です

で

す

Meanings

1

copula, auxiliary verb

Polite copula and auxiliary verb used to end sentences politely. Equivalent to plain だ but in teineigo register. Also attaches to i-adjectives and negative forms to add politeness.

Grammar

だ・ですAffirmative noun endingsN5

Related words

ます
です is the polite copula used with nouns and adjectives, while ます attaches to the stem of a verb to convey the same level of politeness.
であります
です is the everyday polite copula, while であります is a much more formal, ceremonial variant heard in military or official speech.
ござる
です is the everyday polite copula, whereas ござる is an archaic, more formal copula rarely used in its dictionary form today.

Politeness

だplain
です is the polite copula used in formal or polite speech, while だ is its plain, casual counterpart.
でございますpolite 丁寧語N5
でございます is an even more formal, deferential copula than です, typically used in business or service settings.
であるplain
である is the literary, written-style counterpart of です, common in essays and reports rather than spoken conversation.

Don't confuse with

どす
です is the standard polite copula used nationwide, while どす is its Kyoto-dialect counterpart with a similar sound but regional flavor.

Written forms

ですUsage100%
Standard polite copula and auxiliary verb; no kanji form exists.
デスUsage<1%

Etymology

Derived from であります (de arimasu), a polite form of である (de aru). The exact historical contraction path is uncertain, but it became the standard polite copula in modern Japanese.

っすplain

です is the standard polite copula, while っす is its casual, clipped form used in relaxed conversation to keep a light touch of politeness.

ございますplainN1

です is the ordinary polite copula 'is/am/are', while でございます (using ございます) is a more formal and deferential way of saying the same thing.