Desu-masu style

The desu-masu style (で す ・ ま す 体desu-masu-tai ) is in grammar as a sentence part of a predicate style (文体buntai ) of the Japanese language . Its counterpart is the de aru style .

The desu-masu style takes its name from the conjugation ending -masu and the auxiliary verb desu , which are used in this style. The masu form is a form of courtesy . It is part of the Japanese language of courtesy .

The Masu form is almost always used in conversation among adults, unless it is about close family circle or close friends. It roughly corresponds to the use of "Sie" in German, with a few differences. While one is either “ per Du ” in German or not, the transition between the basic form and the desu-masu style in Japanese is fluid and can change from sentence to sentence.

In contrast to the German Du-Sie, the Masu form is only a small part of the extremely complex system of Japanese forms of politeness.

education

The Masu form is attached to the Ren'yōkei of verbs . In the case of nouns and adjectives , on the other hand, the auxiliary verb desu is used. desu is an abrasion of de arimasu .

Five-stage verb	書 くkaku	書 き ま すkakimasu
One-stage verb	見 るmiru	見 ま すmimasu
i adjective	安 いyasui	安 い で すyasui desu
na adjective	静 か だshizuka there	静 か で すshizuka desu

If the predicate already has a different ending, for example that of the subjunctive ( mode ) or passive ( diathesis ), the Masu form is appended to this ending. (Since Japanese is an agglutinating language , Japanese conjugation endings can themselves be conjugated again.) An example:

母 に 皿 を 洗 わ せ ら れ ま す。

haha ni sara o arawaseraremasu. ( arau "wash off" + causative + passive + masu )

I am forced by my mother to wash the plates.

There are three exceptions to the verbs: negation , perfect and imperative . These forms are created by conjugating the ending -masu .

negation	-nai	- ま せ ん-masen
Perfect	-ta	- ま し た-mashita
Negation + perfect	-nai + -ta	- ま せ ん で し たmasen deshita
imperative	Meireikei	- ま せ-mase

Both orders of negation are possible with the i-adjectives and na-adjectives . In the perfect, the -ta is used first , then the -masu in the i-adjectives . There are two options for the combination of negation and perfect.

negation	安 く な い で すyasukunai desu	安 く あ り ま せ んyasuku arimasen
	静 か で は な い で すshizuka dewa nai desu	静 か で は あ り ま せ んshizuka dewa arimasen
Perfect	安 か っ た で すyasukatta desu	-
	-	静 か で し たshizuka deshita
Negation + perfect	安 く な か っ た で すyasuku nakatta desu	安 く あ り ま せ ん で し たyasuku arimasen deshita
	(静 か で は な か っ た で すshizuka dewa nakatta desu )	静 か で は あ り ま せ ん で し たshizuka dewa arimasen deshita

The imperative is actually only used in the formula Irasshaimase! used to greet the customer with the shop clerk. The formula is made up of irassharu , the Sonkeigo form of hairu (to enter), and the Masu form with imperative. The translation is therefore "Come in!"

Written language

In the written language , the masu form is always used when a reader is addressed directly, i.e. especially in letters. Specialist texts and prose , on the other hand, are kept in the de aru style. Sample texts in Japanese language courses are often kept in the Masu form, even if it is not a dialogue, but this is actually not a natural language style.