～ません (Negative polite present)

Once you’ve learned how to use ～ます to say things politely in Japanese, the next step is knowing how to say what you don’t do.

That’s where ～ません (masen) comes in — the negative version of ～ます.
It’s polite, simple, and used all the time in daily conversation.

In this guide, we’ll show you:

• What ～ません means and how to use it
• How to turn verbs into negative polite form
• Real examples from daily life
• Easy practice to help you master it

Let’s get into it 👇

What Does ～ません Mean?

「～ません」is the polite negative form of a verb.
You use it when you want to say “I don’t” or “I won’t.”

Think of it like the opposite of ～ます. For example:

• たべます (tabemasu) = I eat
• たべません (tabemasen) = I don’t eat / I won't eat

In a full sentence, it could be:

ごはんはたべますが、パンはたべません。"I eat rice, but I don't eat bread*."

*Both yummy carbs though. 🍚🍞

It’s perfect for most situations, using a standard polite tone.

How to Change ～ます to ～ません

It’s super easy. Just take the ～ます form of a verb and swap it with ～ません. That's it! The same rules apply.

Here are a few examples:

• のみます → のみません
  (I drink → I don’t drink)
• いきます → いきません
  (I go → I don’t go)
• します → しません
  (I do → I don’t do)
• きます → きません
  (I come → I don’t come)

If you know the 〜ます form, you already know how to make it negative!

How to Conjugate Verbs into ～ません Form

Just like with ～ます, Japanese verbs fall into 3 types. Each one changes to ～ません a little differently, but don’t worry, the rules are straightforward once you get the hang of them.

1. Group 1 Verbs (Godan 動詞)

These are the most common. You'll recognize them by their う-ending in plain form.

Examples:

• のむ (nomu) → のみません (nomimasen)
• いく (iku) → いきません (ikimasen)
• よむ (yomu) → よみません (yomimasen)

➡ Rule: Change the final う-sound to an い-sound, then add ～ません.

2. Group 2 Verbs (Ichidan 動詞)

These usually end in ～る, and the sound before ～る is e or i.

Examples:

• たべる (taberu) → たべません (tabemasen)
• みる (miru) → みません (mimasen)

➡ Rule: Drop ～る and just add ～ません.

3. Group 3 Verbs (Irregular)

Only two verbs break the rules — just memorize these!

• する (suru) → しません (shimasen)
• くる (kuru) → きません (kimasen)

These show up in all kinds of everyday situations like:

• べんきょうしません (I don’t study)
• あさ、きません (He doesn’t come in the morning)

Quick Check:

Let’s try turning these into ～ません form!

• よむ (yomu) → よみません
• はなす (hanasu) → はなしません
• ねる (neru) → ねません
• する → しません
• くる → きません

All good? You’re on your way to mastering polite negatives in Japanese! 💪

Everyday Example Sentences

Let’s look at more examples of how people actually use ～ません in daily life.

にくをたべません。

Niku wo tabemasen. → I don’t eat meat.

(Hello, vegetarian/vegan friends 🥬)

あさごはんをたべません。

Asa gohan wo tabemasen. → I don’t eat breakfast.

(Hello, fellow intermittent fasters 🍽️)

あした、がっこうにいきません。

Ashita, gakkou ni ikimasen. → I’m not going to school tomorrow.

カフェインをのみません。

Kafein wo nomimasen. → I don’t drink caffeine.

スポーツをしません。

Supootsu wo shimasen. → I don’t play sports.

けっこんしません。

Kekkon shimasen. → I’m not getting married. (😅)

→ Want to make it stronger? けっこんなんかしません！！😖 (Caution: makes you sound a tad rude, so don't say it to your boss)

Quick Recap

ます vs ません

• ～ます = polite, positive
• ～ません = polite, negative

Use it when…

• You want to say “no” gently
• You’re speaking to strangers, teachers, coworkers, etc.

Don’t use it with adjectives!

Use 〜くないです (for い-adjectives) or 〜じゃないです (for な-adjectives) instead.

Example:
さむい → さむくないです。 (It’s not cold.)
きれい → きれいじゃないです。 (Not pretty.)

Final Thoughts

Ready to say "no"? Now with ～ません you're fully equipped to turn people down (which is actually kind of hard in Japanese culture). If you want to sound like a (respectful) rebellious teen, this is your go-to grammar form. ✌️