copula N4 common politewritten teineigo (polite)
〜でございます — to be ~
〜でございます ・ でございます
Builds on ございます
Meaning
- the very polite (丁寧語) copula 'is / are' — the deferential counterpart of です, used in formal and service settings
Key sentence
こちらが受付でございます。
This is the reception desk.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | [Noun] + でございます | 担当の田中でございます |
Examples
ただいまの時刻は午後三時でございます。
The time is now 3 p.m.
あいにく本日は満席でございます。
Unfortunately we are fully booked today.
こちらが新しいモデルでございます。
This is the new model.
When you can't use it
- Politeness toward the listener (丁寧語), so it freely follows nouns about yourself, the company, or the listener alike — it does not elevate the subject the way an honorific verb would.
Easily confused with
See 〜でございます in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜でございます the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.