ます

Japanese

Noun

ます (romaji masu)

1. 枡, 升, 桝, 斗: a square wooden measuring cup
2. 鱒: a trout
3. マス: a mass (as in a crowd or lump)

Verb

ます (romaji masu)

1. 益す, 増す: to increase
2. 在す, 坐す: to be (honorific; rare)
3. 申す: to speak
4. 摩す, 磨す: to rub, scrub, polish, chafe

Etymology

The -ます ending is generally believed to have come from the Old Japanese auxiliary verb mawirasuru (mairasuru: to humbly do something for a superior; idiomatic use arising from the causative conjugation of 参る (mairu)) > marasuru > massuru > masuru > masu.

Suffix

ます (romaji masu)

1. expresses politeness toward and distance from the listener: vaguely similar to the social context indicated by the usted verb conjugation in Spanish, the vous conjugation in French, or the Sie conjugation in German

Conjugation

• Imperative: ませ or まし (rare)
• Volitional: ましょう
• Negative: ません
• Past negative ませんでした
• Past tense: ました
• Conjunctive: まして
• Hypothetical conditional: ますれば (rare)

Other forms not attested.

Usage notes

Connects to the continuative form (連用形 (ren'yōkei)) of a verb and inflects partially like type 1 verbs. The imperative forms are only used with honorific verbs, e.g. いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), なさいませ (nasaimase), 下さいませ (kudasaimase). The old dictionary form まする is still sometimes used. When there is a choice, attaches last: e.g. polite passive is 話されます, not 話しまされる.

Alternative forms

• 在す, 坐す (rare)

See also

• です