JLPT N5 grammar

AはBですmeaning and usage

Meaning

Politely states that A is B. は marks A as the topic, and B identifies or classifies it.

How to form it

  • nounはnounです
  • nounはな-adjective (stem)です
  • nounはい-adjectiveです

How it is used

The basic polite sentence for saying what someone or something is. 「は」 (read 「わ」 as a particle) marks the topic, and 「です」 makes it polite. The negative is 「ではありません」, or 「じゃないです」 in speech.

Examples

  1. 私は学生です。

    I am a student.

  2. この人は私の先生です。

    This is my teacher.

  3. トイレはあちらです。

    The restroom is over there.

About the example Here, 「AはBです」 identifies the speaker as a student: 「私」 is the topic, and 「学生」 states who the speaker is.