んですthe thing is…; how come…?
んです explains: why you are late, why you said no, what your situation is. んですか asks the other person to explain something you have seen or just heard.
asking a friend
You're packing your things—are you leaving already?
How to form it
Plain form + んです
行くんです, 行かないんです, 行ったんです, 高いんです.
Noun or な-adjective
〜 + な + んです
学生なんです, 静かなんです. Past: 学生だったんです.
| Explaining | Asking | |
|---|---|---|
| Polite | 〜んです | 〜んですか |
| With friends | 〜んだ | 〜の？ |
| In writing | 〜のです, 〜のだ | 〜のか |
ん is の said quickly, so these are all one ending.
Explaining
Something calls for a reason, and んです gives it, with no word for "because".
Why is the window open?
The room is hot.
This room is a little cold. May I close the window?
I have tomorrow off, so I am staying up a little later tonight.
Someone asks どうして遅れたんですか, "Why were you late?"
Sounds odd: 電車が
The train was delayed.
A report, not a reason.
Asking
んですか is for a question that something prompted. A plain か asks from nothing.
Oh, is it raining outside?
Someone has just walked in with a wet umbrella.
About something in front of you, んですか is the usual question, and it shows interest. A question with どうして usually takes it too.
What are you doing?
Why are you studying Japanese?
An offer or an invitation has nothing behind it to explain, so it stays plain: ケーキを食べますか, "Will you have some cake?"
With friends: の？ and んだ
の？ is said with your voice going up.
The light is on—are you still awake?
Yeah, I have a test tomorrow.
You look pale. Are you feeling unwell?
You have a lot of college textbooks. Are you a student?
A noun takes な here too.
Three you'll hear every day
どうしたんですかWhat's wrong? What happened?
What's wrong? You look pale.
そうなんですかOh, really? I see.
Oh, is that so? I didn't know.
A reply to news, said with a falling voice. With friends: そうなんだ.
そうなんですYes, exactly.
Yes, that's right.
When someone has guessed how things are with you.
Where it goes wrong
Not said: 来週、
(I'm going back to my country next week.)
The plain form goes before it: 帰るんです.
Not said: 今日は
(I'm off today.)
な, not だ: 休みなんです.
It doesn't go on every sentence. With nothing to explain, it sounds like an answer to a question nobody asked.
Sounds odd: はじめまして。
Nice to meet you. The thing is, I'm Lee.
As if your name explained something.
Close neighbours
んですがN4
が or けど on the end turns your explanation into the start of a request.
Excuse me, I'd like to get to the station…
Check yourself
1Which one is right?
明日は
Choose an answer to see why.
2You are making tea and offer some to a classmate. Which fits?
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
のか
Said to someone, のか is blunt: a boss, a father in a drama. It is also the shape a question takes inside a longer sentence.
Leaving already?
I don't know why he didn't come.
の as a statement
の can end an explanation too: うん、行くの. It is softer than んだ, and heard more from women and from adults talking to children.
More sentences
Yesterday was a public holiday. That is why the bank was closed.
telling your news
Actually, I'm moving next month.
You have an umbrella—is it raining outside?
Why is it so quiet today?
You usually take the train. Are you walking home today?
Is this problem that difficult? You've been thinking about it for a while.
in writing
In this area, many libraries are closed on Mondays. That is why you should check which days they are closed before visiting.
in writing
There has still been no explanation of why the meeting was suddenly canceled.