Particle classification is very important to keep in mind as you learn more about particles. The particle て discussed in this lesson is a final particle and mustn't be confused with the conjunctive one. Although the conjunctive て may be at the end of a sentence in the instance that the remaining part of a sentence is not said, overall context should always help you differentiate between the two.
The main purpose of the final particle て is to make a light command. This is the contraction of ~てください, the polite command. Likewise, the negative of this is ~ないで(ください), making the absence of ください a contracted form of the pattern. Thus, its absence for both the affirmative and negative makes it go from polite to plain speech. A more polite form of both can be made by changing ください to くださいませんか.
1. ちょっと待って。(Casual)
Hold on.
2. 払い戻ししてください。
Please refund this.
3. 助けて!
Help!
4. 教科書を{閉じて・しまって}テストを受けてください。
Please do your test by closing your textbooks.
5. やめて!
Quit it!
6. これを見て。
Look at this.
7. タクシーを呼んでください。
Please call a taxi (for me).
8. はやく急いで!
Hurry quickly!
9. もっとゆっくりと話してください。
Please speak more slowly.
10. 速くしてよ!
(Do it) faster!
11. まっすぐ行ってください。
Please go straight.
12. 座布団を敷いてください。
Please sit on a cushion.
Culture Note: 座布団 are floor cushions used instead of chairs in traditional Japanese rooms.
Contraction Note: ~てて is the contraction of ~ていて. ~ている means "-ing". ~ていて creates a command similar to "be...-ing!".
In women's speech, ~(っ)てよ asserts opinion. However, this phrase has essentially disappeared in the younger generations and is most likely to be used by older women or seen in literature dating back a few decades ago. It is replaced by things such as ~てるよ.
13. あたくし、ちっとも酔ってなんかいなくてよ。
I'm not even the least bit drunk.
From 永すぎた春 by 三島由紀夫.
Particle Note: なんか is essentially a filler word here.
14. かまわなくってよ。~て, with a high intonation, can make a question. These two usages, though, are hackneyed yet refined. This, too, would be replaced with something like ~てる?.
15. あなた、私のいうことが分かって?It is to note that ~てよ is used by everyone to make a command. The sound of your voice is what matters.
~て may also follow things like だ・じゃ to tell someone to do something or give some sort of instruction/warning. This, though, is uncommon.
16. 大変なことじゃて。(Old person; dialectical)
That's a horrible thing!