copula N5 essential casual
〜じゃない — is not ~ (casual negative copula)
〜じゃない ・ じゃない
Meaning
- is not ~ — the casual negative of the copula (negates a noun or na-adjective)
Key sentence
それは私のじゃない。
That's not mine.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | N + じゃない | 学生じゃない |
| na-adjective | stem + じゃない | 便利じゃない |
When: Casual register; じゃ is the spoken contraction of では. Polite forms: じゃないです / じゃありません.
Variants
ではない — the full, written form — same meaning, more formal じゃありません — polite negative
Examples
ここは図書館じゃない。
This isn't the library.
彼は親切じゃない。
He isn't kind.
問題はそこじゃない。
The problem isn't there.
Easily confused with
Notes
- Said with rising intonation, 〜じゃない？ becomes a tag/confirmation: 便利じゃない？ = "It's convenient, isn't it?"
See 〜じゃない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜じゃない 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.