N5 — outside your level filter

んです

んですn desuN5neutral

savor + it's that…

ajiwau n desu

it's that…; you see — marks the sentence as an explanation

meaning: it's that…

Same meaning

  • 味あじわう
  • 〜んです
  • 味あじわうんです

遅おくれてすみません。電車でんしゃが止とまっていたんです。

okurete sumimasen. densha ga tomatte ita n desu.

Sorry I'm late — the trains had stopped, you see. neutral

その荷物にもつ、どうしたんですか。

sono nimotsu, dou shita n desu ka.

What's the story with all that luggage? neutral

Same meaning13

All examples4

answers a "why" — asked out loud or left unsaid

  1. 遅おくれてすみません。電車でんしゃが止とまっていたんです。

    okurete sumimasen. densha ga tomatte ita n desu.

    Sorry I'm late — the trains had stopped, you see. neutral

  2. ごめん、今日きょうは行いけない。熱ねつがあるんだ。

    gomen, kyou wa ikenai. netsu ga aru n da.

    Sorry, I can't make it today. I've got a fever. casual

asks for the story behind something you noticed

  1. その荷物にもつ、どうしたんですか。

    sono nimotsu, dou shita n desu ka.

    What's the story with all that luggage? neutral

  2. あれ、まだ帰かえらないの?

    are, mada kaeranai no?

    Huh, you're not going home yet? casual

How it's formed3

All forms6

  • のnocolloquial

    味あじわうの

    です/だ drops — rising in pitch it's a soft question (まだ帰かえらないの?), falling it's said gently; after a noun or な-adjective, add な (休やすみなの?).

  • のですnodesuformal

    味あじわうのです

    the uncontracted form — written language and careful formal speech

  • んだndacolloquial

    味あじわうんだ

    plain-style counterpart. 〜の? as a question works for anyone, but ending a sentence with 〜の。 sounds soft or feminine

  • のだnodaformal

    味あじわうのだ

    uncontracted and plain — the shape written narrative and lecture prose use where speech says んだ (それは辛からいソースだったのだ).

  • のではないnodehanaialternant

    味あじわうのではない

    denies the explanation itself, not the event — そういう意味いみで言いったのではない "that isn't what I meant by it". Speech contracts it to んじゃない.

  • questionんですかndesuka

    味あじわうんですか

Notes

Nouns and な-adjectives add な before んです (学生がくせいなんです).