です

Adds a polite present-tense statement after nouns and な-adjectives.

N5copulapolite

Examples

これは本です。

これは ほんです。

This is a book.

田中さんは元気です。

たなかさんは げんきです。

Tanaka is well.

元気 is a な-adjective.

Meaning

です is a polite sentence ending used to state that something is true. It often works like "is" or "are" in English, but it is also a marker of politeness.

Usage

Place です after nouns and な-adjectives in polite present-tense sentences.

PatternExample
Noun + です先生です
な-adjective + です静かです

Notes

Do not use です directly after plain verbs. For verbs, politeness is usually expressed with the ます form.