Page 232 - Basic Japanese

translated in English. This is a very common formula in

Japanese: it may be tacked on at the end of any sentence
(with the verb, adjective, or copula in either plain imperfect

or plain perfect), giving an additional refinement. When no
desu is pronounced softly with a contraction, as in n desu, it

somewhat softens the directness of the statement, elicits
the listener’s response and makes the dialog more

interactive.

「実は来月結婚するんで 「え，だれとですか。」

す。」 “E, dare to desu ka.”
“Jitsu wa raigetsu kekkon “What? To whom?”

suru n desu.”
“Umm, I’m getting
married next month.”

N(o) desu is somewhat more common when the sentence is

not completed but left dangling with a particle like kedo…
(ga…) ‘but…’ or kara… ‘so….’

「あのう，ここでタバコ 「ああ，すみません。」
はこまるんですけど。」 “Ā, sumimasen.”

“Anō, koko de tabako wa “Oh, sorry.”

komaru n desu kedo.”
“Umm, smoking here is
a bit of problem,

but….”

「ちょっとお願いがある 「何ですか。」

んですが。」 “Nan desu ka.”
“Chotto onegai ga aru n “What is it?”

desu ga.”