Introduction
Have you ever wanted to explain something politely or say “actually…” in Japanese?
In English, we might say:
- “Actually, I have a headache.”
- “That’s because the bus didn’t come.”
In Japanese, the go-to expression for giving explanations or background information is:
～んです
= actually / in fact / you see…
It’s used when someone asks why or when you want to give a reason or context for something.
Let’s explore how to use this expression naturally in daily Japanese!
1. Basic Structure
Grammar Pattern:
[Short form] + んです
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Verb | 来なかったんです (Something did not come) |
| い-adjective | 忙しいんです (I’m busy) |
| な-adjective | きれいなんです (It’s beautiful, you see) |
| Noun | 公務員なんです (I am a government employee) |
📌 Use short form before んです, and if it’s a な-adjective or noun, don’t forget to add な before んです!
2. When Do We Use ～んです？
Use 〜んです when:
✅ Explaining a situation
✅ Answering a “why” question
✅ Provide additional information
3. Example Situations
When explaining your situation:
- 頭が痛いんです。
= I actually have a headache. (to the doctor) - 今日は忙しいんです。
= Actually, I’m busy today. (In response to a dinner invitation from a colleague) - 試験があるんです。
= The thing is, I have a test. (In response to a friend’s invitation for a play date)
When answering “Why?”
When someone is late for class:
Q: どうして遅刻しましたか？ = “Why were you late?”
A: バスが来なかったんです。= “(In fact,) the bus didn’t come.”
You run into a friend crying in a cafe:
Q: どうして泣いているんですか？ = “Why are you crying?”
A: 映画が悲しかったんです。= “The movie was sad, that’s why.”
Provide additional information
An acquaintance sees your car:
A: すてきな車ですね。= Nice car.
B: 母の（車）なんです。= Actually, it’s my mother’s.
A co-worker is looking at a brand new computer you bought on sale:
A: あたらしいパソコンですね。= It’s a new computer.
B: とてもやすかったんです。= It was actually very cheap.
4. Conjugation Rules
| Type | Short Form | + んです |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | 行く | 行くんです |
| Verb (negative) | 行かない | 行かないんです |
| い-adjective | 忙しい | 忙しいんです |
| い-adjective (negative) | 忙しくない | 忙しくないんです |
| な-adjective | きれい | きれいなんです |
| な-adjective (negative) | しずかじゃない | しずかじゃないんです |
| Noun | 医者 | 学生なんです |
| Noun (negative) | 医者じゃない | 学生じゃないんです |
5. Practice Time!
Turn these into 〜んです sentences:
| Situation | Sentence |
|---|---|
| Actually, I’m tired. | 疲れたんです。 |
| Actually, I have no time. | 時間がないんです。 |
| Actually, I’m not a student. | 学生じゃないんです。 |
| Actually, I received it from my friend. | 友だちにもらったんです。 |
| Actually, today is my birthday. | 今日は誕生日だなんです。 |
6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QWhat’s the difference between です and んです?
- A
です simply reports a fact, んです explains or emphasizes a situation.
Example:- 忙しいです。= I’m busy (neutral)
- 忙しいんです。= I’m busy (and that’s why I can’t come)
- QWhat specific feeling or nuance does ～んです add besides just explanation?
- A
While its core function is explanation or providing context, ～んです often adds a feeling of wanting the listener to understand your situation or reasoning. It can make a statement sound more personal, softer, or less abrupt. In questions (～んですか), it can show genuine curiosity, concern, or sometimes mild surprise (“Oh, is that why…?”). It helps bridge the gap between speaker and listener by implicitly saying “here’s the background/reason/situation.”
- QCan I overuse ～んです? When is it better to just use です/ます?
- A
Yes, definitely avoid overusing it! Use standard です/ます when simply stating facts, making neutral observations, or when no particular explanation, justification, or background context is needed. Adding んです to every sentence sounds unnatural and can make you seem like you’re constantly explaining yourself or making excuses. Reserve ～んです for situations where there’s a reason to provide context, answer an implicit or explicit “why,” or soften your statement.
- QWhy do I use な before んです with な-adjectives and nouns in the present affirmative (e.g., きれいなんです)? Why not だ?
- A
This is a specific grammatical rule for connecting present affirmative な-adjectives and nouns to んです (and its casual form の). While the standard plain form ends in だ (e.g., きれいだ), this だ changes to な when immediately followed by んです/の. Think of な as the special “linking form” used in this specific context. For other forms like past tense (きれいだった) or negative (きれいじゃない), you use their standard plain forms directly before んです.
- QHow does using ～んです compare to using ～から (because)? Can they be used together?
- A
They serve slightly different but related functions. ～から explicitly marks the reason clause. ～んです adds an explanatory nuance, often to the result or the statement containing the reason. They frequently appear together: [Reason Plain Form] + から, [Result/Situation Plain Form] + んです.
Example: 「頭が痛かったから、学校を休んだんです。」(Atama ga itakatta kara, gakkou o yasunda n desu. – Because my head hurt, I took the day off school, you see.) The から gives the direct cause, while the んです explains why you’re stating the result (implicitly answering “Why didn’t you go to school?”).
- QCan asking questions with ～んですか？ sometimes sound demanding or like I’m prying?
- A
Yes, it’s possible. While ～んですか often sounds softer and more curious than a blunt question, especially in どうして～んですか？ (Why is it that…?), your tone of voice is crucial. If asked sharply or persistently, it can sound demanding, accusatory, or like you’re prying too much into someone’s reasons. It’s generally safer than どうしてですか？ but still requires sensitivity to the situation and your delivery.
7. Conclusion
Using 〜んです helps you sound more natural, polite, and connected in conversation. It’s a must-know pattern for:
✅ Giving explanations
✅ Expressing reasons
✅ Answering questions with nuance
🎯 Try it now:
Write 3 things about your day using 〜んです！
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