In this lesson, we learn an important and versatile grammar pattern in Japanese: " A は B　 ですか。" which means " Am I a B?, Is A a B? or Are As Bs? "

This pattern is commonly used when asking questions in Japanese and is essential to master for communication purposes. Let's break it down step by step.

Firstly, let's understand the structure of this grammar pattern. "A" represents the topic or subject of the question, while "B" is the content or information we are asking about. The particle "は" is used to mark the topic and is similar to the English word "as for." Finally, "ですか。" is added at the end to form a question. It is the polite form of the copula "です," which means "to be." So, when combined, "A は B　 ですか。" translates to "Regarding A, is it B?"

Let's look at some examples to get a better understanding of how to use this grammar pattern. Suppose you want to ask someone what their favorite food is. You can say, "あなたの好きな食べ物は何ですか。" In this sentence, "あなたの" is "your," "好きな" is "favorite," and "食べ物" means "food." By using "あなたの好きな食べ物は何ですか。," you are asking, "Regarding your favorite food, what is it?"

Similarly, " クマーラ　さん　 は 先生　 ですか。" which means " Is Mr Kumara a teacher? " and " かれ　 は 学生　 ですか。" which means " Is he a student? "

Please Check Your Understanding:

1. What does the grammar pattern "A は B ですか" mean in English?

a) A is B

b) Is A B?

c) A is not B

d) A and B are the same

2. What is the purpose of the particle "は" in the sentence structure?

a) To indicate the subject of the question

b) To mark the topic

c) To emphasize the adjective "B"

d) To make the sentence polite

3. In the sentence "あなたの好きな食べ物は何ですか？" (Anata no suki na tabemono wa nan desu ka?), what is the question asking about?

a) The person's name

b) The person's age

c) The person's favorite food

d) The person's occupation

4. How would you ask, "Is she a teacher?" using the grammar pattern "A は B ですか"?

a) かれ は がくせい ですか？ (Kare wa gakusei desu ka?)

b) かのじょ は せんせい ですか？ (Kanojo wa sensei desu ka?)

c) かれ は せんせい ですか？ (Kare wa sensei desu ka?)

d) かのじょ は がくせい ですか？ (Kanojo wa gakusei desu ka?)

5. What does "Is Mr. Kumara a teacher?" translate to in Japanese using the grammar pattern "A は B ですか"?

a) クマーラ さん は せんせい ですか？ (Kumara-san wa sensei desu ka?)

b) クマーラ さん は がくせい ですか？ (Kumara-san wa gakusei desu ka?)

c) クマーラ さん は かんごふ ですか？ (Kumara-san wa kangofu desu ka?)

d) クマーラ さん は いしゃ ですか？ (Kumara-san wa isha desu ka?)

Answers:

1. b) Is A B?

2. b) To mark the topic

3. c) The person's favorite food

4. c) かれ は せんせい ですか？ (Kare wa sensei desu ka?)

5. a) クマーラ さん は せんせい ですか？ (Kumara-san wa sensei desu ka?)