How to Say ‘To be (polite)’ in Japanese
です
desu
[dess]
💬 Usage Tip: [です] is the polite sentence ending. It’s like a “politeness cushion” rather than a strong “to be.” You’ll hear it everywhere, and it makes requests sound gentler.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Using [です] (or [ます]) is the safe default with neighbors. Casual speech can sound overly familiar or even rude if you don’t know them well.
Phrase Breakdown
です
desu
[dess]
is/are (polite copula)
Polite sentence ending meaning “is/are.” Used to speak politely to neighbors and soften statements.
大丈夫です。いつでも言ってください。
It’s okay. Please tell me anytime.
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