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〜ません

doesn't, won't (polite)

Verb ます-stem + ません

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Swap ます for ません and the verb becomes negative: 食べません, "(I) don't eat" or "(I) won't eat". Like ます, it covers both habits and plans: お酒は飲みません, "I don't drink"; 明日は行きません, "I'm not going tomorrow".

You'll also hear the plain negative plus です, 食べないです, which means the same and is very common in conversation. Both are accepted here.

ません is for verbs. After a noun, "isn't" is じゃありません (学生じゃありません), and "there isn't" is ありません. It's easy to mix these up at first because they all end the same way.

Register: Polite. 〜ないです means the same and is common in conversation.

Examples

  • 私わたしはお酒さけを飲のみません。

    I don't drink alcohol.

  • 日曜日にちようびは働はたらきません。

    I don't work on Sundays.

  • 朝あさご飯はんは食たべません。

    I don't eat breakfast.

  • 明日あしたは学校がっこうに来きません。

    I'm not coming to school tomorrow.

  • テレビはあまり見みません。

    I don't watch much TV.

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