でございます

Copula (Very Polite)

Level 3Sounds Like degozaimasu

でございます is the highly formal equivalent of です (to be). It is primarily used in professional service settings (hotels, shops) and formal business introductions to show deep respect and professional distance.

How It Works

でございます is a highly formal way to express the copula "to be" in modern Japanese. It is formed by combining the particle で with ございます, which is the polite form of the archaic verb ござる.

Usage Rules:

  • Nouns: [Noun] + でございます (e.g., 田中（たなか）でございます - I am Tanaka).
  • Na-adjectives: [Stem] + でございます (e.g., 綺麗（きれい）でございます - It is beautiful).
  • Negative Form: The negative version is ではございません (e.g., 田中（たなか）ではございません - I am not Tanaka).

Key Nuances:
1. Service Language: You will hear this constantly from train conductors, department store clerks, and hotel staff. It creates a professional 'buffer' between the server and the customer.
2. Subject Limitation: Crucially, でございます is used for the speaker, the speaker's company, or inanimate objects. When the subject is a respected person (like a customer or boss), you should use the honorific copula でいらっしゃいます instead.
3. Business Humility: When introducing yourself or your company to a client, using でございます instead of です shows a higher level of professional etiquette.
4. Not for I-Adjectives: Unlike です, you cannot simply attach でございます to an い-adjective. For example, "It is cold" would be 寒（さむ）うございます in very formal speech, not 寒い（さむい）でございます.

Examples (4)

  1. お釣（つ）りでございます。

    Here is your change.

    Word by Word: Change it is.

    A standard phrase used by cashiers when handing back money to a customer.

  2. 初（はじ）めまして、営業部（えいぎょうぶ）の田中（たなか）でございます。

    Nice to meet you, I am Tanaka from the sales department.

    Word by Word: First time meeting, sales department's Tanaka I am.

    A very formal business introduction used when meeting a client for the first time.

  3. 本（ほん）日（じつ）はあいにくの雨（あめ）でございます。

    Unfortunately, it is raining today.

    Word by Word: Today as for, unfortunately rain it is.

    Used in formal announcements (like on a train or at a hotel) to describe the weather politely.

  4. こちらが新（あたら）しいカタログでございます。

    This is the new catalog.

    Word by Word: This way as for, new catalog it is.

    Used when presenting an item to a superior or a customer.

Common Mistakes

  • Using it as a customer to staff.

    （客として）コーヒーでございます。
    （客として）コーヒーです。

    でございます is 'service language' used by the person providing the service. As a customer, you are the 'superior' in the social hierarchy, so using it sounds like you are pretending to be the waiter.

  • Using it to refer to a respected listener.

    お客様は田中様でございますか。
    お客様は田中様でいらっしゃいますか。

    でございます is used for things or for the speaker's own side. When referring to a customer or a superior, you must use the honorific copula でいらっしゃいます. Using でございます for a person can sound cold or robotic.

  • Attaching it directly to I-adjectives.

    このお茶（ちゃ）は熱（あつ）いでございます。
    このお茶（ちゃ）は熱（あつ）いです。

    でございます only attaches to nouns and na-adjectives. For i-adjectives, use standard です or the formal euphonic change (e.g., 熱（あつ）うございます), though the latter is very rare in modern speech.

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でございますLevel 3Copula (Very Polite)

Learn This First

でございます is a highly formal version of the copula 'desu'. To understand it, learners should already be familiar with the standard polite copula, the basic verb 'aru' (from which it is derived), and the general concept of Japanese honorifics (keigo).

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でございます御座います