- Introduction
- 1. Sentence Structure: “N1 wa N2 deshita”
- 2. How to Say “Was Not”: Negative Form
- 3. Practice Sentences (Affirmative and Negative)
- 4. Mini Conversations
- 5. Useful Vocabulary for This Grammar
- 6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- 7. Practice Time: Try It Yourself!
- 8. Conclusion: Talk About the Past with Confidence!
Introduction
Want to talk about your past in Japanese — like what your major was or what job you had? You’ll need to use the past tense of “です”, which is “でした” (deshita).
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to say:
✔ “I was a student.”
✔ “My major was Japanese.”
✔ “He wasn’t a doctor.”
Let’s learn how to express the past in simple, polite Japanese!
1. Sentence Structure: “N1 wa N2 deshita”
This pattern means:
“N1 was N2.”
It’s the past form of the basic sentence:
N1 は N2 です → N1 は N2 でした
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| わたし は こうこうせい でした。 | Watashi wa koukousei deshita. | I was a high school student. |
| せんこう は にほんご でした。 | Senkou wa nihongo deshita. | My major was Japanese. |
| のりこさん は かんごし でした。 | Noriko-san wa kangoshi deshita. | Noriko was a nurse. |
💡 です → でした = “is/are → was/were”
2. How to Say “Was Not”: Negative Form
To say something was not, use:
じゃなかったです (janakatta desu)
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| たなかさん は かいしゃいん じゃなかったです。 | Tanaka-san wa kaishain janakatta desu. | Mr. Tanaka wasn’t an office worker. |
| わたし の せんこう は アジアけんきゅう じゃなかったです。 | Watashi no senkou wa ajia kenkyuu janakatta desu. | My major wasn’t Asian studies. |
Polite alternative forms:
- じゃありませんでした
- ではありませんでした
Use them in formal writing or speeches.
3. Practice Sentences (Affirmative and Negative)
Positive Examples:
- わたし は がくせい でした。
→ I was a student. - りゅうがくせい でした。
→ I was an international student.
Negative Examples:
- がくせい じゃなかったです。
→ I wasn’t a student. - かんごし じゃありませんでした。
→ I was not a nurse. (polite)
4. Mini Conversations
Positive Example
えみさん は だいがくせい でしたか。
(Were you a university student, Emi?)
はい、だいがくせい でした。
(Yes, I was.)
Negative Example
ゆみさんは べんごし でしたか。
(Were you a lawyer, Yumi?)
いいえ、べんごし じゃなかったです。
(No, I wasn’t.)
いしゃ でした。
(I was a doctor.)
5. Useful Vocabulary for This Grammar
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| がくせい | gakusei | student |
| こうこうせい | koukousei | high school student |
| だいがくせい | daigakusei | university student |
| かんごし | kangoshi | nurse |
| かいしゃいん | kaishain | office worker |
| べんごし | bengoshi | lawyer |
| いしゃ | isha | doctor |
| せんこう | senkou | major (field of study) |
6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QCan I use “でした” with adjectives or verbs?
- A
No, “でした” is used with nouns and na-adjectives.
For verbs, you’ll learn separate past tense forms later!
- QWhat’s the difference between “じゃなかったです” and “ではありませんでした”？
- A
They both mean “was not,” but:
- じゃなかったです → polite, common in conversation
- ではありませんでした → more formal (emails, speeches)
7. Practice Time: Try It Yourself!
Translate into Japanese:
- I was a university student.
→ わたし は だいがくせい でした。 - My major was economics.
→ わたし の せんこう は けいざい でした。 - I was not a lawyer.
→ わたし は べんごし じゃなかったです。 - Ken was not a doctor.
→ ケンさん は いしゃ じゃなかったです。
8. Conclusion: Talk About the Past with Confidence!
With “N1 wa N2 deshita” and “N1 wa N2 janakatta desu”, you can now talk about your history, past careers, and even what your major used to be — all in polite Japanese!
Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?
Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.
Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.
