Chapter 1 of 25

A is B: 〜は〜です and これ・それ・あれ

Japanese sentences end with a copula. The polite form is です, which works like English “is”. The particle は (read wa) marks the topic of the sentence — the thing you are talking about. Put は after the topic and です at the end. これ, それ, あれ are the words for “this” and “that”: これ is close to the speaker, それ is close to the listener, and あれ is far from both.

• これは ほんです。

  This is a book.

• わたしは がくせいです。

  I am a student.

• あれは えきです。

  That over there is the station.