Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
A highly polite and formal equivalent of the existence verb あります (arimasu) or the copula です (desu). It means “to be,” “to exist,” or “to have.”
🎯 Primary Function
To elevate the level of politeness (teineigo) to the highest degree, often used in conjunction with humble (kenjōgo) or honorific (sonkeigo) language.
📋 Grammar Structure
Noun/Phrase + で + ございます (Highly polite copula of です) or Fixed Phrase + ございます (e.g., お + V-masu stem + ございます)
i-Adj stem + く + ございます (e.g., 寒くございます) (Very formal, often replaced by ございません in negative)
Na-Adj stem + で + ございます (e.g., 綺麗でございます) (Highly formal copula)
Noun/Phrase + は/が + ございません (Highly polite negative existence/copula)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Essential in business meetings, public speeches, official letters, and formal ceremonies.
Informal Situations
Avoided, as its use in casual conversation would sound overly stiff, sarcastic, or awkward.
Written Language
Used in formal correspondence (emails, letters) and official documents to maintain a professional tone.
Spoken Language
Crucial for service industry staff (hotels, stores, restaurants) and formal communication.
💡 Common Applications
Formal Greetings and Expressions of Gratitude
Used in set expressions to raise the politeness level significantly, especially in customer service or public speech.
Example: ありがとうございました。 (Arigatō gozaimashita.)
Expressing Existence or Possession in Business
Replaces あります to indicate the existence or location of an object in a formal or humble manner toward the listener.
Example: 書類は会議室にございます。(Shorui wa kaigishitsu ni gozaimasu.)
Highly Polite Negative Statements
The negative form ございません is crucial in formal settings, replacing ありません or ではありません.
Example: 問題はございません。(Mondai wa gozaimasen.)
Frequency
High in formal/business/service contexts; Very Low in casual daily life.
Difficulty
N3/N2 (While the word is learned early, its appropriate usage and formal distinctions are intermediate to advanced.)
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
本日はお手伝いありがとうございました。
Furigana: ほんじつは おてつだい ありがとうございました。
Romaji: Honjitsu wa otetsudai arigatō gozaimashita.
English: Thank you very much for your help today.
Example #2
申し訳ございません。
Furigana: もうしわけ ございません。
Romaji: Mōshiwake gozaimasen.
English: I am sorry (literally: There is no excuse).
Example #3
午前10時から営業しております。
Furigana: ごぜん じゅうじから えいぎょうして おります。
Romaji: Gozen jūji kara eigyō shite orimasu.
English: We are open from 10:00 AM.
Example #4
ご予約はございますか。
Furigana: ごよやくは ございますか。
Romaji: Goyoyaku wa gozaimasu ka.
English: Do you have a reservation?
Example #5
特に問題はございません。
Furigana: とくに もんだいは ございません。
Romaji: Toku ni mondai wa gozaimasen.
English: There is no particular problem.
Example #6
こちらの書類がここにございます。
Furigana: こちらの しょるいが ここに ございます。
Romaji: Kochira no shorui ga koko ni gozaimasu.
English: This document is here.
Example #7
おめでとうございます。
Furigana: おめでとう ございます。
Romaji: Omedetō gozaimasu.
English: Congratulations! (A highly polite form).
Example #8
ご迷惑をおかけし、大変申し訳ございませんでした。
Furigana: ごめいわくを おかけし、たいへん もうしわけ ございませんでした。
Romaji: Gomeiwaku o okakeshi, taihen mōshiwake gozaimasen deshita.
English: We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.
Example #9
何かお手伝いできることはございますか。
Furigana: なにか おてつだいできる ことは ございますか。
Romaji: Nanika otetsudai dekiru koto wa gozaimasu ka.
English: Is there anything I can help you with?
Example #10
本日はご来店ありがとうございます。
Furigana: ほんじつは ごらいてん ありがとうございます。
Romaji: Honjitsu wa gōraiten arigatō gozaimasu.
English: Welcome to our shop today. (Formal greeting).
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The Negative Form is Key (ございません)
The negative form ございません is arguably more common than the affirmative ございます, as it is the standard formal negation for “to be” or “to exist.”
Example: 問題はございません。 (Mondai wa gozaimasen.)
Know Fixed Phrases (Don’t over-use)
While ございます is highly formal, it is not used in all polite fixed phrases. In many fixed humble expressions (like “Osewa ni narimasu”), ございます is not used.
Example: お世話になります。(Osewa ni narimasu.) and お世話になっております。(Osewa ni natte orimasu.)
Distinguish from Humble Verbs
When an action is performed, the action verb itself is often conjugated into the humble form (e.g., いたします instead of します), not just the copula. ございます is reserved for existence or state.
Example: こちらの席にご案内いたします。(Kochira no seki ni goannai itashimasu.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ コーヒーはここにございますよ。(Kōhī wa koko ni gozaimasu yo.) to a friend.
✅ Use あります or です instead.
Mixing ございます into casual speech (e.g., talking to friends or family) sounds unnatural and excessively stiff.
❌ 昨日、会議がありました。ありがとうございました。(Kinō, kaigi ga arimashita. Arigatō gozaimasu.)
✅ Use ございました (gozaimashita).
The past tense must use ございました. This is a common error as speakers often incorrectly assume a regular conjugation like *gozaimashita*.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Highest level of Teineigo (Polite Language). Often functions as Kenjōgo (Humble Language) when referring to one’s own company or items.
Social Situations: Mandatory in all customer service roles, business-to-client interactions, and formal public communication.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese. However, it is the root of Kansai dialect’s common polite ending “おます” (omasu), though ございます itself is universally formal.
🔍 Subtle Differences
ございます vs. あります
ございます is significantly more polite and formal than あります.
When to use: Use ございます when speaking to customers, superiors, or in public announcements. Use あります in general polite conversation with acquaintances or colleagues.
ございます vs. です
ございます is a verbal copula (a form of ある), while です is a formal particle copula. ございます is higher in politeness and used when the meaning is truly “to be/to exist.”
When to use: Use ございます after nouns/adjectives in very formal contexts where the state or existence is emphasized. Use です in standard polite speech.
📝 Conjugation Notes
ございます is a special, highly polite conjugation of the verb ある (aru). Past tense is ございました (gozaimashita). Negative is ございません (gozaimasen). Negative past is ございませんでした (gozaimasen deshita).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The ‘za’ (ざ) should be clearly pronounced. In fast speech, the ‘i’ in ‘gozaimasu’ is often slightly reduced, sounding close to ‘gozaimas’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Relate ございます back to あります. Remember the progression: ある (plain) → あります (polite) → ございます (highly polite). The ‘goza’ part sounds like ‘go’ to remember it’s the ‘go-to’ polite form.
Other Grammar
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.