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I am not 100% sure that I get the difference between あります and です.

I understand parts of it, for example "わたしはマルクスです" using あります doesn't make sense for me here as I think it is more of a "there is" word.

But in this sentence I am not sure about the difference, or how it would translate

ほんは つくえの うえに あります

vs

ほんは つくえの うえに です

Does it translate differently and if it does, how?

naruto
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munHunger
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1 Answers1

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I would use 'desu' when equating things.

The book is red. (本は赤いです。)

I would not use 'desu' in your example for the book existing on the desk. In that case 'aru' (or 'iru' for a living thing) is used.

*bonus point: When introducing oneself, it is not usual to start with わたしは as it is understood you are talking about yourself. It would be added at the beginning of sentences where you want the nuance of 'As for me...'

*bonus point: Men generally introduce themselves using 'ぼく' or 'おれ' nowadays and avoid 'わたし'

Eddie Kal
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Shin Bikkuriman
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    hmm, would you use aru if responding to a question as well? ほんは　どこ　ですか – munHunger Dec 05 '21 at 11:54
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    Yes. If you are asking the location where it 'exists', then I would use the verb 'aru'. If you are asking whose it is, what color it is, etc., then I would use 'desu'. – Shin Bikkuriman Dec 05 '21 at 12:01
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    @munHunger `ほんはどこですか` ← Of course you can respond つくえのうえ**です**  。 – Chocolate Dec 05 '21 at 13:34
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    I think わたし is still the norm in formal/business settings even for men. – Igor Skochinsky Dec 05 '21 at 20:59
  • I've just returned from an 18 year stint in Japan and rarely heard any man at work use わたし. My last position was with a very conservative organization and I would say even われ was more common than わたし. But as I also stated, the more common case is that a personal pronoun is skipped unless there is a specific reason it is needed. – Shin Bikkuriman Dec 05 '21 at 21:37
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    `rarely heard any man at work use わたし ... even われ was more common than わたし` -- どちらの地方ですか？　こちらでは「われ」は「you」の意味で使われます – Chocolate Dec 06 '21 at 00:32
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    @ShinBikkuriman What you said can't be universally true or even common. The use of わたし by men is _very, very, very common_: examples: [1](https://youtu.be/M-QruWl1apw?t=106), [2](https://youtu.be/TYItq88nHMI?t=607), [3](https://youtu.be/0jJLyvNn_to?t=108) – Eddie Kal Dec 06 '21 at 01:59
  • Chocolate: １ 一人称の人代名詞。わたくし。わたし。「―は海の子」 ２ 反射代名詞。その人自身。自分自身。おのれ。「―を超越する」 ３ 二人称の人代名詞。おまえ。なんじ。 : 三番目を読んで、びっくりしました。初耳です。 – Shin Bikkuriman Dec 06 '21 at 04:17
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    ^ 一人称は「[われ]{HL}」、二人称は「[ワレ]{LH}」で、二人称の「ワレ」は使い方に注意が必要です https://youtu.be/HLLTi8l3Kyo?t=166 – Chocolate Dec 06 '21 at 09:12
  • 大坂弁はようわからへん。おたいは伊勢の方です。 ;) – Shin Bikkuriman Dec 07 '21 at 10:27