User:Jun-Dai/Np/L6

= Lesson 6: です =

です as Copula
There is a common misconception that です is equivalent to the English copula is. The problem with that notion is that です is not a 動詞 (verb). The comparison is useful, however, because it serves a similar function. です is a 助詞 (particle) that indicates that the information in the preceding phrase is the case. Here is a very simple construction using です:

花がきれいです.

が indicates that the preceding word, 花, is the subject. です indicates that the preceding word, きれい, is being used to describe that subject. The resulting meaning is: "the flower is pretty." Note: depending on context, this sentence could also mean "the flowers are pretty," or "a flower is pretty," or "flowers are pretty."