GrammarJLPT N5
→ be
Formal / Written Copula "to be"
JLPT N5CopulaFormal / Written
である is the formal written copula in Japanese, equivalent in meaning to だ (casual) and です (polite). It literally combines the particle で (the て-form of だ) with the verb ある (to exist), and it historically represents the original full form from which だ was contracted. である is predominantly found in academic writing, essays, newspaper articles, legal documents, and other expository prose. Unlike です, which signals politeness toward a listener, である signals an objective, authoritative, or scholarly tone without implying politeness or casualness — it is simply neutral-formal written style, often called である体 (である-style). Because ある is a verb, である can be conjugated like a verb: its negative is ではない (or でない), its past is であった, and its volitional/presumptive form is であろう. Learners should note that while だ cannot directly precede certain grammatical elements (e.g., you cannot say ×だが in formal writing without sounding odd), である connects smoothly with conjunctive particles like が and から, making it very useful in constructing complex written sentences.
Functions
#1 Stating facts in written/formal style
Structure
Noun / な-Adjective stem + である
これは日本語の本である。
Here である simply replaces what would be だ in casual speech or です in polite speech. The sentence states a plain fact — that something is a Japanese book — but the use of である gives it a written, expository tone, as you would find in an essay or report rather than in everyday conversation.This is a Japanese-language book.
Structures
- Noun
- Noun + である
- な-Adjective
- な-Adjective stem + である
Common mistakes
A common mistake is using である in everyday conversation, which sounds unnaturally stiff or pompous — it belongs in writing, speeches, or presentations, not in casual chat. Another frequent error is confusing である with です; while both can translate as "is," です expresses politeness toward a listener, whereas である expresses a neutral-formal written tone. Learners also sometimes incorrectly attach である to い-adjectives (e.g., ×大きいである), but い-adjectives already contain a predicate ending and do not take any copula. Finally, mixing である style and です/ます style within a single essay is a stylistic error; Japanese formal writing typically commits to one consistent style throughout.
Related
だですにあるでありますではないであろう