I understand that てる and てます are basically shortened versions of ている and ています,
but if you are supposed talking "formally"/"polite" why would you use a
shortened version?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-23T02:38:39.290
99428
2023-04-24T01:29:04.023
55638
question
politeness
when is てます used over ています if you are supposed to be talking "polite"
てる and てます are very common and safe in ordinary workplaces when you are
_speaking_ Japanese. You can even combine it with honorific verbs and say
something like 見てらっしゃいます. But they are generally avoided when you are
_writing_ something formally. Also, when you are giving a formal speech with a
microphone in front of dozens of people, it's safer to avoid this contraction
even if it's spoken.

In general, you cannot explain an expression's register using a single axis.
We need to use different adjectives that are related but different, such as
"honorific", "polite", "written", "formal", "stilted" and "pompous". If I have
to choose a single adjective to describe てる/てます, I would choose "colloquial",
which is related to but not exactly the same as "informal".
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-24T01:29:04.023
99438
2023-04-24T01:29:04.023
5010
99428
answer