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〜ませんでした

didn't (polite past)

Verb ます-stem + ませんでした

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Add でした to ません and you have the polite past negative: 食べませんでした, "(I) didn't eat". It's long, but it's two pieces you already know.

The conversational alternative is the plain past negative plus です: 食べなかったです. Both are accepted here.

A common slip is 食べないでした. It sounds logical, but the past goes on the negative ending itself, not with でした added afterwards.

One thing it isn't for: "haven't done it yet". That uses まだ with the ている form (まだ食べていません), which comes later. ませんでした is for a finished stretch of time: 昨日は何も食べませんでした, "I didn't eat anything yesterday."

Register: Polite. 〜なかったです is the conversational alternative.

Examples

  • 昨日きのうはどこにも行いきませんでした。

    I didn't go anywhere yesterday.

  • 今朝けさは朝あさご飯はんを食たべませんでした。

    I didn't have breakfast this morning.

  • 先週せんしゅうは雨あめが降ふりませんでした。

    It didn't rain last week.

  • パーティーに田中たなかさんは来きませんでした。

    Mr Tanaka didn't come to the party.

  • 昨日きのうは勉強べんきょうしませんでした。

    I didn't study yesterday.

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