LingakuLesson 21 of 126
The lesson
2.5 だ
Overview
Learn how Japanese uses informal (plain) forms to talk about the present, the past, and negation in a natural, narrative style.
Japanese uses informal (plain) forms in casual speech, narration, and internal thoughts.
だ is the informal equivalent of です for nouns and na-adjectives.
だった is the informal past form.
じゃない is the most common informal negative.
じゃなかった is the informal past negative.
These forms are very common in everyday Japanese and are essential for understanding casual narration.
Summary
| Meaning | Polite | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Present | です | だ |
| Past | でした | だった |
| Negative | ではありません / じゃありません | ではない / じゃない |
| Past negative | ではありませんでした / じゃありませんでした | ではなかった / じゃなかった |
Dialogue
Today is Monday. Yesterday was Sunday.
Today is a school day. But it is not work.
Yesterday was a day off. It was not a school day.
Today’s weather is rain. Yesterday’s weather was not rain.
Today is a busy day. But it is not a bad day.
New words
Grammar
You are not signed in, so nothing in this lesson is saved.