{"id":1665,"date":"2009-11-03T04:43:39","date_gmt":"2009-11-03T06:43:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/?p=1665"},"modified":"2026-08-09T13:52:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T16:52:00","slug":"desu-the-verb-to-be-in-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/desu-o-verbo-ser-em-japones\/","title":{"rendered":"\u3067\u3059 (desu) in Japanese: meaning, usage, and forms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>\u3067\u3059 (<em>desu<\/em>)<\/strong> is a polite form used at the end of many Japanese sentences. In Portuguese, it can appear in translations as \u201c\u00e9\u201d, \u201cest\u00e1\u201d, \u201csou\u201d, or \u201cs\u00e3o\u201d, but it does not function as a \u201cto be\u201d verb that can be placed in any sentence. The role of <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span> depends on the type of predicate that comes before it.<\/p>\n\n<p>The practical rule is: use <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span> mainly after nouns and \u306a-adjectives in polite sentences. After \u3044-adjectives, it adds politeness, while the adjective itself expresses and inflects the state. With verbs, the polite form usually ends in <span lang=\"ja\">\u307e\u3059<\/span>, not in <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>What does desu mean in Japanese?<\/h2>\n\n<p><span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span> helps form a polite predicate. Compare three types of sentences:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><span lang=\"ja\">\u7530\u4e2d\u3055\u3093\u306f\u5148\u751f\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/span><br \/><em>Tanaka-san wa sensei desu.<\/em><br \/>Tanaka is a teacher.<\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"ja\">\u3053\u306e\u753a\u306f\u9759\u304b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/span><br \/><em>Kono machi wa shizuka desu.<\/em><br \/>This town is quiet.<\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"ja\">It's hot today.<\/span><br \/><em>It's hot today.<\/em><br \/>Today is hot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>In the first sentence, <span lang=\"ja\">\u5148\u751f<\/span> is a noun. In the second, <span lang=\"ja\">\u9759\u304b<\/span> is a \u306a-adjective. In the third, <span lang=\"ja\">\u6691\u3044<\/span> is an \u3044-adjective: it already contains the idea of \u201cbeing hot,\u201d and <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span> makes the sentence polite.<\/p>\n\n<p>This difference avoids translating each part mechanically. To understand how the predicate organizes the sentence, see the guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/how-to-form-sentence-in-japanese\/\">how to form sentences in japanese<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Desu is not a universal \u201cto be\u201d verb<\/h2>\n\n<p>Calling <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span> a \u201cto be\u201d verb can help in an initial translation, but it creates errors when it becomes an absolute rule. It does not replace all uses of \u201cser\u201d and \u201cestar\u201d in Portuguese, nor should it be added after any Japanese verb.<\/p>\n\n<p>A verb in the polite form usually uses <span lang=\"ja\">\u307e\u3059<\/span>:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> <span lang=\"ja\">I study Japanese every day.<\/span><br \/><em>Every day, I study Japanese.<\/em><br \/>I study Japanese every day.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> <span lang=\"ja\">\u6bce\u65e5\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u3092\u52c9\u5f37\u3059\u308b\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>There is also no one-to-one correspondence between \u201cto be\u201d and <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span>. Existence, location, ongoing actions, and state changes use other structures. Therefore, it is worth learning first the difference between nouns, adjectives, and verbs in <a href=\"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/fundamental-japanese-grammar\/\">Japanese grammar for beginners<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Polite forms with nouns and \u306a-adjectives<\/h2>\n\n<p>Japanese mainly distinguishes <strong>non-past<\/strong> and <strong>past<\/strong>. The non-past can describe the present, habits, or future situations; the context indicates the appropriate reading. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irodori.jpf.go.jp\/assets\/data\/elementary01\/pdf\/Y_L04.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Irodori grammar table<\/a> presents this opposition and separates nouns, adjectives, and verbs.<\/p>\n\n<table>\n<thead><tr><th>Form<\/th><th>Polite form<\/th><th>Example with noun<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>Non-past affirmative<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span><\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u4eca\u65e5\u306f\u4f11\u307f\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/span><br \/>Today is a day off.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Non-past negative<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059<\/span><br \/><span lang=\"ja\">\u3058\u3083\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/span><br \/><span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u306f\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/span><\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u4eca\u65e5\u306f\u4f11\u307f\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/span><br \/>Today is not a day off.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Affirmative past<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/span><\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">Yesterday was a day off.<\/span><br \/>Yesterday was a day off.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>negative past<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u3058\u3083\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3067\u3059<\/span><br \/><span lang=\"ja\">\u3058\u3083\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/span><br \/><span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u306f\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/span><\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">Yesterday was not a day off.<\/span><br \/>Yesterday was not a day off.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p><span lang=\"ja\">ja<\/span> is common in speech. <span lang=\"ja\">dewa<\/span> appears more in writing and in formal contexts. This does not make <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u306f\u306a\u3044<\/span> \u201cout of use\u201d: the choice depends on the register and the structure. The initial material of Irodori confirms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irodori.jpf.go.jp\/assets\/data\/starter\/pdf\/X_L03.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the negatives <span lang=\"ja\">\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059<\/span> and <span lang=\"ja\">\u3058\u3083\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/span><\/a> and explains the preference of <span lang=\"ja\">dewa<\/span> in writing.<\/p>\n\n<h2>What is the difference between desu and da?<\/h2>\n\n<p><span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span> belongs to the polite style; <span lang=\"ja\">\u3060<\/span> belongs to the plain style. <span lang=\"ja\">\u3060<\/span> is not just a short pronunciation of <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span>. The switch changes the register of the sentence and must match the situation and the rest of the utterance.<\/p>\n\n<table>\n<thead><tr><th>Form<\/th><th>Polite style<\/th><th>Plain style<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>Non-past affirmative<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u5b66\u751f\u3067\u3059<\/span><\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">student da<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Non-past negative<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">student ja nai desu<\/span><\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">student ja nai<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Affirmative past<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">student deshita<\/span><\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">student datta<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>negative past<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">I wasn't a student.<\/span><\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">It wasn't a student.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>In informal conversations, the <span lang=\"ja\">\u3060<\/span> final can be omitted in certain sentences, especially short questions: <span lang=\"ja\">Student?<\/span> (\u201cAre you a student?\u201d). This doesn't mean that <span lang=\"ja\">\u3060<\/span> and <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span> they are interchangeable in any context. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irodori.jpf.go.jp\/assets\/data\/elementary01\/pdf\/Y_L18.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">simple forms table from the Japan Foundation<\/a> records <span lang=\"ja\">\u3060\uff0f\u3060\u3063\u305f\uff0f\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\uff0f\u3058\u3083\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f<\/span> for nouns and \u306a-adjectives.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How does desu work with \u3044-adjectives?<\/h2>\n\n<p>\u3044-adjectives inflect on their own. Don't simply transform <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span> in <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/span>. The change occurs in the adjective:<\/p>\n\n<table>\n<thead><tr><th>Form<\/th><th>Form<\/th><th>Translation<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>Non-past affirmative<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u9ad8\u3044\u3067\u3059<\/span><br \/><em>takai desu<\/em><\/td><td>It's expensive.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Non-past negative<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u9ad8\u304f\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059<\/span><br \/><em>takakunai desu<\/em><\/td><td>It's not expensive.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Affirmative past<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u9ad8\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3067\u3059<\/span><br \/><em>takakatta desu<\/em><\/td><td>It was expensive.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>negative past<\/td><td><span lang=\"ja\">\u9ad8\u304f\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3067\u3059<\/span><br \/><em>takakunakatta desu<\/em><\/td><td>It was not expensive.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>So, <span lang=\"ja\">it was expensive<\/span> is incorrect. To delve deeper into this inflection, see <a href=\"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/how-to-use-adjectives-in-japanese\/\">how to use adjectives in japanese<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How do you pronounce desu?<\/h2>\n\n<p>The reading is <em>desu<\/em>. In many varieties and speech situations, the final <em>u<\/em> vowel is weakened or devoiced, making the word sound close to \u201cdes\u201d. This does not authorize forcibly dropping the sound in all situations. Region, age, speed, emphasis, and degree of formality can alter the pronunciation. The <a href=\"https:\/\/kotoba.ninjal.ac.jp\/qa\/yokuaru\/qa-215\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NINJAL explains the pronunciation variation in <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059\u30fb\u307e\u3059<\/span><\/a> and notes regional and generational differences.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How to turn a sentence with desu into a question?<\/h2>\n\n<p>In the polite register, add <span lang=\"ja\">\u304b<\/span> at the end:<\/p>\n\n<p><span lang=\"ja\">\u7530\u4e2d\u3055\u3093\u306f\u5148\u751f\u3067\u3059\u304b\u3002<\/span><br \/><em>Tanaka-san wa sensei desu ka.<\/em><br \/>Tanaka is a professor?<\/p>\n\n<p><span lang=\"ja\">\u3053\u306e\u753a\u306f\u9759\u304b\u3067\u3059\u304b\u3002<\/span><br \/><em>Kono machi wa shizuka desu ka.<\/em><br \/>Is this city quiet?<\/p>\n\n<p>In informal speech, intonation and other endings can form questions without <span lang=\"ja\">\u304b<\/span>. The guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/how-to-ask-questions-in-japanese\/\">how to ask questions in japanese<\/a> explains the difference between polite and informal questions.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Common mistakes with desu<\/h2>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Using it after a dictionary-form verb:<\/strong> prefer <span lang=\"ja\">\u884c\u304d\u307e\u3059<\/span> in the polite style, not <span lang=\"ja\">\u884c\u304f\u3067\u3059<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Making the past tense of an \u3044 adjective as <span lang=\"ja\">it was expensive<\/span>:<\/strong> the correct form is <span lang=\"ja\">\u9ad8\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3067\u3059<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Treating <span lang=\"ja\">\u3060<\/span> as a polite abbreviation:<\/strong> it belongs to the simple style and can sound too direct in certain relationships.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stating that <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u306f\u306a\u3044<\/span> is not used:<\/strong> the form remains valid; <span lang=\"ja\">\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044<\/span> it is just more conversational.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Always pronouncing \u201cdes\u201d:<\/strong> the reduction of <em>u<\/em> varies; first preserve the rhythm and listen to speakers in different contexts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2>Short dialogue with desu<\/h2>\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> <span lang=\"ja\">\u7530\u4e2d\u3055\u3093\u306f\u5148\u751f\u3067\u3059\u304b\u3002<\/span><br \/><em>Tanaka-san wa sensei desu ka.<\/em><br \/>Tanaka is a professor?<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>B:<\/strong> <span lang=\"ja\">\u3044\u3044\u3048\u3001\u5148\u751f\u3058\u3083\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\u4f1a\u793e\u54e1\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/span><br \/><em>Iie, sensei ja arimasen. Kaishain desu.<\/em><br \/>No, he is not a teacher. He is a company employee.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> <span lang=\"ja\">\u6628\u65e5\u3082\u4ed5\u4e8b\u3067\u3057\u305f\u304b\u3002<\/span><br \/><em>Kin\u014d mo shigoto deshita ka.<\/em><br \/>Was it also a workday yesterday?<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>B:<\/strong> <span lang=\"ja\">\u3044\u3044\u3048\u3001\u4f11\u307f\u3067\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/span><br \/><em>Iie, yasumi deshita.<\/em><br \/>No, it was a day off.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Exercise: choose the correct form<\/h2>\n\n<ol>\n<li>\u201cIt was quiet yesterday\u201d: <span lang=\"ja\">\u6628\u65e5\u306f\u9759\u304b\uff08\u3067\u3059\uff0f\u3067\u3057\u305f\uff09\u3002<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\u201cToday is not a holiday\u201d: <span lang=\"ja\">\u4eca\u65e5\u306f\u795d\u65e5\uff08\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059\uff0f\u3060\u3063\u305f\uff09\u3002<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\u201cIt was expensive\u201d: <span lang=\"ja\">\u9ad8\u3044\u3067\u3057\u305f\uff0f\u9ad8\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\u201cI'm going to Japan\u201d in polite style: <span lang=\"ja\">\u65e5\u672c\u3078\u884c\u304f\u3067\u3059\uff0f\u65e5\u672c\u3078\u884c\u304d\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p><strong>Answers:<\/strong> 1) <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/span>, because the sentence is in the past; 2) <span lang=\"ja\">\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059<\/span>, polite negative in the non-past; 3) <span lang=\"ja\">\u9ad8\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3067\u3059<\/span>, because the \u3044 adjective receives the inflection; 4) <span lang=\"ja\">\u65e5\u672c\u3078\u884c\u304d\u307e\u3059<\/span>, because verbs normally use <span lang=\"ja\">\u307e\u3059<\/span> the polite style.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Common questions<\/h2>\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-327455de07c61\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">What does desu mean in Japanese?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>\u3067\u3059 (desu) marks a sentence as polite and helps form predicates with nouns and adjectives. The translation can be \u201cis\u201d, \u201care\u201d, \u201cam\u201d, or \u201care\u201d, but the exact meaning depends on the context and the element that comes before it.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-6eaab8f05fa53\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Is desu the verb to be in Japanese?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Not universally. This translation can help in simple sentences, but \u3067\u3059 does not replace all uses of \u201cto be\u201d and \u201cto be\u201d. Japanese verbs typically use \u307e\u3059 in the polite style, while nouns and adjectives follow their own patterns.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-78c00be5160ac\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">What is the difference between desu and da?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>\u3067\u3059 belongs to the polite style; \u3060 belongs to the plain style. They can occupy corresponding functions after nouns and \u306a-adjectives, but the choice changes the register and the relationship with the interlocutor. \u3060 is not just an abbreviation of \u3067\u3059.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-4ba13b3d77d08\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How to put desu in the past and negative?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>With \u306a nouns and adjectives, use \u3067\u3057\u305f in the affirmative past. For negation, common forms include \u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059, \u3058\u3083\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093, and \u3067\u306f\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093; in the negative past, use \u3058\u3083\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3067\u3059, \u3058\u3083\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f, or \u3067\u306f\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-7eb9c5d674bd2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Can I use desu after any verb?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>No. A polite verb usually ends in \u307e\u3059: \u884c\u304d\u307e\u3059, for example. The construction \u884c\u304f\u3067\u3059 is incorrect in standard Japanese. \u3067\u3059 can appear after some forms that already function as predicates, but it does not replace verb conjugation.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Next step: recognize the type of predicate<\/h2>\n\n<p>Before choosing <span lang=\"ja\">\u3067\u3059<\/span>, <span lang=\"ja\">\u3060<\/span> or <span lang=\"ja\">\u307e\u3059<\/span>, identify whether the core of the sentence is a noun, a \u306a adjective, an \u3044 adjective, or a verb. This simple decision avoids most mistakes and connects this topic to the <a href=\"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/word-order-in-japanese\/\">word order in Japanese<\/a> and to the <a href=\"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/basic-particle-in-japanese\/\">particles that mark the function of groups<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understand what \u3067\u3059 (desu) means, when to use this polite form, and how to differentiate nouns, adjectives, and verbs in Japanese sentences.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":1667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,70,73,60],"tags":[27,71,2,3],"class_list":["post-1665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-curso-de-japones-gratis","category-gramatica-japonesa","category-verbos-em-japones","category-vocabulario-japones","tag-gramatica","tag-gramatica-japonesa","tag-idioma-japones","tag-nihongo","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1665"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4403,"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1665\/revisions\/4403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comoaprenderjapones.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}