だ・
です after a noun says what something is: "is", "am" or "are". だ says the same thing in plain style, the style for friends and family.
How to form it
Noun + だ／です
Straight after the noun. です usually sounds like "des".
| Plain | Polite | |
|---|---|---|
| is | だ | です |
| isn't | じゃない | じゃないです, じゃありません |
| was | だった | でした |
| wasn't | じゃなかった | じゃなかったです, じゃありませんでした |
In writing and formal speech じゃ is では, said "dewa": ではない, ではありません, ではなかった, ではありませんでした.
Saying what something is
A name, a job, an age, a day, a price: the noun, then です.
This cat's name is Mimi.
My younger sister is ten years old.
The next meeting is on Friday.
Still to come, and still です. There is no "will be".
Are you Mr. Tanaka?
か makes it a question. そうです is "that's right".
Tomorrow is a day off.
Oh, I see. That's nice.
With a falling voice, そうですか isn't a question. It means "oh, I see".
Plain style: だ
だ is for family and close friends, for thinking aloud, and for writing that addresses no one: a diary, a novel, a newspaper.
Said to someone with nothing after it, だ sounds firm. So in conversation people mostly leave it off, or add よ or ね.
Are you off tomorrow?
Lucky you. I've got work.
B leaves だ off. A keeps it and adds よ.
A's question has no だ either: to ask a friend, say the noun alone and let your voice rise. だった is different and stays: 休みだった？
Not said: 明日、
(Are you off tomorrow?)
Isn't: じゃない
In polite style there are two, both correct. じゃないです is the everyday one, the one you will hear most. じゃありません is more formal.
polite, everyday
That person is not a store employee.
polite, more formal
Ms. Sato is not a teacher.
formal, or written
This seat is not reserved seating.
Was and wasn't
Yesterday's dinner was curry.
That building used to be a hospital.
English says "used to be". Japanese only needs the past.
Yesterday was not a day off.
The meeting was not on Monday.
Close neighbours
高い・高くないN5
An い-adjective makes its own "not" and "was", and です only adds politeness: 寒かったです, not 寒いでした. In plain style it takes no だ.
The trip was fun.
な-adjectives such as 静か and きれい take the same endings as a noun.
This room is not clean.
A verb's polite ending is ます: 行きます, not 行くです.
This train goes to Kyoto.
行く・行きますN5
Who gets です and who gets だ.
It rained today. I read a book at home.
A diary is written in plain style.
じゃないN4
After a verb, casual じゃない isn't "is not". It presses a point: "I told you".
I've told you again and again!
Check yourself
1"The exam was not on Monday."
試験は
Choose an answer to see why.
2You ask a friend, "Is this Japanese tea?"
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
ではないです
ではないです and ではなかったです are said too: the careful では with the everyday ending.
This is not my umbrella.
Yesterday was not a day off.
でございます
Shop and hotel staff say でございます for です.
Reception is on the second floor.
More sentences
Ana is Brazilian.
That answer is not wrong.
That building is not a hospital.
Ten years ago, this place was a field.
The weather was nice in the morning.
He was not a company employee at the time.
The first destination was not Osaka.
Yesterday's lunch was not curry.