る-Verb (Past)る - Verbs (Past tense)

The non-past (or dictionary) form expresses habitual or future actions, while the past form expresses completed actions or past states. For る-Verbs, change the final る to た to form the past tense. Both the non-past and past forms are casual, non-polite forms used in conversation or other grammar patterns.

The dictionary form of a る-verb is its base form, expressing current, habitual, or future actions (e.g., 食べる = 'I eat' or 'I will eat'). The past form (-た form) describes completed actions or past states (e.g., 食べた = 'I ate'). Both forms are commonly used in casual speech and various grammar patterns requiring plain verb forms, such as ～と思います ('I think').

The る-Verb (Past) expresses completed actions or past states. Unlike English, verbs can modify nouns directly, similar to い-Adjectives. For example, 食べたケーキ means 'the cake [I] ate.' This applies mainly to the plain/casual form, while the polite ます form is used at the end of clauses or sentences.

The past form of verbs expresses a completed action or an action that took place in the past, similar to the English '-ed.' It is a plain form often used in casual conversation or as part of other grammatical structures. The past form differs for る-Verbs and う-Verbs (e.g., 食べる becomes 食べた, and 買う becomes 買った), but the meaning of the conjugation is the same.

These forms are used with る-Verbs to express the idea of having done or not having done a particular action in the past. The difference is whether the meaning is affirmative ('did') or negative ('did not'). For example, 食べた means 'I ate,' while 食べなかった means 'I did not eat.' Both are plain forms used in casual speech or as part of other grammatical forms.