わたしは〜です
watashi wa … desupolite
The basic way to say "I am" in hiragana is わたしは〜です (watashi wa … desu). Put a noun or adjective in the gap. A casual male form is ぼくは〜だ (boku wa … da).
Meaning: self-introduction pattern (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| わたしは〜です | watashi wa … desu | polite |
| ぼくは〜だ | boku wa … da | casual, male |
Japanese often drops わたしは when it is clear who is speaking, so がくせいです (gakusei desu) alone means "I am a student".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
わたし (watashi) is neutral and used by everyone. ぼく (boku) is used mainly by men and boys, and わたくし (watakushi) is very formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
は is read "wa" as the topic marker, and です (desu) works as "am", "is" or "are". Japanese has no separate verb for "am".
Did you know?
- The word です is often pronounced "des", with the final vowel almost silent.
Examples in context
- わたしはがくせいです。Watashi wa gakusei desu.I am a student.
- わたしはげんきです。Watashi wa genki desu.I am fine.
- ぼくはいしゃだ。Boku wa isha da.I am a doctor.
Example conversation
Rena introduces herself to a new classmate named Aya.
- Renaわたしはれなです。Watashi wa Rena desu.I am Rena.
- Ayaわたしはあやです。Watashi wa Aya desu.I am Aya.
- Renaよろしくおねがいします。Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.Nice to meet you.
