~は~だ

~は~だ Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Structure

Essential Meaning: As for X, it’s Y

Construction: 

• (Topic + は) + (Noun Phrase + だ)
  • E.g. これはペンだ [As for this, it’s a pen.]

Notes:

• ~は~だ is a perhaps the most basic and fundamental sentence structure in the Japanese language. You may be temped to translate a sentence such as XはYだ as “X is Y.” For example, it is common to translate a sentence such as これはペンだ as “This is a pen“. Beware of falling into this habit. A better translation would be “As for X, Y” or “Speaking of X, it’s Y.” The reasoning is that は in this structure does not indicate a subject / object relationship between X and Y. It simply indicates that X is the topic of discussion, and Y is some statement that pertains to that topic. As an illustration, consider the sentence: 家内かないは紅茶こうちゃだ。[As for my wife, it’s green tea.] It would clearly make no sentence to translate this sentence as “My wife is black tea“. What the speaker is really doing is introducing his wife as the topic of discussion and then making a statement that pertains to her. The context may be that the speaker is making an order at a cafe on behalf of his wife, or he may be talking to someone about his wife’s favorite drink.
  • E.g. 家内かないは紅茶こうちゃだ。[As for my wife, it’s green tea.]

• Generally speaking, the copula だ can be used in place of a predicate if the predicate can be understood implicitly from context.
  • E.g. 私わたしは毎朝まいあさコーヒーを飲のむ。家内かないは紅茶こうちゃだ。[As for me, I drink coffee every morning. As for my wife, it’s tea (that is drunk every morning).] In this example, the copula だ is taking the place of the predicate 飲のむ in sentence 2 since it is clear from prior context that the speaker is discussing the drinking of beverages.
  • E.g. A: 私わたしはハワイへ行いきます。B:私わたしはフロリダです。[A: I’m going to Hawaii. B: As for me, it’s Florida (where I’m going).] In this example, the formal copula です replaces the predicate 行いく in sentence 2.
  • E.g. このレストランは寿司すしが美味おいしい。あのレストランは天てんぷらです。[As for this restaurant, the sushi is delicious. As for that restaurant, it’s the tempura (that’s delicious).] In this example, the formal copula です replaces the predicate 美味おいしい in sentence 2.
  • E.g. ディックはスケートが上手じょうずだ。ポールはスキーだ。[As for Dick, he’s good at skating. As for Paul, it’s skiing (that he’s good at).] In this example, だ replaces the predicate 上手じょうずだ in sentence 2.
  • E.g. みつこはお母かあさんが病気びょうきだ。つとむはお父とうさんだ。[As for Mitsuko, her mother is ill. As for Tsutomu, it’s her father (who is ill).] In this example, だ replaces the predicate 病気びょうきだ in sentence 2.

• The copula だ in XはYだ usually appears in the non-past tense regardless of the tense of the main predicate that it replaces.
  • E.g. A: 僕ぼくは病気びょうきで休やんだ。B: 僕ぼくは怪我けがでだ。[A: As for me, I was absent due to illness. B: As for me, it was an injury.] Note that the predicate in sentence 1 is in the past tense, but the copula in sentence 2 is nonpast.

• In the structure XはYだ, Yだ may be a standalone noun or noun phrase (e.g. 本ほんだ) or it may be a noun phrase with a particle attached (e.g. 8時じからだ). In the latter case, the following particle rules must be applied:
  • (1) が, を, へ, に (Time), and に (Direction) must be dropped before the copula.
    • E.g. を: 私わたしは毎朝まいあさコーヒーを飲のむ。家内かないは紅茶こうちゃだ。[As for me, I drink coffee every morning. As for my wife, it’s tea.] In this case, を drops after 紅茶こうちゃ in the 2nd sentence.
    • E.g. へ: A: 私わたしはハワイへ行いきます。B: 私わたしはフロリダです。[A: As for me, I will go to Hawaii. B: As for me, it’s Florida.] In this case, へ drops after フロリダ in the 2nd sentence.
    • E.g. が: このレストランは寿司すしが美味おいしい。あのレストランは天てんぷらだ。[As for this restaurant, the sushi is delicious. As for that restaurant, it’s the tempura.] In this case, が drops after 天てんぷら in the 2nd sentence.
    • E.g. が: ティックはスケートが上手じょうずだ。ポールはスキーだ。[As for Dick, he’s good at skating. As for Paul, it’s skiing.] In this case, が drops after スキー in the 2nd sentence.
    • E.g. が: みつこはお母かあさんが病気びょうきだ。つとむはお父とうさんだ。[As for Mitsuko, her mother is ill. As for Tsutomu, it’s her father.] In this case, が drops after お父とうさん in the 2nd sentence.
    • E.g. を: 僕ぼくはうなぎだ。[As for me, it’s unagi.] In this case, を drops after うなぎ (assuming that the speaker is referring to eating unagi).
    • E.g. に (Time): A: 僕ぼくは八時はちじに起おきる。B: 僕ぼくは十時じゅうじです。[A: I get up at 8. B: As for me, it’s 10.] In this case, に (Time) drops after 十時じゅうじ in the 2nd sentence.
  • (2) に (Indirect object), に (Passive / Causative), に (Surface), で (Location), and で (Means / Instrument) may drop optionally.
    • E.g. に (Indirect object): A: 僕ぼくはけんに頼たのんだ。B: 僕ぼくはアンディー(に)だ。[A: As for me, I asked Ken. B: As for me, it was Andy.]
    • E.g. で (Location): A: 僕ぼくはアパートで勉強べんきょうする。B: 僕ぼくは図書館としょかん(で)だ。[As for me, I study at my apartment. B: As for me, it’s the library.]
    • E.g. に (Passive / Causative): A: 僕ぼくはガラガラヘビに食たべられた。B: 僕ぼくはサメ(に)だ。[A: I was eaten by a rattlesnake. B: As for me, it was a shark.]
    • E.g. に (Surface): A: 私わたしは壁かべに絵えを描かいた。B: 私わたしはゆか(に)だ。[I drew a picture on the wall. As for me, it was the floor.]
    • E.g. で (Means / Instrument): A: 僕ぼくはお箸はしで食たべる。B: 僕ぼくはフォークとナイフ(で)だ。[A: I eat with chopsticks. B: As for me, it’s a fork and knife.]
  • (3) で (Cause), と (Reciprocal Relationship), から, and まで usually do not drop.
    • E.g. で (Cause): A: 僕ぼくは病気びょうきで休やすんだ。B: 僕ぼくは怪我けがでだ。[As for me, I was absent due to illness. B: As for me, it was an injury.]
    • E.g. から: A: 私わたしはアメリカからきました。B: 僕ぼくはオスとラリアからです。[I’m from America. B: As for m, I’m from Australia.]
    • E.g. と (Reciprocal Relationship): A: 私わたしはいちろうと踊おどりました。 B: 私わたしはのぶたとです。[A: As for me, I danced with Ichiro. B: As for me, it was Nobuta.]

• In the structure XはYだ, Xは may drop if the topic can be understood clearly from context.
  • E.g. A: それはなんですか。B: (これは)辞書じしょです。[A: What’s that? B: It’s a dictionary.]

Example Sentences:

これは本ほんだ。[As for this, it’s a book.]

コンサートは八時はちじからだ。[As for the concert, it’s from 8 o’clock.]

あの人ひとは先生せんせいだ。 [As for that person, he’s a teacher.]

私わたしはジョーンズです。[As for me, my name is Jones.]

授業じゅぎょうは四時よじまでだ。[As for class, it’s until 4 o’clock.]

今度こんどの試合しあいはワシントン大学だいがくとだ。[As for this match, it’s against the University of Washington.]

WILD Examples:

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