Structure
Noun + である
［な］Adjective + である
Details
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Formal
About である
である (or であります) is a construction in Japanese that is considered to be the formal equivalent of だ. This should not be confused with the polite speech word です, as である is simply a combination of the conjunctive form of だ, and the う - Verb, ある.
である may be used in any place that だ would usually be used, but is most likely to be found at the end of sentences/statements.
Fun Fact
Because the な that is used with な-Adjectives is simply the attributive form of だ, である may replace な or の when connecting one noun to another. The attributive form just means the form of a word that can be directly linked to a noun. As ある's attributive form is just ある, it does not need to be modifed at all.
However, although this is grammatically correct, it would sound quite stiff in many circumstances, and should be avoided in standard speech.
Caution
であります (as opposed to である) is very formal, and will almost exclusively be used by people within jobs that absolutely require this level of formality (politics, police force, military, etc). Due to this, its use within regular conversation will sound stiff, or perhaps even like the speaker is jokingly being over polite.
Related
Examples
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彼はとてもハンサムである。
He is very handsome.
彼はパイロットであった。
He was a pilot.
とても面白いドラマである。
It is a very interesting drama.
題名：「吾輩は猫である。」
Title: 'I am a cat.'
夢は海外で成功することである。
My dream is to be successful overseas.
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Formal expressions
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である – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (10 in total)
lunchbox1
Random question, but can anyone explain the humor behind using polite forms as a joke in Japanese?
The provided example:
最後のプリンを食べたのは私であります。I guess I’m just trying to understand the context in which someone would say this, and why it would be considered a joke.
casual
Why is it funny that a simple house cat in Wagahai wa neko de aru talks in a manner more befitting of an academic or a noble? Why would it be funny to strike a dramatic pose and proclaim “thou shalt not pass” while playing with a child?
A gap between simple everyday situations and exaggerated phrasing is kind of funny, in a way.
lunchbox1
I guess I can kind of understand. It’s definitely a cultural difference though. As for the example, if someone ate the last pudding and commented on it like that, I would want to get violent.
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