません}

I do not doubt it in the slightest.

2

{決して妥協はいたしません|けっしてだきょうはいたしません}

I shall never compromise.

3

{その見解には与しません|そのけんかいにはくみしません}

I do not subscribe to that view.

4

{一切の関与をいたしません|いっさいのかんよをいたしません}

I will not be involved in any way.

Leicht verwechselbar

Polite Negative: ません (masen) — "I don't..." vs. Masen vs Nai

Learners mix up the polite and casual negative forms.

Polite Negative: ません (masen) — "I don't..." vs. Masen vs Masendeshita

Learners use present tense for past events.

Polite Negative: ません (masen) — "I don't..." vs. Masen vs Arimasen

Learners use 'masen' for existence (to have).

Häufige Fehler

✗

食べますません

✓

食べません

You cannot have both masu and masen.
✗

食べないます

✓

食べません

Mixing casual and polite forms.
✗

食べませんない

✓

食べません

Double negation.
✗

食べませんです

✓

食べません

Masen already includes the polite copula.
✗

行きますない

✓

行きません

Incorrect conjugation.
✗

しませんます

✓

しません

Incorrect suffix order.
✗

来ますません

✓

来ません

Double polite marker.
✗

飲みませんだ

✓

飲みませんでした

Incorrect past tense.
✗

話しませんでした

✓

話しませんでした

This is correct, but learners often forget the 'deshita' part.
✗

食べませんですた

✓

食べませんでした

Incorrect past tense conjugation.
✗

いたしませんでした

✓

いたしませんでした

Correct, but ensure the stem is correct.
✗

与しませんでした

✓

与しませんでした

Correct, but ensure the stem is correct.
✗

認めませんでした

✓

認めませんでした

Correct, but ensure the stem is correct.

Satzmuster

私は___を___ません。

___へは___ません。

___は___をしません。

___は___とは言いません。

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

肉は食べません。

Travel very common

日本語は話しません。

Work very common

会議には参加しません。

Social media common

テレビは見ません。

Texting common

行きません。

Job interview very formal

妥協はいたしません。

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💡

Consistency

Always use 'masen' for polite speech. Don't switch to casual mid-sentence.
⚠️

Don't double up

Never say 'masu masen'. It's like saying 'do not not'.
🎯

Past tense

Remember to add 'deshita' for past negative: 'masendeshita'.
💬

Politeness

When in doubt, use 'masen'. It's always safer than being too casual.

Smart Tips

Use 'masen' instead of 'nai'.

私は食べない。 → 私は食べません。

Add 'deshita' to 'masen'.

昨日食べません。 → 昨日食べませんでした。

Use 'masenka' for polite invitations.

食べますか？ → 食べませんか？

Always default to 'masen'.

行かない。 → 行きません。

Aussprache

ma-sen

Masen

The 'u' in 'masu' is often devoiced, but in 'masen', the 'e' is clearly pronounced.

Statement

Masen ↘

Neutral negative statement.

Question

Masen ka? ↗

Polite negative question.

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Masen sounds like 'Ma-send', so imagine you are sending a letter saying 'No, I won't do it!'

Visuelle Assoziation

Imagine a polite waiter holding a tray. He shakes his head and says 'Masen!' when you ask for something he doesn't have.

Rhyme

When you want to say no, don't be a mess, just swap out the masu for a masen.

Story

Kenji is at a party. He doesn't drink alcohol. When offered a beer, he politely says 'Nomimasen'. The host understands immediately and offers him tea instead.

Word Web

食べません飲みません行きませんしません来ません見ません

Herausforderung

Write down 5 things you do not do every day using the ません form.

Kulturelle Hinweise

Using 'masen' is the hallmark of polite, respectful speech in Japan.

In Osaka, you might hear 'mahen' instead of 'masen'.

In business, 'masen' is often replaced by even more formal 'itashimasen'.

The 'masu' suffix evolved from the humble verb 'mairaseru'.

Gesprächseinstiege

“

納豆を食べますか？ (Do you eat natto?)

“

明日、学校へ行きますか？ (Are you going to school tomorrow?)

“

お酒を飲みますか？ (Do you drink alcohol?)

“

この仕事を手伝いますか？ (Will you help with this work?)

Tagebuch-Impulse

Write 3 things you do not do on weekends.
Describe a food you do not eat and why.
Write about a place you do not visit often.
Write a formal email declining an invitation.
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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

私は肉を___。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 食べません
Masen is the polite negative.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

Which is the polite negative?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 食べません
Masen is the polite negative.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

私はテレビを見ますません。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 私はテレビを見ません。
Remove masu before adding masen.
Change to negative. Sentence Transformation

私は行きます。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 私は行きません。
Change masu to masen.
Match the verb to its negative. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 飲みません
Nomimasu becomes nomimasen.
Fill in the blank.

彼は宿題を___。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: しません
Shimasu becomes shimasen.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

Which is correct for 'I don't come'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 来ません
Kimasu becomes kimasen.
Change to negative. Sentence Transformation

私は話します。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 私は話しません。
Hanasimasu becomes hanasimasen.

Score: /8

Ubungsaufgaben

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

私は肉を___。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 食べません
Masen is the polite negative.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

Which is the polite negative?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 食べません
Masen is the polite negative.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

私はテレビを見ますません。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 私はテレビを見ません。
Remove masu before adding masen.
Change to negative. Sentence Transformation

私は行きます。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 私は行きません。
Change masu to masen.
Match the verb to its negative. Match Pairs

Match: 飲みます

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 飲みません
Nomimasu becomes nomimasen.
Fill in the blank.

彼は宿題を___。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: しません
Shimasu becomes shimasen.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

Which is correct for 'I don't come'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 来ません
Kimasu becomes kimasen.
Change to negative. Sentence Transformation

私は話します。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 私は話しません。
Hanasimasu becomes hanasimasen.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

No, 'masen' is for polite speech. Use 'nai' with friends.

Yes, in polite settings. It's the standard negative.

Use 'masendeshita'.

That is the past tense negative.

It is polite, which is the standard for most interactions.

Yes, but sometimes 'itashimasen' is better.

Register. 'Masen' is polite, 'nai' is casual.

Add 'ka' to the end: 'masenka?'.

Scaffolded Practice

1

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2

2

3

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4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

No + verb

Japanese is suffix-based; Spanish is word-based.

French low

ne...pas

Japanese is a single suffix.

German low

nicht

Japanese is a single suffix.

Chinese moderate

不 (bù)

Japanese is a single suffix.

Arabic low

la (لا)

Japanese is a single suffix.

English low

do not

Japanese is a single suffix.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Polite Present & Future: The ます (masu) Form
Next
Polite Past Tense: ました (mashita) — "I did..."

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