時 制(じせい)

じせい

noun

tense (grammatical)

academiclanguage

1. tense (grammatical)

A grammatical category that locates an event in time, marking past, present, or future. A core term in linguistics and language teaching.

動詞(どうし)の時制(じせい)を覚(おぼ)える。

Memorize the tenses of verbs.

英語(えいご)は日本語(にほんご)より時制(じせい)が複雑(ふくざつ)だ。

English has more complex tenses than Japanese.

日本語(にほんご)には未来(みらい)時制(じせい)が独立(どくりつ)してなく、現在形(げんざいけい)で未来(みらい)を表(あらわ)すことが多(おお)い。

Japanese doesn't have an independent future tense; the future is often expressed with the present form.

Compound of 時(じ) (time) + 制(せい) (system). A specialized linguistic term, used mainly in grammar instruction and academic linguistics.

Common collocations

現在(げんざい)時制(じせい): present tense
過去(かこ)時制(じせい): past tense
未来(みらい)時制(じせい): future tense
時制(じせい)の一致(いっち): tense agreement (sequence of tenses)
時制(じせい)を変(か)える: to change the tense

Similar words

テンス: tense — the loanword equivalent, used in linguistics papers
相(そう): aspect — a related grammatical category (e.g., progressive, perfective)
法(ほう): mood — another verbal category (indicative, imperative, etc.)

Related Words

Compare: 法(ほう) (mood)

Compare: 過去形(かこけい) (past tense (form))

general

Added 2026.5.28 12:07 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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