だ
da[da̠]
In Japanese, だ (da) is a particle used to state that something is a certain way, functioning like the English verb 'to be'.
だ is used to mean 'is', 'am' or 'are' and is placed after nouns and na-adjectives. However, it cannot be used directly after i-adjectives.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle だ functions as a copula.
How do you pronounce it?
da
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because i-adjectives already contain the verb meaning, adding だ is incorrect.
Did you know?
- In certain Japanese dialects, such as those in Kansai, the equivalent of だ (da) is often replaced by や (ya).
- The word だ (da) is actually a linguistic 'shortcut' or contraction of the longer form である (de aru).
- In feminine speech, speakers often replace だ with the particle わ or simply omit the copula to avoid sounding too assertive.
Examples in context
- これは本だ。Kore wa hon da.This is a book.
- 今日は休みだ。Kyō wa yasumi da.Today is a holiday.
- 夢じゃない、現実だ。Yume janai, genjitsu da.It is not a dream, it is reality.
Example conversation
Himari and Hiroto are talking about a movie.
- 陽葵 Himariあの映画は面白かった？Ano eiga wa omoshirokatta?Was that movie interesting?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、最高だ。Un, saikō da.Yeah, it's the best.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、私も見ようかな。Jā, watashi mo miyō kana.Then maybe I'll watch it too.
- 大翔 Hiroto絶対におすすめだ。Zettai ni osusume da.I definitely recommend it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry だ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries だ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
