I heard that sometimes です is not used at the end of adjectives sometimes. (Obviously not in really formal siutations) And I was wondering if this is true, and if there are any other exceptions. Also, is there ever a time when です is used in non formal speech?
Also, I learned that だ is normally dropped most of the time, but comes back when you add ね or よ. But sometimes I hear ね or よ at the end of sentences without だ at all, so when is だ really used?
ありがとうございます
1 comment
Omitting です isn’t normally done when speaking in a polite or formal context, although one might slip into plain form as an aside.
あっ、メアリーさんは日本に住んだことがありますか。(to self)どうりで日本語がそんな上手なわけだ。Oh! Mary lived in Japan? No wonder her Japanese is so good.
今日のクラスはキャンセルしたんですか。(to self) じゃあ、早く帰ろうかな。Today’s class was cancelled? We’ll, guess I’ll go home early then.
In a causal conversation using plain/informal forms, だ is used in place of です with nouns and な adjectives, particularly with masculine speech patterns. だ gives a sense of directness (?) which most female native speakers avoid (being indirect is politer, and politeness is almost universally expected from female speakers of any language).
A: これは だれの？Whose is this?
B: 僕のだ。It’s mine.
A: その写真はきれい。It’s beautiful!
B: ううん、別に。写真を撮るのが趣味だけだ。才能はないんだ。No, not really. Taking photos is just a hobby. I don’t have any talent.
Female Japanese native speakers tend to use a formality level above what might be expected. That is to say, in a causal conversation they might still use です・ます forms. (Edit: Some of my frame of reference might be a bit dated and there are a LOT of individual variants at play from who they person is talking to, who else might be present, the speakers’ age and up bringing, socio-economic class, the situation they’re in at the moment and much, much more. Your experience may vary.)
C: 由美、金曜日に映画を見ない？
D: いいですね。どこで見ましょうか。
だ is totally omitted with い adjectives, of course.
E: 今日は暑いね。it’s hot today, isn’t it?
F: そうだね。去年の方は暑かったかな。Sure is. I wonder if last year was hotter?
E: こんなに暑くなかった。きっと。It wasn’t this hot. For sure.
F: じゃあ、帰ってエアコンをつけよう。Well, let’s go home and crank the AC.