shimasu

Shimasu is the polite present form of the Japanese verb suru, meaning “to do.” It is the standard polite form used in everyday speech and writing. In addition to its core meaning, shimasu also functions as a versatile auxiliary verb that turns many nouns into verbs, enabling phrases such as benkyou shimasu (I study) or kaigi shimasu (I hold a meeting).

Many common verbs in Japanese are created by attaching suru to a noun, forming suru verbs. The basic pattern is the noun combined with suru to indicate performing the action described by the noun. In polite speech this becomes shimasu: benkyou shimasu (to study), kaigi shimasu (to hold a meeting), soudan shimasu (to consult). This productivity makes suru verbs one of the most frequent verb types in modern Japanese. Some nouns already have fixed verb forms, but the general pattern remains noun + suru (or noun + o + suru in some contexts).

Conjugation and forms: shimasu marks the present/future polite tense. Its negative is shimasen, and the past polite form is shimashita. The negative past is shimasen deshita. The te-form is shite, used to link actions or request continuations (shite kudasai). The volitional form is shimashou, and common conditional forms include shitara or shiteba.

Usage notes: Shimasu is the default polite form in formal and semi-formal settings. The plain, casual form of suru is suru; it is used in informal speech. Shimasu often appears with verbs borrowed from other languages or more formal expressions, reflecting its central role in everyday Japanese grammar.