XはYです

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Here are the key points of this lesson: Omission of the subject (Xは) Using 'は' for clarity Nouns in Japanese” Omission of the subject (Xは) In Japanese, sentences often omit subjects when the context makes them clear, unlike in English where subjects like "I" or "it" are typically included.  For example, "I am a student," "My major is Japanese language," and "It is 12:30" translate into Japanese as "がくせいです," "にほんごです," and "12じはんです," respectively, without direct subjects. Using 'は' for clarity If the context doesn't provide clarity, Japanese sentences can start with a topic marked by "wa" (は in hiragana), indicating "As for X, it is Y.” For example,  “わたしは がくせいです" (As for me, I am a student), “せんこうは にほんごです" (As for my major, it is Japanese language), and "じかんは12じはんです" (As for the current time, it is 12:30). The particle "wa" (は), used to denote ...
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8. Can you say “which one is a circle?” in Japanese?

8. Asking and Identifying Objects?



When you want to ask or point out one specific item among three or more things in front of you, you can use a particular structure. Let's take a look at some examples:

Example 1:
A: 日本語の本はどれですか？(Nihongo no hon wa dore desu ka?) Which one is a Japanese book?
B: 日本語の本はそれです。(Nihongo no hon wa sore desu.) That one is a Japanese book.


Here, "どれ" (dore) is used to ask which one, and "それ" (sore) is used to point to the specific item.

To respond in a polite manner, you can use "こちら/そちら/あちら" (kochira/sochira/achira) instead of "これ/それ/あれ" (kore/sore/are).

Example 2:
A: 日本語の本はどれですか？(Nihongo no hon wa dore desu ka?) Which one is a Japanese book?
B: 日本語の本はそちらです。(Nihongo no hon wa sochira desu.) The Japanese book is that one.


Now, let's move on to a scenario where only two objects are in front of you. In this case, you'll use "どちら" (dochira) to ask or specify one between the two options.

Example 3:
A: ピザはどちらですか？(Piza wa dochira desu ka?) Which one is a pizza?
B: ピザはこちらです。(Piza wa kochira desu.) A pizza is this one.


Remember, when there are only two objects, use "どちら" (dochira) instead of "どれ" (dore) to ask or specify.



Location: Japan

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