sutete

Sutete is the te-form of the Japanese verb suteru (捨てる), which means to discard, throw away, or abandon. As a form rather than a standalone word, sutete is used to connect actions in a sentence or to make requests when combined with polite endings, such as kudasai.

In terms of grammar, 捨てる is a ru-verb (ichidan). Its te-form is 捨てて (sutete). Other common forms include 捨てた (suteta) for the past tense, 捨てない (sutenai) for the negative, and 捨てられる (suterareru) for the potential or passive voice. Phrases like 捨てておく (sutete oku) indicate disposing of something in advance, while 捨ててしまう (sutete shimau) conveys a sense of completion or regret about discarding.

Usage and examples illustrate how sutete functions in everyday Japanese. For example, 不要な物は捨ててください means “Please throw away the unnecessary items.” 捨ててしまった used in context such as 彼は古い手紙を捨ててしまった, “He ended up throwing away the old letter.” The construct can also appear in sequences like 捨ててから掃除する, “dispose of it and then clean up,” showing how sutete connects actions.

Related terms and distinctions are important for clarity. 捨てる (suteru) is the base verb; 見捨てる (misuteru) means “to abandon or overlook someone,” a different verb with different nuance and kanji. In written and formal contexts, care is taken to distinguish discard-related phrases from abandonment phrases.

See also: 捨てる, 見捨てる, ごみの捨て方, 捨て方.