How to Use じゃありません to Say “Is Not” in Japanese

What is じゃありません?

じゃありません is the polite way to say “is not” in Japanese. It’s the negative form of です (desu), which means “is” or “to be.” You use it when you want to politely deny or negate a noun.

Here’s a simple example to help you understand:

これはペンです。
Kore wa pen desu.
"This is a pen."

これはペンじゃありません。
Kore wa pen ja arimasen.
"This is not a pen."
      

Breaking It Down

• じゃ is a contracted form of では, which also helps form the negative. じゃ sounds more casual and is commonly used in everyday speech.
• ありません is the polite negative form derived from ある (“to exist” for inanimate things), but in this case it functions as the polite negative of です.

Together:
じゃありません = “is not” (polite)

When Do You Use It?

Use じゃありません when:

• You’re speaking politely
• You want to say that A is not B

Basic structure:

[Noun A] は [Noun B] じゃありません。

Translation: [A] is not [B]

Examples

• 彼は先生じゃありません。
  Kare wa sensei ja arimasen.
  He is not a teacher.
• あれは犬じゃありません。
  Are wa inu ja arimasen.
  That is not a dog.
• それは日本語じゃありません。
  Sore wa Nihongo ja arimasen.
  That is not Japanese.

じゃありません vs ではありません vs じゃないです

These all mean “is not,” but the difference lies in tone and formality.

• じゃありません: polite and natural
• ではありません: more formal and textbook-style
• じゃないです: casual polite, common in everyday conversation

As a beginner, じゃありません is a safe and polite choice that works well in most situations.

What You Can’t Use It With

じゃありません is used to negate nouns.

However, it cannot be used to negate verbs or adjectives.

For example:

× 食べるじゃありません。 ← Incorrect
〇 食べません。 ← Correct
      

Use じゃありません only when talking about what something is not — not what someone does or doesn’t do.

Quick Practice

• これはコーヒーじゃありません。
  This is not coffee.
• 彼女は学生じゃありません。
  She is not a student.
• それは猫じゃありません。
  That is not a cat.

Concluding Thoughts

Learning to negate with じゃありません is a key step toward building full Japanese sentences. It’s polite, widely used, and easy to apply.

The earlier you get used to this pattern, the more confidently you’ll be able to express yourself in Japanese.

Got it down? Great — now you can say what something is not, and that’s an essential part of communication.