hanamaru
Say something did not happen (polite past)
ませんでした is the polite way to say a verb did not happen in the past.
JLPTN5
[verb stem] + ませんでした~ masen deshita
did not [verb] (polite)
ませんでした is the polite past negative of a verb, formed by adding it to the verb stem. It combines the polite negative ません with the past でした, giving "did not (do)". Use it in polite speech where the plain form なかった would feel too casual.
Conjugation
食べる→食べませんでした
ichidan
飲む→飲みませんでした
godan
行く→行きませんでした
godan
する→しませんでした
irregular
Tips and Common Traps
Hana· Key point
ませんでした is the go-to polite form for explaining you didn't do something — handy at school, work, or when apologizing.