By ProDev Teach | Updated May 2025
📘 Meaning & Usage
だ is the informal copula (“to be”) and です the polite form. Use them to link a subject with a noun or な-adjective.
Translation: am / is / are
Form:
Nominal / な-adj + だ(plain)Nominal / な-adj + です(polite)
💡 Example Sentences
- 彼は学生だ。
Kare wa gakusei da.
He is a student. - 私は日本人です。
Watashi wa Nihonjin desu.
I am Japanese. - ここは図書館です。
Koko wa toshokan desu.
This is a library. - あの人は先生だ。
Ano hito wa sensei da.
That person is a teacher.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blanks
- 彼女は医者＿＿＿＿。
- ここは学校＿＿＿＿。
- 私は学生＿＿＿＿。
✔ Answers:
- だ
- です
- です
2. Translate into Japanese
- He is my friend.
- That place is a park.
- We are teachers.
✔ Sample Answers:
- 彼は私の友達だ。
- あそこは公園です。
- 私たちは先生です。
📚 Vocabulary List
- 彼 (かれ): he
- 私 (わたし): I
- 日本人 (にほんじん): Japanese person
- 図書館 (としょかん): library
- 先生 (せんせい): teacher
- 友達 (ともだち): friend
- 公園 (こうえん): park
📖 Kanji List
- 彼 (かれ): he
- 私 (わたし): I
- 日 (に): sun; day
- 本 (ほん): book; origin
- 人 (じん): person
- 図 (と): diagram
- 書 (しょ): write
- 館 (かん): building
- 先 (せん): before; previous
- 生 (せい): life; birth
- 友 (とも): friend
- 達 (だち): pluralizing suffix for people
- 公 (こう): public
- 園 (えん): garden; park
33 Views
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.
