Translation guide
The English verb 'to be' has no single direct equivalent in Japanese. The correct expression depends on what is being described (existence, identity, property, location) and the context (politeness, animacy, etc.). This guide covers the most common ways to express 'to be' in Japanese.
Expressing that something is something else, or describing a property or state.
I am a teacher. · That is a pen. · She is my friend.
Standard polite copula for equating two nouns or noun-like concepts. 'です' is the polite form; the plain form is 'だ'.
Plain (casual) form of the copula. Used in informal speech, written language, and relative clauses.
彼は学生だ。
He is a student.
Very polite/humble copula. Used in formal business settings or service encounters.
こちらは会議室でございます。
This is the conference room.
Expressing that a living thing (person, animal) exists or is present.
There is a dog. · Is your father home? · I am here.
Verb for animate existence. Polite form is 'います'. Used for people, animals, and sometimes sentient beings.
Expressing that a non-living thing exists or is present.
There is a pen on the table. · Is there a bank nearby? · There is a meeting tomorrow.
Verb for inanimate existence. Polite form is 'あります'. Used for objects, plants, abstract concepts, etc.
Expressing where someone or something is located.
Where is the station? · My phone is in my bag. · She is at home.
Use いる for animate, ある for inanimate. The particle に marks the location.
彼は図書館にいる。
He is at the library.
鍵はテーブルの上にある。
The keys are on the table.
Describing a temporary state or condition, often with adjectives or nouns.
I am tired. · The door is open. · She is happy.
Expressing that an action is done to the subject (passive).
The cake was eaten. · English is spoken here. · I was told the news.
Japanese passive is formed by adding れる/られる to the verb stem. The agent is marked by に.
この本は多くの人に読まれている。
This book is read by many people.
私は先生に褒められた。
I was praised by the teacher.
Expressing an ongoing action (be + -ing).
I am studying Japanese. · She is cooking dinner. · They are playing soccer.
The ている form indicates an action in progress or a resulting state. Polite: ています.
彼は今、本を読んでいる。
He is reading a book now.
雨が降っています。
It is raining.
Expressing a future action or plan (be going to).
I am going to study abroad. · We are going to have a party. · She is going to be a doctor.
Indicates intention or plan. Polite: つもりです.
明日、映画を見るつもりです。
I am going to watch a movie tomorrow.
Indicates a scheduled plan. More formal than つもり.
Use いる for living, animate things (people, animals). Use ある for inanimate objects, plants, and abstract concepts. However, ある can be used for people in some set phrases or when emphasizing existence as a fact (e.g., 昔々、おじいさんとおばあさんがありました). Robots and AI may take いる if perceived as sentient.
In many cases, Japanese omits the subject and copula when it's clear from context. For example, 'I am hungry' is often just 'お腹が空いた' (literally 'stomach emptied') without 'I am'. Overusing です/だ can sound unnatural.
お腹が空いた。
I'm hungry.
生きるべきか死ぬべきか、それが問題だ。
To be or not to be, that is the question.
Famous Shakespeare quote; not a literal translation of 'to be'.
There is a cat.
先生は教室にいます。
The teacher is in the classroom.
Humble form of いる, used to refer to oneself or one's in-group in formal situations. Also used in some dialects as a plain equivalent.
私はここにおります。
I am here. (humble)
Honorific verb for animate existence, used for respected persons (teachers, customers, etc.).
社長はいらっしゃいますか。
Is the company president here?
There is a book on the desk.
問題があります。
There is a problem.
Humble form of ある, used in very formal contexts. Often heard as 'ございます'.
お手洗いはあちらにございます。
The restroom is over there. (very polite)
Using the copula です to indicate location, often with a location noun. Common in polite speech.
トイレはあちらです。
The toilet is over there.
Indicates a state that has come to be or a current condition. Often used for results of a change.
彼は医者になっている。
He has become a doctor. (He is a doctor now.)
窓が開いている。
The window is open.
Japanese often avoids passive by using active voice with an implied subject, especially when the agent is unknown or unimportant.
この本はよく売れている。
This book is selling well. (lit. This book sells well.)
Emphasizes that the action is in the middle of happening right now.
今、出かけるところです。
I am just about to go out.
I am scheduled to go on a business trip next week.
です is not a verb but a polite copula. It can be attached to i-adjectives (暑いです) and nouns (学生です). In casual speech, だ is used for nouns/na-adjectives, but i-adjectives stand alone without だ (暑い).
です is not a verb but a polite copula. It can be attached to i-adjectives (暑いです) and nouns (学生です). In casual speech, だ is used for nouns/na-adjectives, but i-adjectives stand alone without だ (暑い).