日本大学の学生です
nihon daigaku no gakusei desu
To say "I am a student at Nihon University" in Japanese, use 日本大学の学生です (nihon daigaku no gakusei desu).
This phrase is used to state that you are currently enrolled as a student at Nihon University. In Japanese, the subject "I" (watashi wa) is often omitted when it is clear from the context that you are talking about yourself.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Nihon Daigaku (Nihon University), no (possessive particle), gakusei (student) and desu (to be).
Which one should you use?
Replacing desu with da makes the sentence informal, which is used with friends or people of lower social status.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 日本大学の学生です is polite and suitable for introducing yourself to teachers, strangers or in formal settings. You may also use the more explicit formal version Watashi wa Nihon daigaku no gakusei desu. In contrast, 日本大学の学生だ and Ore wa Nihon daigaku no gakusei are informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb desu at the end of the sentence makes the statement polite and serves as the copula (am/is/are).
How do you pronounce it?
nihon daigaku no gakusei desu
Did you know?
- When introducing yourself as a student, you might perform a bow. The depth and duration of the bow change depending on whether you are speaking to a fellow student or a professor.
- The term 学生 (gakusei) specifically refers to a student in a higher education setting. If you were a primary or secondary school student, you would use a different word, such as 生徒 (seito) or 児童 (jidou).
- The word 日本 means 'Japan', but when it appears in the name of the university, it is pronounced as Nihon rather than Nippon, which is often used for nationalistic or formal contexts.
Examples in context
- 日本大学の学生です。Nihon Daigaku no gakusei desu.I am a student at Nihon University.
- はじめまして、日本大学の学生です。Hajimemashite, Nihon Daigaku no gakusei desu.Nice to meet you, I am a student at Nihon University.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are introducing themselves at a networking event.
- 結衣 Yuiはじめまして、結衣です。Hajimemashite, Yui desu.Nice to meet you, I am Yui.
- 健太 Kenta健太です。学生ですか？Kenta desu. Gakusei desu ka?I am Kenta. Are you a student?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、日本大学の学生です。Hai, Nihon Daigaku no gakusei desu.Yes, I am a student at Nihon University.
- 健太 Kentaそうなんですね。Sou nan desu ne.I see.
