Present and future
now, habits, and what is to come
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI stay the night | ||
| NegativeI don’t stay the night |
Conjugation
Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.
Past
finished actions
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI stayed the night | ||
| NegativeI didn’t stay the night |
Te-form
て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| て-formstaying the night, and… | ||
| Doing now (て います)I am staying the night | ||
| Please (て ください)please stay the night |
Potential
可能形 · “can”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI can stay the night | ||
| NegativeI can’t stay the night |
Want to
たい形 · “want to”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI want to stay the night | ||
| NegativeI don’t want to stay the night |
Volitional
意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Let’slet’s stay the night |
Conditional
条件形 · “if” and “when”
- If (ば) if I stay the night
- If, when (たら) if I stay the night
Commands and requests
命令形 · from gentle to blunt
- Do it (なさい) stay the night (do it)
- Plain command stay the night!
- Please don’t please don’t stay the night
Passive and causative
受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| PassiveI am stayed the night | ||
| CausativeI make someone stay the night |
How to use とまる
One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.
-
Present and future
きょうと で は、 りょかん に とまります。
In Kyoto we'll stay at a ryokan.
-
Past
ゆうべ は ともだち の いえ に とまった。
Last night I stayed over at a friend's.
-
Te-form
いま、 おんせん の ちかく の ホテル に とまって います。
We're staying at a hotel near the hot springs right now.
-
Potential
この ホテル に は、 ペット と いっしょ に とまれます。
You can stay at this hotel with a pet.
-
Want to
いちど、 おしろ の ホテル に とまりたい。
I'd like to stay in a castle hotel once.
-
Volitional
おそく なった から、 きょう は とまろう。
It's got late, so let's stay the night.
-
Conditional
ふたり で とまれば、 やすく なります。
If two of us share, it's cheaper.
-
Commands and requests
あぶない から、 こんや は うち に とまりなさい。
It's dangerous, stay at our place tonight.
-
Passive and causative
とつぜん きた しんせき に、 いっしゅうかん とまられた。
Relatives turned up out of the blue and stayed a week on us.
Good to know
- とまる (stay) is 泊まる, to spend the night; とまる, to stop, is 止まる: they sound the same.
- The place you stay takes に: ホテル に とまる; とめる is to put someone up.
Verbs like this one
The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).