N5 · Lesson 1

Saying what something is

〜は〜です

In this lesson, you will learn to introduce yourself, say what someone or something is, ask about it, say what it is not, and say “me too”. These five small pieces are the frame that most Japanese sentences hang on.

By the end you will be able to say

私はリサです。I'm Lisa.

たなかさんは先生ですか。Is Tanaka a teacher?

いいえ、先生じゃありません。No, (I'm) not a teacher.

これは私の本です。This is my book.

私も学生です。I'm a student too.

The grammar in this lesson

AはBです — A is B — The basic sentence. Say what you are, or what something is.
〜か — turning it into a question — Add one sound to the end and any statement becomes a question.
〜じゃありません — saying what something is not — The negative of です.
〜の — linking two nouns — My book, Lisa's bag, a teacher of Japanese.
〜も — me too — Swap one particle to say 'also'.