Identity, topics, and questions
Use は, です, and か to introduce people and ask simple questions.
What you’ll work on
- Identify a person with a noun and です
- Use は to introduce a topic
- Ask a polite yes–no question
A short conversation
Google voice when available; device voice as a fallback. Kana readings help you read the written words; they do not show pitch accent.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- サムsamuSam (a name)
- さんsanrespectful name suffixA polite suffix after a person’s name; it is often omitted in English.
- はwatopic markerPronounced wa. Marks what the sentence is about; it does not mean “is”.
- がくせいgakuseistudent
- ですdesupolite statement endingAdds a polite style. English may use “is”, “am”, or “are”, or leave it unexpressed.
- か。kaquestion markerMakes the sentence a question; English often changes its word order instead.
The Japanese names Sam as the topic. English addresses Sam and adds “you”. さん is a polite name suffix.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- はい、haiyes
- がくせいgakuseistudent
- です。desupolite statement endingAdds a polite style. English may use “is”, “am”, or “are”, or leave it unexpressed.
The subject is understood from context in Japanese. English adds “I”, “you”, or “we” as needed. Match meaningful word groups, not individual characters.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- わたしwatashiI
- もmoalso / too
- がくせいgakuseistudent
- です。desuam (polite)
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- あきakiAki (a name)
- さんsanrespectful name suffixA polite suffix after a person’s name; it is often omitted in English.
- はwatopic markerPronounced wa. Marks what the sentence is about; it does not mean “is”.
- せんせいsenseiteacher
- ですdesupolite statement endingAdds a polite style. English may use “is”, “am”, or “are”, or leave it unexpressed.
- か。kaquestion markerMakes the sentence a question; English often changes its word order instead.
The Japanese names Aki as the topic. English addresses Aki and adds “you”. さん is a polite name suffix.
Topic first, description last
は marks the topic: what the following comment is about. It is written は but pronounced wa. 私は学生です means “As for me, I am a student.” Use that explanation as a clue, not a translation you must say aloud every time.
Japanese often leaves the topic unstated when it is obvious. The person’s name plus さん is often more natural than repeatedly saying あなた. です does not change for I, you, or they.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- わたしwatashiI
- はwatopic markerPronounced wa. Marks what the following comment is about; it is not the word “is”.
- がくせいgakuseistudent
- です。desuam / is / are (polite)The same です is used with different people.
Japanese does not require a separate word for English “a” or “the” in this pattern.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- あきakiAki (name)
- さんsanrespectful name suffixA respectful suffix used after another person’s name; it has no direct word in this translation.
- はwatopic markerPronounced wa. Marks what the following comment is about; it is not the word “is”.
- せんせいsenseiteacher
- です。desuis (polite)
Questions, negatives, and “also”
Add か to a polite statement to ask a question: 学生ですか. Keep the word order. A short answer can be はい、学生です or いいえ、学生ではありません.
ではありません is a polite noun negative. じゃないです is common in conversation. The particle も means “also” and can take the place of は: 私も学生です.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- がくせいgakuseistudent
- ではありません。de wa arimasenam / is / are not (polite)This is the polite negative ending after a noun.
“I” is understood from context here; there is no written Japanese word for it in this sentence.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- わたしwatashiI
- もmoalso / too
- がくせいgakuseistudent
- です。desuam (polite)
Lesson vocabulary
Listen once, say it aloud, and try to recall the Japanese before looking.
| Japanese / reading | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| 私 わたし | I / me | |
| 学生 がくせい | student | |
| 先生 せんせい | teacher | |
| 会社員 かいしゃいん | company employee | |
| いいえ いいえ | no | |
| 日本人 にほんじん | Japanese person |
Practice questions
Try every question, then check your answers. Punctuation and spacing do not affect your score. Use the displayed Japanese spelling or the complete kana reading; mixed spellings are accepted only when explicitly listed. Long vowels, small kana, and verb endings matter.
Showing an answer makes that question a practice item worth zero for this attempt. Retry with the answers hidden when you’re ready. If audio cannot play, use Show answer / text to practice by reading.
Independent practice
These are independent practice tasks. The site does not record your voice, save your writing, or grade open-ended answers. Ask a teacher or conversation partner for feedback when you can.
Speaking practice
Introduce yourself and two invented people. Ask one question and answer it negatively.
Writing practice
Write three sentences with は and one with も. Read は as wa when it marks the topic.
Review the lesson objectives
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