← All Japanese verbs and adjectives
Japanese verb問う (tou) Conjugation
問う (tou) means “to ask, to inquire”. It is an irregular verb. It is irregular: 問わない, 問います, 問うて. Below is its conjugation in all 14 forms, plain and polite, the same forms the Japanese verb conjugation worksheets print in their answer keys.
- Meaning
- to ask, to inquire
- Type
- irregular verb
- Dictionary form
- 問う
- Reading
- とう
- Romaji
- tou
- Masu form
- 問います
- Nai form
- 問わない
- Te-form
- 問うて
- Ta form
- 問うた
Basic forms
Present現在形・辞書形
| Plain | 問う |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問わない |
| Polite | 問います |
| Polite negative | 問いません |
Past過去形・た形
| Plain | 問うた |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問わなかった |
| Polite | 問いました |
| Polite negative | 問いませんでした |
Te-formて形
| Plain | 問うて |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問わないで |
Progressive (-te iru)ている
| Plain | 問うている |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問うていない |
| Polite | 問うています |
| Polite negative | 問うていません |
Wanting, inviting, telling
Want to (-tai)たい形
| Plain | 問いたい |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問いたくない |
| Polite | 問いたいです |
| Polite negative | 問いたくないです |
Volitional意向形
| Plain | 問おう |
|---|---|
| Polite | 問いましょう |
Imperative and requests命令形
| Plain command | 問え |
|---|---|
| Plain negative (don't) | 問うな |
| Polite request (-te kudasai) | 問うてください |
| Polite negative (-naide kudasai) | 問わないでください |
Can and if
Potential可能形
| Plain | 問える |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問えない |
| Polite | 問えます |
| Polite negative | 問えません |
Conditional (-ba)仮定形・ば
| Plain | 問えば |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問わなければ |
Conditional (-tara)たら
| Plain | 問うたら |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問わなかったら |
Passive and causative
Passive受身形
| Plain | 問われる |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問われない |
| Polite | 問われます |
| Polite negative | 問われません |
Causative使役形
| Plain | 問わせる |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問わせない |
| Polite | 問わせます |
| Polite negative | 問わせません |
Causative passive使役受身形
| Plain | 問わされる |
|---|---|
| Plain negative | 問わされない |
| Polite | 問わされます |
| Polite negative | 問わされません |
More common Japanese verbs and adjectives
- 不明 (fumei)unclear, obscure, indistinct
- 普通 (futsuu)normal, ordinary, regular
- 豊か (yutaka)abundant, plentiful, rich
- 本当 (hontou)truth, reality, actuality
- 名誉 (meiyo)honor, honour, credit
- 明確 (meikaku)clear, precise, definite
- 有効 (yuukou)valid, effective
- 有力 (yuuryoku)influential, prominent, leading
- 選ぶ (erabu)to choose, to select, to pick
- 確か (tashika)sure, certain, positive
- 活発 (kappatsu)lively, active, vigorous
- 基本的 (kihonteki)fundamental, basic
About these tables
The forms are built from Wiktionary's conjugation tables, and they are the ones the Japanese verb conjugation worksheet generator prints, so a chart or answer key made there matches this page. That page explains how the forms were checked.
Print this verb chart opens 問う (tou) on the worksheet preview with every form filled in, ready to print on A4 or US Letter or save as PDF. To practice it with other verbs and adjectives, the generator also makes blank conjugation boxes and quick quizzes with answer keys. To practice online instead, the Japanese verb conjugation quiz marks each form as you type it.
Verbs, adjectives and their meanings come from JMdict, the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, used in conformance with the Group's licence. The forms are built by the standard rules, with the irregular ones written out.