In this lesson,
you will learn how to use です and ます.
•です is used with nouns.
•ます is used with verbs.
These polite forms are essential for JLPT N5.
New vocabulary
がくせい（学生）【GAKUSEI】 student
いしゃ（医者）【ISHA】 doctor
かのじょ（彼女）【KANOJO】 she
かいしゃいん（会社員）【KAISHAIN】 office worker
Part 1｜Noun + です
Sentence Pattern
【 N1 】 は 【 N2 】 です
Explanation
This sentence pattern is used
to explain what N1 is by using N2.
It is similar to
“A is B” in English.
Examples
•わたしは がくせい です。
I am a student.
•かのじょは いしゃ です。
She is a doctor.
•たなかさんは かいしゃいん です。
Mr. Tanaka is an office worker.
Part 2｜Verb + ます
Explanation
ます is added to verbs
to make polite sentences.
Examples
•食べます
eat (polite)
•行きます
go (polite)
Important ｜Verb form before ます
You may wonder:
Why is it たべます,
not たべるます?
This is because verbs
change their form
before adding ます.
How verbs change
u-verbs
There are two ways to understand the change.
Way 1 (Romaji thinking):
Change the final U to I,
then add ます.
Way 2 (Kana thinking):
Change the verb to the I-row
of the same consonant,
then add ます.
Both ways lead to the same result.
↓
Example
•はしる → はしります
HASHIRU → HASHIRI + MASU
ら・り・る・れ・ろ → り
How verbs change
ru-verbs
For ru-verbs,
remove る
and add ます.
Examples
•たべ る → たべます
•み る → みます
Note ｜Verb groups in JLPT N5
In JLPT N5,
verbs are divided into u-verbs and ru -verbs.
If you are not sure
which group a verb belongs to,
check the JLPT N5 Vocabulary list.
This lesson focuses on
how to use ます,
not on memorizing verb groups.
Summary
In this lesson, you learned:
•Noun + です
•Verb + ます
Verbs change their form
before adding ます.
If you are not sure,
check the vocabulary list
and focus on the pattern.
Final Note ｜Take it easy
If verb changes feel confusing,
that’s completely normal.
For now, just remember this:
“食べるます” is wrong,
but 【ます】 makes a sentence polite.
That is enough for this lesson.
Take it easy.
When you see たべます
in future sentences,
just think:
“Ah, たべるます is not correct.”
That feeling is enough to move forward.