immersionlog
Sign inCreate account

ございます・でございます

there is; is (very polite)

Noun + でございます · (Place に) + ございます

Sign up free to review this point on a spaced schedule.

ございます is the very polite form of ある, and でございます of です. You'll hear them constantly in shops, hotels and announcements: お手洗いは二階にございます, "the toilets are on the second floor"; こちらが新しい商品でございます, "this is our new product".

They make the speaker sound courteous without raising anyone in particular, so they work for things as well as people.

Many set phrases contain ございます: ありがとうございます, おはようございます, おめでとうございます, 申し訳ございません.

In your own everyday speech, です and あります are enough. ございます is mainly service and ceremony language, so it's important to recognise.

Register: Service language: shops, hotels, announcements.

Examples

  • お手洗てあらいは二階にかいにございます。

    The toilets are on the second floor.

  • こちらが新あたらしい商品しょうひんでございます。

    This is our new product.

  • 申もうし訳わけございませんが、本日ほんじつは満席まんせきでございます。

    I'm terribly sorry, but we're fully booked today.

  • 何なにか質問しつもんはございますか。

    Are there any questions?

  • お電話でんわありがとうございます。

    Thank you for calling.

Related