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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2. Can you tell someone that they call your name by the wrong name in Japanese?

2. N1 wa N2 dewa arimasen





"N1 wa N2 dewa arimasen," is used to express a negative sentence. It's the opposite of the affirmative sentence pattern, "N1 wa N2 desu." Let's look at some examples:

Watashi wa Maiku dewa arimasen. (I am not Mike.)

Watashi wa nihonjin dewa arimasen. (I am not Japanese.)

Watashi wa gakusē dewa arimasen. (I am not a student.)

You can use this pattern with people's names or pronouns as N1. However, it's not polite to use pronouns like "anata/anatatachi" to refer to someone senior to you. Instead, you should use their surname with "-san." For example, if someone's name is Tanaka, you should call them "Tanaka-san." If you want to address a group of people, you can use "minasan (everyone)."

In daily conversation, we also use "N1 wa N2 ja arimasen" instead of "N1 wa N2 dewa arimasen." For example:

Watashi wa Maiku ja arimasen. (I am not Mike.)

That's all there is to it! With this pattern, you can easily make negative sentences in Japanese.

Location: Japan

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