N5 — outside your level filter
です
is; am; are — the polite copula
彼は山田です。
kare wa yamada desu.
He is Yamada. neutral
この部屋は本当に静かです。
kono heya wa hontou ni shizuka desu.
This room really is quiet. neutral
All examples4
states what something is — noun plus です
彼は山田です。
kare wa yamada desu.
He is Yamada. neutral
本日の司会は田中です。
honjitsu no shikai wa tanaka desu.
Today's moderator is Tanaka. formal
describes with a な-adjective — な-adjective stem plus です
この部屋は本当に静かです。
kono heya wa hontou ni shizuka desu.
This room really is quiet. neutral
あの店の店員さんはとても親切です。
ano mise no ten'in-san wa totemo shinsetsu desu.
That shop's clerk is very kind. neutral
How it's formed2
All forms5
だdacolloquial
the plain copula — spoken among intimates and in written-plain prose alike (学生だ, 静かだ); です is what politeness puts in its place.
- pastでしたdeshita
- negativeではありませんdehaarimasen
- negative (casual)じゃないですjanaidesu
- conjectureでしょうdeshou
Notes
でしょう is です's own conjecture cell (明日は雨でしょう。) — a
prediction offered on the speaker's authority, not a further politeness step.
prediction offered on the speaker's authority, not a further politeness step.