Oct 14 • Daily Actions & Wins
Today’s Quiz: ます vs る — The Art of Politeness
In Japanese, how you say something changes everything.
It’s not just grammar — it’s a reflection of respect, closeness and social awareness.
There are two common “faces” of every verb:
ます form 食べます (tabemasu) eat / will eat polite, formal, respectful
る form 食べる (taberu) eat / will eat casual, neutral, close relationships
The meaning doesn’t change — the relationship does.
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You’re speaking to your Japanese teacher after class. Which sounds natural?
a) 今日カレーを食べる。
Kyou karee o taberu
b) 今日カレーを食べます。
Kyou karee o tabemasu
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You’re chatting with a close friend at lunch. Which one fits better?
a) 今、食べます。
Ima, tabemasu
b) 今、食べる。
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1️⃣ すぐ行く。
2️⃣ すぐ行きます。
3️⃣ すぐ行くね。
👉 Which would you use with your boss? Your best friend? Your classmate?
How does adding 「ね」 change the mood?
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💬 Comment your answers below!
Try writing your own mini-dialogue using both ます and る forms.
For example:
> A: 明日何をしますか？
B: 映画を見ます。
A: 明日何をする？
B: 映画を見る。
That’s real Japanese balance — polite and natural.
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Today’s Quiz: ます vs る — The Art of Politeness
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