じゃない・ではない
🃏 Flashcard
じゃない・ではない
janai / dewa nai
Tap to reveal usage
to not be (am not; is not; are not)
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
janai / dewa nai
Post ID
50621
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
to not be (am not; is not; are not)
📖 How to use it
Expresses negation of identity or state, meaning 'to not be'.
Attaches to
Attach to a noun or な-adjective stem directly: X じゃない (casual) or X ではない (more formal). For い-adjectives, use the stem with くない instead.
This is the negative form of です/だ meaning 'is not'. In casual speech, じゃない is very common. In more formal writing or polite speech, ではない is used. When used as a question with rising intonation, it can seek agreement, like 'isn't it?' but at N5, focus on simple negation.\n\nBe careful: for な-adjectives, drop the な before adding じゃない. For example, 元気な (genki na) becomes 元気じゃない (not fine). For nouns, just attach directly: 学生じゃない (not a student).\n\nIn polite speech, you'll often hear じゃないです or ではありません. The latter is very polite and formal.
私は学生じゃないです。
Watashi wa gakusei janai desu.
I am not a student.
これはペンではない。
Kore wa pen dewa nai.
This is not a pen.
今日は忙しくない。
Kyou wa isogashikunai.
I am not busy today.
Not じゃないか / じゃない？
じゃない alone is a simple negation. When followed by か or with rising intonation in casual speech, it becomes a tag question meaning 'isn't it?' For N5, focus on plain negation.
Register
じゃない is casual and commonly used in conversation; ではない is more formal and appears in writing or polite speech. Adding です makes it polite.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
じゃない・ではない
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat じゃない・ではない three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using じゃない・ではない. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern じゃない・ではない mean?
▼
To not be (am not; is not; are not)
What JLPT level is じゃない・ではない?
▼
Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use じゃない・ではない in a sentence?
▼
Attach じゃない・ではない (janai / dewa nai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is じゃない・ではない formal or casual Japanese?
▼
じゃない・ではない is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember じゃない・ではない long-term?
▼
Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.