X は Y です
Marking topics and polite sentences
This is the very first sentence pattern you learn in Japanese, and one of the most important. With は you mark the topic of your sentence, and with です you make it polite. Together they form the foundation for almost every Japanese sentence.
は is the topic particle. It marks what you are talking about. Important: は is pronounced "wa" as a particle, even though the character is normally "ha". Think of は as "As for X…", it sets the frame for the rest of the sentence.
です is the polite copula. It links the topic to a description or noun and makes the sentence formal/polite. It is similar to 'is/am/are' in English.
Combine は and です to say what something is. The pattern is: [Topic] は [Noun/Description] です。
Here are the key words you need with this pattern. Furigana above the kanji helps you read them right away.
- は (wa) marks the topic of the sentence, "As for X…"
- です makes the sentence polite, like "is/am/are"
- Basic pattern: X は Y です = "X is Y"
- は is always pronounced "wa" when used as a particle