Present and future
now, habits, and what is to come
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmativeit is | ||
| Negativeit is not |
Conjugation
Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.
Past
finished actions
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmativeit was | ||
| Negativeit was not |
Te-form
て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests
- て-form being, and…
Volitional
意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Probablyit probably is |
Conditional
条件形 · “if” and “when”
- If (なら) if it is
- If, when (たら) if it is
How to use だ
One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.
-
Present and future
ベン は カナダじん だ。
Ben is Canadian.
-
Past
きのう は やすみ だった。
Yesterday was a day off.
-
Te-form
あに は いしゃ で、 あね は せんせい だ。
My older brother is a doctor and my older sister is a teacher.
-
Potential
それ は ほんとう じゃ ない。
That's not true.
-
Want to
テスト は かんたん じゃ なかった。
The test wasn't easy.
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Volitional
あした は きっと はれ だろう。
Tomorrow will surely be sunny.
-
Conditional
ゆい なら、 きっと できる よ。
If it's Yui, she can surely do it.
-
Commands and requests
わたし だったら、 すぐ あやまる。
If it were me, I'd apologise right away.
-
Passive and causative
きょう は ぼく の たんじょうび なん だ。
Today's my birthday, actually.
Good to know
- だ is the plain です: friends end a sentence with it, and it drops after an い-adjective (おいしい, never おいしい だ).
- Before よ, ね and ん, だ stays: そう だ よ, たんじょうび なん だ.
Where you hear だ
The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.
Japanese · Intermediate Level 1
- きょう は しごと だ。 I've got work today.
- きのう は やすみ だった。 Yesterday was my day off.
- あした は にちようび だ。 Tomorrow's Sunday.
Verbs like this one
The same pattern, on other verbs: the copula.