【7】Sentence Structure Course

Teacher

Marshall

【7】Sentence Structure Course

Lesson 2: Noun-predicate Sentence

In this lesson, I will teach you the first sentence structure: Noun-predicate Sentence.

Noun-predicate Sentence is sentence like below:
Topic + は + Noun + だ/です

私わたしはトムだ。
I’m Tom.

私わたしはトムです。
I’m Tom.

彼かれは私わたしの先生せんせいです。
He is my teacher.

彼女かのじょは私わたしの姉あねです。
She is my elder sister.

Explanation:

In this sentence:
①私わたし is the topic.
②トムだ/トムです is the predicate.

Notes:
①You need to use the auxiliary verb だ/です at the end of noun-predicates to assert the whole sentence.
②です is more polite than だ.
③On the other hand, adjectives and verbs themselves have the function of asserting sentences.

Dimensions:

Below is an image to help you make sentences with three Japanese sentence dimensions.

Note:ではwa is more formal than じゃ, じゃ is often used in oral Japanese.

Examples:

彼かれは私わたしの友達ともだちです。
He is my friend.

彼女かのじょは私わたしの妹いもうとではありません。
She is not my younger sister.

これは私わたしのぺんじゃない。
It’s not my pen.

この女おんなの子こは私わたしの彼女かのじょでした。
This girl was my girlfriend.

彼かれは歌手かしゅではありませんでした。
He was not a singer.

152+