Translation guide
The English verb 'be' has no single Japanese equivalent. Japanese expresses existence, identity, location, and description through different verbs and sentence patterns. This guide covers the most common ways to express 'be' in Japanese, organized by meaning.
Expressing that something or someone exists or is present.
Used for animate things (people, animals). Casual form.
猫がいる。
There is a cat.
Used for inanimate things (objects, plants, abstract concepts). Casual form.
机の上に本がある。
There is a book on the desk.
Polite form of いる.
Polite form of ある.
駅の前に銀行があります。
There is a bank in front of the station.
Stating what something or someone is, defining or identifying.
Plain form copula. Used in casual speech and writing.
私は学生だ。
I am a student.
Polite copula. The most common way to say 'A is B' in polite conversation.
Saying where someone or something is located.
Use いる for animate, ある for inanimate. The location particle に marks the place.
彼は家にいる。
He is at home.
鍵はテーブルの上にある。
The keys are on the table.
Describing a subject with an adjective.
For i-adjectives, simply add です for politeness. In plain form, the adjective ends the sentence.
この料理はおいしいです。
This dish is delicious.
空が青い。
The sky is blue.
Expressing an ongoing action or a resulting state.
The ている form covers both progressive actions ('is doing') and resultant states ('has done'). Context clarifies the meaning.
今、雨が降っている。
It is raining now.
窓が開いている。
The window is open.
Expressing that an action is done to the subject.
Japanese passive is formed by verb conjugation. It often implies that the subject is affected, sometimes negatively.
この本は多くの人に読まれている。
This book is read by many people.
Understanding when 'be' is not explicitly translated.
English 'be' maps to many different Japanese structures. Using です for every 'be' will sound unnatural. Choose the pattern based on what you want to express: existence, identity, location, or description.
いる is for living, moving things (people, animals). ある is for non-living things, plants, and abstract concepts. Using the wrong one is a common mistake.
Japanese adjectives are predicates by themselves. You don't need a separate verb for 'be' when using adjectives. Simply add です for politeness.
The teacher is in the classroom.
This is a book.
Formal written copula, often used in academic or official contexts.
東京は日本の首都である。
Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
Polite alternative, often used when the location is the focus or in response to questions.
トイレはあちらです。
The restroom is over there.
For na-adjectives, use だ (plain) or です (polite) after the adjective. Do not add な before だ/です.
Polite form of ている.
母は台所で料理をしています。
My mother is cooking in the kitchen.
Particles like よ, ね, わ can replace the copula to add nuance without explicitly saying 'be'.
いい天気だね → いい天気ね。
It's nice weather, isn't it?