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How to Say ‘To be (polite)’ in Japanese

です

desu

[dess]

💬 Usage Tip: [です] makes sentences polite and interview-appropriate. Many interview answers end with [です] / [ます] style for consistency.

🇯🇵 In Japan: Mixing casual and polite forms can sound immature in a Japanese interview. Keeping [です・ます] throughout is the safe standard.

Phrase Breakdown

です

desu

[dess]

polite ending "is/are"

Adds politeness. With たい: 「学びたいです」 = polite "I want to learn."

Example

新しいことを学びたいです。

I want to learn new things.

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