たて (tate)
～たて — “freshly ～ed / just done”
Pattern
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動詞ます形の語幹 ＋ たてmasu-stem + たて (焼きたて, 出来たて, とれたて)
Meaning and connection
Drop ます from the verb and add たて: 焼く → 焼きたて, 取れる → とれたて, 出来る → 出来たて. The result works like a noun and can describe another noun with の: 焼きたてのパン.
Typical words
It is fixed in a limited set of words: 焼きたて (freshly baked), 炊きたて (freshly cooked rice), 出来たて (just made), とれたて (freshly picked/caught), 生まれたて (newborn), 洗いたて (freshly washed). Do not make it freely with any verb.
Difference from ～たばかり
～たばかり just says an action finished a short time ago. ～たて carries the positive feeling that the thing is still fresh and at its best.
Examples
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焼（や）きたてのパンはとてもおいしい。
Yakitate no pan wa totemo oishii.
Freshly baked bread is very delicious.
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とれたての野菜（やさい）は、味（あじ）が濃（こ）くておいしい。
Toretate no yasai wa, aji ga kute oishii.
Freshly picked vegetables taste rich and delicious.
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出来（でき）たての料理（りょうり）を、熱（あつ）いうちにどうぞ。
Dekitate no ryōri o, atsui uchi ni dōzo.
Please enjoy the freshly made dish while it's still hot.
Common mistakes
- Attach it to the masu-stem, not to the ta-form: 焼きたて, not 焼いたたて.
- It is a limited set of words. For other actions, use ～たばかり.
More grammar points
- 上（あ）げる ～上げる — to finish ～ completely
- 合（あ）う ～合う — do ～ to each other; to fit, to suit
- だらけ ～だらけ — covered in ～, full of ～ (something bad)
- がち ～がち — tends to ～ (usually undesirable)
- がたい ～がたい — hard to ～
- 気味（ぎみ） ～気味 — a touch of ～
- かける ～かける — half-done, in the middle of ～
- 切（き）れない ～切れない — cannot finish, cannot fully ～
- 切（き）る ～切る — do ～ completely, to the end
- 込（こ）む ～込む — into, crowded, deeply ～
- 向（む）け ～向け — intended for ～, aimed at ～
- 向（む）き ～向き — suited to ～, facing ～
- 直（なお）す ～直す — do ～ over again
- っぱなし ～っぱなし — leaving ～ as it is
- っぽい ～っぽい — ～-ish / tends to be ～
- 的（てき） ～的 — “-like / -al” (makes an adjective)
- 通（とお）す ～通す — “do ～ all the way through”
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
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