です
desu
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
"is / am / are" — polite copula linking a noun or adjective to the topic.
です is the polite word for "is / am / are". You put it at the very end of the sentence after a noun or an adjective: 学生です "(I) am a student", 大きいです "(it) is big". It never changes for I / you / he / they, so one word covers every English form of "to be". Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is obvious, so 学生です on its own can mean "I am a student".
Used whenever you speak politely: to teachers, shop staff, strangers, colleagues, and in almost every N5 exam sentence. It is the safe default form for a beginner. With friends and family, the plain form だ (or nothing) is used instead.
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
Noun + です (学生です)な-adjective + です (静かです)い-adjective + です (大きいです)Question: + か (学生ですか)
Visual diagram
- 私はtopic (as for me)
- 学生noun
- ですpolite "am"
Natural examples
私は学生です。
わたしは がくせいです。
I am a student.
The most basic Japanese sentence: topic + noun + です.
これは本です。
これは ほんです。
This is a book.
これ (this) works just like any other noun before です.
東京は大きいです。
とうきょうは おおきいです。
Tokyo is big.
After an い-adjective, です only adds politeness; the adjective already means "is big".
田中さんは会社員です。
たなかさんは かいしゃいんです。
Mr Tanaka is a company employee.
Same です whether the subject is I, you or Mr Tanaka.
この店は有名です。
この みせは ゆうめいです。
This shop is famous.
有名 is a な-adjective; before です it looks just like a noun.
Similar grammar and the difference
Plain / casual "is". Same meaning, used with friends and inside longer sentences (と思う, から). Compare side by side
The negative of です: "is not". Compare side by side
The past of です: "was / were". Compare side by side
Common mistakes
- ✗
- 私は学生ですです。
- ✓
- 私は学生です。
- Why
- です is used once, at the end. It is not a verb that needs another verb after it.
- ✗
- 私は行くです。
- ✓
- 私は行きます。
- Why
- です goes after nouns and adjectives, not after a verb. Verbs have their own polite ending ます.
- ✗
- 田中さんは学生でいます。
- ✓
- 田中さんは学生です。
- Why
- English "is" maps to です for nouns/adjectives; います means "exists" and is used for "there is (a person)".
です makes the sentence polite. It does not change for person or number (I/you/they all use です). After an い-adjective, です only adds politeness — the adjective itself carries tense.
JLPT N5 tips
On the exam
- N5 rarely tests です alone. It appears in almost every sentence, so the real question is usually the particle before it (は, の) or the tense (です vs でした).
- If the blank is at the end of a sentence after a noun and the options are です / ます / います / あります, choose です. ます needs a verb stem, and います／あります need が before them.
Frequently asked questions
What does です mean?
"is / am / are" — polite copula linking a noun or adjective to the topic. です is the polite word for "is / am / are". You put it at the very end of the sentence after a noun or an adjective: 学生です "(I) am a student", 大きいです "(it) is big". It never changes for I / you / he / they, so one word covers every English form of "to be". Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is obvious, so 学生です on its own can mean "I am a student".
How do you form です?
Noun + です (学生です) / な-adjective + です (静かです) / い-adjective + です (大きいです) / Question: + か (学生ですか). V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is です used?
Used whenever you speak politely: to teachers, shop staff, strangers, colleagues, and in almost every N5 exam sentence. It is the safe default form for a beginner. With friends and family, the plain form だ (or nothing) is used instead.
What is the difference between です and だ?
Plain / casual "is". Same meaning, used with friends and inside longer sentences (と思う, から).
What is the difference between です and じゃありません?
The negative of です: "is not".
What is a common mistake with です?
Wrong: 私は学生ですです。 Right: 私は学生です。 です is used once, at the end. It is not a verb that needs another verb after it.
Quick check
What goes in ( )? 私は 学生（ ）。