To be or not to be, that is the copula~

[Nodlain]

Affirmative forms on left. Negative Forms on right.
Plain form first.
Polite form second.
Plain past third.
Polite past fourth.

DESU
da --- dewa nai & ja nai
desu --- dewa arimasen
datta --- dewa nakatta
deshita --- dewa arimasen deshita

IRU
iru --- inai
imasu --- imasen
ita --- inakatta
imashita --- imasen deshita

ARU
aru --- nai
arimasu --- arimasen
atta --- nakatta
arimashita --- arimasen deshita



--If anyone sees anything wrong with this please let me know. I've gotten these from Timwerx website.
---I'm memorizing these as they are so I'm hoping they are correct.
*Edited to reflect corrections.

[becki_kanou]

The negative polite past is dewa arimasen deshita, you were missing the deshita.
And Welcome to TJP, BTW.

[Nodlain]

Thank you for the welcome. I've been a lurker for a while, finally figured I had a reason to post.
I'm learning Japanese via a website or two and Rosetta Stone. Only recently have I started spending a majority of my time practicing/studying.

[KharismaticKayteh]

I seem to be starting this terrible habit of awakening old threads. >_<.

Well, I had read elsewhere that the negative of "desu" could be either "dewa arimasen" or "janai desu". Is this incorrect?

[LordOfTheFlies]

I seem to be starting this terrible habit of awakening old threads. >_<.

Well, I had read elsewhere that the negative of "desu" could be either "dewa arimasen" or "janai desu". Is this incorrect?

It's not incorrect. The proper full form of the "negative" of desu is dewa arimasen, but a lot of people use janai desu in everyday speech. You could say that dewa arimasen sounds a bit more refined and constrained.

[KharismaticKayteh]

I seem to be starting this terrible habit of awakening old threads. >_<.

Well, I had read elsewhere that the negative of "desu" could be either "dewa arimasen" or "janai desu". Is this incorrect?

It's not incorrect. The proper full form of the "negative" of desu is dewa arimasen, but a lot of people use janai desu in everyday speech. You could say that dewa arimasen sounds a bit more refined and constrained.

Ahh, okay. ありがとう御座います。