Affirmative, Negative & Question Sentences in Japanese
You've learned how to build a basic Japanese sentence (Subject-Object-Verb). That type of sentence is a statement, also known as an **Affirmative** sentence.
Now, let's learn how to turn that statement into a **Negative** ("is not") or a **Question** ("is it?"). The good news is, it's very simple. You only need to change the very end of the sentence!
1. The Affirmative Sentence (A is B)
This is the basic statement form you already know. It uses です (desu) to say that something "is" something else.
これ は 本 です。
(Kore wa hon desu.)
This is a book.
2. The Negative Sentence (A is not B)
To say something "is not," you simply change です (desu) to ではありません (dewa arimasen). That's it! Everything else in the sentence stays the same.
これ は 本 ではありません。
(Kore wa hon dewa arimasen.)
This is not a book.
Note: In casual conversation, you'll often hear じゃないです (ja nai desu) instead of ではありません. Both are correct, but ではありません is slightly more formal and a great one to learn first.
3. The Question Sentence (Is A B?)
Making a question in Japanese is even easier. Just add the particle か (ka) to the end of an affirmative sentence. You don't need to change the word order like in English.
これ は 本 ですか。
(Kore wa hon desu ka?)
Is this a book?
Summary Chart
Let's see all three side-by-side. Notice how only the ending changes.
| Type | Japanese Example | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | あれは学校です。 (Are wa gakkō desu.) | That over there is a school. |
| Negative | あれは学校ではありません。 (Are wa gakkō dewa arimasen.) | That over there is not a school. |
| Question | あれは学校ですか。 (Are wa gakkō desu ka?) | Is that over there a school? |
With these three simple transformations, you can now state a fact, deny a fact, and ask about a fact. These are the fundamental building blocks of almost any conversation!