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Kotomora
JLPT N4Polite speechVery polite

ございます・でございますthere is; is (very polite)

ございます is あります, and でございます is です, one step more polite. You hear them from shop and hotel staff and in announcements, and you already say one every day: ありがとうございます.

あります

あちらにエレベーターがございます。

The elevator is over there.

です

お席せきはこちらでございます。

Your seat is here.

ございます

thing が／は + ございます

あります, more polite. Negative ございません.

でございます

Noun + でございます

です, more polite, after a noun or a な-adjective. Negative ではございません.

受うけ付つけは二に階かいです。

Reception is on the second floor.

Everyday polite.

受うけ付つけは二に階かいでございます。

Reception is on the second floor.

The same fact, from hotel or shop staff.

Polite, and nothing more

Respectful forms raise what the other person does. Humble forms lower what you, or your side, do. You never raise yourself, and to an outsider you never raise your own family or company.

ございます does neither. It only makes the sentence more polite, so staff use the same word for your things and for their own.

something of yours

何なにかご質しつ問もんはございますか。

Do you have any questions?

something of the shop's

空あいている席せきがございます。

There are seats available.

What you'll hear

at the register

千せん円えんでございます。

That's one thousand yen.

お手て洗あらいは廊ろう下かの奥おくでございます。

The restroom is at the end of the corridor.

answering the phone

はい、さくらホテルでございます。

Hello, Sakura Hotel.

申もうし訳わけございません。

I'm terribly sorry.

申もうし訳わけありません, one step up.

ありがとうございます, おはようございます and おめでとうございます hold the same ございます, joined to an old form of an adjective. Today that join survives mostly in greetings like these.

As a customer, you don't need it

From a customer, あります and です are right. ございます belongs mostly to the person serving you, to announcements and to speeches.

A

すみません、もう少すこし大おおきいのはありますか。

Excuse me, do you have a slightly bigger one?

B

はい、ございます。少しょう々しょうお待まちください。

Yes, we do. One moment, please.

Things, not people

ございます is あります, not います. For a person, the very polite words are いらっしゃいます for the other person and おります for your side.

Not said: 田た中なか様さまはございますか。

(Is Mr. Tanaka there?)

田た中なか様さまはいらっしゃいますか.

でございます is for things, for yourself and for your side. About the other person, the careful choice is でいらっしゃいます.

田た中なかでございます。

This is Tanaka.

Yourself, on the phone.

田た中なか様さまでいらっしゃいますか。

Are you Mr. Tanaka?

The other person.

After a noun, not an い-adjective

Not said: こちらの部屋へやは広ひろいでございます。

(This room is spacious.)

An い-adjective stays with です: 広ひろいです.

Close neighbours

いらっしゃるN4

The respectful いる: the other person is there.

田た中なかさんはいらっしゃいますか。

Is Mr. Tanaka there?

おるN4

The humble いる: someone on your side is there.

父ちちは今いま、家いえにおりません。

My father is not at home right now.

でいらっしゃるN3

The respectful です, about a person.

こちらの方かたが新あたらしい館かん長ちょうでいらっしゃいます。

This is the new museum director.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

お客きゃく様さまは今いま、ロビーに（　　）。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which sentence is right?

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

The words around it

Staff who say ございます swap other everyday words too.

EverydayFrom staff
こここちら
いいですかよろしいですか
少すこし少しょう々しょう
今日きょう本ほん日じつ
今いまただいま

でござる

Samurai in films and anime say でござる. It is the same verb without ます, and nobody talks that way now.

More sentences

会かい議ぎ室しつは三さん階がいにございます。

The meeting room is on the third floor.

ただいま空くう席せきがございます。

There are seats available at the moment.

各かく種しゅサイズがございます。

We have a range of sizes.

担たん当とうの森もりでございます。

I'm Mori, the person in charge.

こちらが本ほん日じつの資し料りょうでございます。

Here are today's materials.

本ほん日じつはご来らい店てんいただき、ありがとうございます。

Thank you for visiting us today.

Compared with similar forms

Keigo: respectful and humble Japanese