KANAKUMA

JLPT N5 · Copulas and sentence types

〜じゃない／ではない

Forms a plain informal negative

Meaning

じゃない and the more formal-looking ではない are plain negative copulas after a noun or na-adjective.

Formation

  1. Noun or na-adjective stem + じゃない.
  2. The full ではない form is more common in writing or deliberately neutral speech.

When to use it

Informal negative
Tells a close listener that the topic is not the named person, object, or state.
Confirmation question
With question intonation, じゃない？ can mean 'isn't it?' or ask for agreement.

Examples

21 sentences

  • これは私わたしの傘かさじゃない

    This is not my umbrella.

  • 私わたしは学生がくせいじゃない

    I am not a student.

  • 今日きょうは休みやすみじゃない

    Today is not a day off.

  • この部屋へやは静かしずかじゃない

    This room is not quiet.

  • あの人ひとは先生せんせいじゃない

    That person is not a teacher.

  • ここは駅えきではない

    This is not a station.

  • この町まちは便利べんりではない

    This town is not convenient.

  • 明日あしたは日曜日にちようびではない

    Tomorrow is not Sunday.

13 more examples

  • 彼かれは日本人にほんじんじゃない

    He is not Japanese.

  • それは答えこたえじゃない

    That is not the answer.

  • これは母ははからの手紙てがみじゃない

    This is not a letter from my mother.

  • あの人ひとは料理人りょうりにんじゃない

    That person is not a cook.

  • 私わたしの妹いもうとは大学生だいがくせいじゃない

    My younger sister is not a university student.

  • こちらは出口でぐちじゃない

    This is not the exit.

  • この建物たてものは美術館びじゅつかんじゃない

    This building is not an art museum.

  • その箱はこの中身なかみはお菓子おかしじゃない

    The content of that box is not sweets.

  • 私わたしの担当たんとうは受付うけつけじゃない

    My assignment is not reception duty.

  • あちらの女性じょせいは看護師かんごしじゃない

    That woman over there is not a nurse.

  • 今日きょうの昼ご飯ひるごはんはカレーじゃない

    Today's lunch is not curry.

  • 兄あにの専門せんもんは歴史れきしじゃない

    My older brother's specialty is not history.

  • 次つぎの授業じゅぎょうは音楽おんがくじゃない

    The next class is not music.

Important notes

  • じゃ is a spoken contraction of では; the negative meaning is the same in both forms.

Common mistakes

  • Do not attach じゃない directly to a verb or i-adjective: 食べない and 高くない are formed differently.
  • Choose ではありません or じゃありません in a formal situation.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

  1. 彼かれは日本人にほんじんじゃない
  2. この建物たてものは美術館びじゅつかんじゃない
  3. 次つぎの授業じゅぎょうは音楽おんがくじゃない

Similar grammar

Hear it in podcasts

The pattern appears in these episodes. They open in the app with the transcript and translation.

The trainer requires a free account. Examples and practice questions on this page are available without signing up.

All N5 grammarPractise in the app