Identity, topics, and questions
Use は, です, and か to introduce people and ask simple questions.
Identify a person with a noun and です.
Hear the lesson phrases
Google voice when available; device voice as a fallback.
Read the audio transcript
サムさんは学生ですか。
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
Read each word aloud, then test your recall of its meaning.
| 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
Answer the questions and read the explanations. You can repeat the exercises.
Ask a polite yes–no question.