のです
🃏 Flashcard
のです
no desu
Tap to reveal usage
to explain something; show emphasis
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
no desu
Post ID
50653
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
to explain something; show emphasis
📖 How to use it
Used to explain a reason or give emphasis to a statement.
Attaches to
Attaches to the plain form of verbs and adjectives, and to nouns/な-adjectives followed by な (e.g., 行くのです, 高いのです, 静かなのです, 学生なのです).
のです (or んです in speech) is used when you are explaining something, giving a reason, or adding emphasis. It often answers why? or provides context for a situation. For example, if someone asks why you look tired, you say 眠いのです (I'm sleepy). It can also show that you are asserting something with feeling, like これは大事なのです (This is important!).
毎日運動するのです。健康のためです。
Mainichi undō suru no desu. Kenkō no tame desu.
I exercise every day. It's for my health.
どうして遅れたのですか。
Dōshite okureta no desu ka.
Why were you late? (seeking an explanation)
この本はとても面白いのです。
Kono hon wa totemo omoshiroi no desu.
This book is really interesting (and I want to emphasize that).
Not から
から directly gives a reason ('because'), while のです gives an explanation or emphasis and often implies 'that's why'. のです can be used with から, but not interchangeably.
Register
In conversation, のです is often shortened to んです. The full form sounds more formal and is common in writing or polite speech.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
のです
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat のです 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 のです. 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 のです mean?
▼
To explain something; show emphasis
What JLPT level is のです?
▼
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 のです in a sentence?
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Attach のです (no desu) 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 のです formal or casual Japanese?
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のです is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember のです 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.