copula N5 essential polite teineigo (polite)
〜は〜です — topic-comment, polite: X は Y です
〜は〜です
Meaning
- X is Y (polite) — は marks the topic, です politely asserts what it is
Key sentence
私は学生です。
I am a student.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Topic (noun) + は, Comment (noun / na-adj) + です | X は Y です | これは私の傘です |
When: Polite (teineigo) style — the default for conversation with people you aren't close to. The plain equivalent is 〜は〜だ.
Examples
田中さんは先生です。
Mr. Tanaka is a teacher.
ここは図書館です。
This is a library.
明日は休みです。
Tomorrow is a holiday.
Easily confused with
Notes
- Polite past and negative inflect です, not the noun: 学生でした (was), 学生じゃありません (isn't).
See 〜は〜です in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜は〜です the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.