Sunday, February 5, 2017

politeness - When to use である vs であります?


I understand that である is the "written" form of だ/です. Because it's a "written" form, doesn't that already imply a certain level of formality? So when would one use であります as opposed to just である? If you can, please give examples.



Answer





  • である is formal, but not polite





  • であります is formal and polite, but not humble





  • でございます is formal and polite and humble





  • だ is informal, but not polite



  • です is informal-* and polite
    *- compared to である




A politician giving a speech on TV:



我々は日本国民である - We are Japanese citizens



A lawyer speaking to a judge: (I think this usage is rare though...)



この通りであります - It (happended) this way



A waiter speaking to a customer:




ざるそばでございます - (This) is zarusoba



One friend to another:



ケチなやつね - That guys is really stingy, huh?



One coworker to another:



すみません今ちょっと忙しいです - I'm sorry, I'm busy just now




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