日: 2026年4月15日

Let us look at complex sentences consisting with two verb clauses in which “te” of Te-form of the first verb functions as conjunctive particle.

[Verb clause1]+te, [Verb clause2]. = [V1-te], [V2].

There are three types of sentences of this construcion.

1. Sequence of actions; Action of verb1 has happened, and then action of verb2 takes place.  

2. Incidental actions; While action of verb2 is being carried out, action of verb1 is keeping on.

3. Cause/Reason; Action of verb1 is the cause/reason of action2 of verb2.

There is one thing that is important for this construction “[V1-te], [V2]”. The subject for verb1 and the subject for verb2 must be identical. Only for 3, The subject for verb1 and the subject for verb2 can be different.

And in order to make clear difference between 1.”Sequence of actions” and 2.”Incidental actions”, a well-written textbook introduces 1. using three verbs as the following;

1′. [V1-te], [V2-te], [V3].

So, we will learn this construction 1′ to describe a sequence of actions.

4. Ashite Koube e Itte, Minato o Mite, Chuuka-Ryouri o Tabemasu.

(Tomorrow, I will go to Kobe, see the port, and eat Chinese cuisine there.)

This sentence is in future tense.

5. Kinou no Yoru, Bangohan o Tabete, Douga-Kyouyuu Saito o Mite, Nemasita.

(Last night, I ate supper, watched a video sharing site, and then went to bed.)

This sentence is in past tense.

6. Nichiyoubi, watashi wa Soujishite, Sentakushite, Kaimononi Ikimasu.

(On Sunday, I clean the room, wash my clothes, and go shopping.)

Note that each sentence has three verbs, and the subject for the three verbs is identical (it’s “I”).

This post was written with reference to the exercise A1 on Section 16 of “Minna no Nihongo (2^nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”