6 ～は～です
Table Of Content
Grammar
Grammar: Noun + は + Noun + です
"は" is a particle that indicates the topic, indicating that the preceding content is the subject. "です" is a conclusive auxiliary verb indicating affirmation. "～は～です" is often translated as "～ is ～".
Note that when "は" is a particle, the pronunciation changes to "wa".
What is a particle?
A particle is one of the parts of speech used to indicate the relationship between the preceding content and other content. It does not inflect (i.e., it does not change its form). In Japanese, particles are essential for completing sentences. Without particles, individual words cannot be connected, so particles play an important role in connecting different words or sentences, establishing their relationship, or adding new meaning.
What is "です"?
"です" is an auxiliary verb, which is also one of the parts of speech. Unlike particles, auxiliary verbs do inflect (i.e., they change their form). "です" indicates assertion, hence it is called a "conclusive auxiliary verb". It is used to make affirmative or negative judgments about someone or something.
Additionally, "です" belongs to the polite form (teinei-tai), also known as the polite form. It is often translated as "is". When negated, it is expressed as "ではありません" (de wa arimasen), often translated as "is not".
Japanese has two styles of speech: polite form (teinei-tai) and plain form (futsū-tai). "です" belongs to the polite form. The plain form is represented by "だ" (da), both of which are conclusive auxiliary verbs.
"です" or "だ" can be followed by nouns, adjectives, or some particles. If followed by a verb, it is replaced by "ます" (masu), which will be covered in later lessons.
What are "polite form" and "plain form"?
The term "polite form" comes from the Japanese word "teinei-tai", meaning politeness, also known as "polite form". It is used when speaking to elders, superiors, or unfamiliar people. Conversely, there is the "plain form", also derived from the Japanese word "futsū-tai", meaning ordinary form. It is used when speaking to juniors, subordinates, or familiar people.
| polite form | plain form | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-past | Affirmative Negative | 私は学生です。
私は先生ではありません。
| 私は学生だ。
私は先生ではない。
|
| Past | Affirmative Negative | 昨日は月曜日でした。
昨日は火曜日ではありませんでした。
| 昨日は月曜日だった。 昨日は火曜日ではなかった。 |
Non-past:Non-past tense (present/future) / Past: past tense
The negative forms have six expressions with the same meaning, as follows: Polite Form: ではありません = じゃありません = ではないです = じゃないです Plain Form: ではない = じゃない (The more right you go, the more colloquial it becomes) Formal ← → casual Difference: Generally, the longer the sentence, the more polite it is. "では" tends to express solemnity, while "じゃ" leans towards colloquialism.
Pay attention to consistency in style
When writing, it's important to maintain consistency in style. Generally, when there is a recipient to communicate with, the polite form should be used primarily (such as in letters or asking questions in public). When there is no recipient to communicate with, the plain form should be used primarily (such as in diaries or writing memos). Once a style is decided, the entire piece should use the same style throughout. For example, if the article is in the polite form, it should maintain that style throughout, and if it's in the plain form, it should maintain that style throughout as well. A common issue for beginners is switching styles halfway through a piece, so be mindful of this.
To form a question, simply add "か" to the end of a sentence in polite form. "か" is a question particle. The intonation should be raised. However, in plain form, you don't use "だか" but rather "か" or "なのか". This part is a bit more complicated, and will be explained separately later.
The "か" in a question sentence serves as a question mark, so a period can be used at the end of the sentence.
あなたは学生ですか
Are you a student?
彼は先生でしたか
Was he a teacher?
When answering "yes," use "はい," and when answering "no," use "いいえ."
A: あなたは学生ですか。
Are you a student?
B: はい。学生です。
Yes, I am a student.
B: いいえ。学生ではありません。
No, I am not a student.