Hello! Welcome to Day 16 of your Japanese learning journey!
Today, we’re learning how to introduce your family using です (desu) and the particle は (wa). This is super useful for talking about your loved ones in daily life, like sharing about your parents or siblings with friends.
You’re doing amazing in Japanese! Keep practicing, and you’ll sound natural soon. Let’s dive into fun words and sentences!
Vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| かぞく | kazoku | Family |
| おとうさん | otousan | Father |
| おかあさん | okaasan | Mother |
| にいさん | niisan | Older brother |
| ねえさん | neesan | Older sister |
| いもうと | imouto | Younger sister |
| おとうと | otouto | Younger brother |
| ともだち | tomodachi | Friend |
Grammar Point
The word です (desu) means “is/am/are” and makes sentences polite.
The particle は (wa) marks the topic, like “as for” in English. Use them together to describe people, like your family.
For example:
わたし の かぞく は げんき です (watashi no kazoku wa genki desu) means “My family is fine.”
Another example:
おとうさん は せんせい です (otousan wa sensei desu) means “My father is a teacher.”
To talk about your family, use わたし の (watashi no, “my”) before the family member, then は and a description, followed by です.
This structure is simple and polite, perfect for JLPT N5 learners. You can use it to say who someone is or describe them, like their job or personality.
Example Sentences
- わたし の かぞく は ごにん です。 (watashi no kazoku wa go-nin desu.)
- My family has five people.
- おとうさん は せんせい です。 (otousan wa sensei desu.)
- My father is a teacher.
- おかあさん は げんき です。 (okaasan wa genki desu.)
- My mother is fine.
- おにいさん は がくせい です。 (oniisan wa gakusei desu.)
- My older brother is a student.
- おねえさん は ともだち が すき です。 (oneesan wa tomodachi ga suki desu.)
- My older sister likes friends.
- いもうと は ねこ が すき です。 (imouto wa neko ga suki desu.)
- My younger sister likes cats.
- おとうと は いぬ が すき です。 (otouto wa inu ga suki desu.)
- My younger brother likes dogs.
- わたし の かぞく は にほん に います。 (watashi no kazoku wa nihon ni imasu.)
- My family is in Japan.
Practice Activity
Let’s make introducing your family fun! Write six sentences using です and は to describe your family members.
Say each sentence aloud to practice speaking. Then, try sharing one or two sentences with a friend, classmate, or teacher.
You can even record yourself saying them to check your pronunciation. This will help you feel confident talking about your family in Japanese. Have fun and keep practicing!
Conclusion
Great job learning to introduce your family with です and は!
You can now say things like おかあさん は げんき です. Try using these sentences in real life, maybe with a friend or language partner.
You’re speaking Japanese so well! Keep going, and we’ll learn more tomorrow!
