である

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Japanese

Etymology

From にてあり (nite ari).

  • にて (nite) → で (de), contraction
  • あり (ari, classical conclusive form) → ある (aru, modern conclusive form)

Verb

である • (de aru) godan (stem であり (de ari), past であった (de atta))

  1. (formal) To be: the copula, with the same function as だ (da) and its polite form です (desu).
    姉(し)妹(まい)であった二人(ふたり)
    shimai de atta futari
    the two people who were sisters
    普(ふ)通(つう)でありたい人(ひと)
    futsū de aritai hito
    person who wants to be ordinary

Usage notes

  • Binding particles (係助詞 kakarijoshi, namely は wa, も mo, しか shika, さえ sae, etc.) can be inserted between で (de) and ある (aru). The negative form is でない (de nai) (mostly restricted to attributive sense) or ではない (de wa nai) (all senses), similarly to how the negative form of ある (aru) is ない (nai). The negative form also allows insertion of some adverbs emphasizing the negation, such as 決して (kesshite, “certainly; definitely”), 全く (mattaku, “completely”), and 全然 (zenzen, “totally”).
    学(がく)生(せい)ではあるが、休(きゅう)学(がく)中(ちゅう)だ。
    Gakusei de wa aru ga, kyūgaku-chū da.
    He is a student, but currently on leave.
    社(しゃ)会(かい)人(じん)でもあり、学(がく)生(せい)でもある。
    Shakaijin de mo ari, gakusei de mo aru.
    He is a worker as well as a student.
    学(がく)生(せい)でしかない。
    Gakusei de shika nai.
    He is nothing more than a student.
    学(がく)生(せい)ではない。
    Gakusei de wa nai.
    He is not a student.
    学(がく)生(せい)じゃない。
    Gakusei ja nai.
    He is not a student.
    学(がく)生(せい)では決(けっ)してない。
    Gakusei de wa kesshite nai.
    He is certainly not a student.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

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