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N4

でございます

To be, Polite copula

こちらは田中たなかでございます。

This is Tanaka.

Explanation

「でございます」 is the very polite form of 「です」. It follows a noun or a な-adjective and is used to introduce who or what something is: answering the phone you say 「はい、ABC商事でございます」 (Hello, this is ABC Trading), and 「本日は雨でございます」 (It is raining today). It is everywhere in self-introductions, business cards and hotel service.

Mixed up with

Levels: 「だ」 < 「です」 < 「でございます」.

「でございます」 means 'is'. It cannot mean 'there is'; for that use 「ございます」.

It goes after a noun or a な-adjective stem, not directly after a verb or a plain い-adjective.

Examples

  1. 郵便局ゆうびんきょくは隣となりでございます。

    The post office is next door.

  2. 運転手うんてんしゅのタナカでございます。

    I am Tanaka, the driver.

  3. 受付うけつけはこちらでございます。

    Reception is here.

Tested 3 times in past papers

N3 · Dec 2023, Q46N3 · Dec 2017, Q42N3 · Jul 2014, Q42