- Basic forms
- 表す — to express; to represent / base form
- 表します — (I) express / masu form
- 表した — expressed / ta form
- 表して — express and …; please express / te-form
- 表さない — do not express / negative form
- 表せば — if (you) express / conditional
- 表せ・表しなさい — express! / imperative
- Other common forms
- 表したい — want to express / 〜たい form
- 表せる — can express / potential
- 表せた — was able to express / past potential
- 表せない — cannot express / negative potential
- More
- 表そう — let’s express / 〜よう form
- 表さなかった — didn’t express / past negative
- 表している — is expressing / progressive
表す(あらわす) is a godan verb ending in す. The stem shifts as す → し, giving forms like 表します and 表した.
- 発表 — announcement
- 代表 — representative
- 表現 — expression
- 表面 — surface
- 表示 — display, indication
- 表裏一体 — two sides of the same coin
The kanji 表 originally depicted a side of clothing that shows on the outside. Over time, it came to represent anything external or visible — including thoughts or data. It’s often seen in the context of showing, displaying, or expressing something.
