Explanation
Use "am," "is," and "are" to say who someone is, what something is like, or where someone is.
In "She is my friend," "She" is the subject, "is" is the present form of "be," and "my friend" gives her identity. English needs "be" here, but Japanese often says this without a verb, like 「彼女は私の友達です」 or even 「彼女、私の友達」 in casual speech. Use "am" with "I," "is" with he, she, and it, and "are" with you, we, and they.
Questions and negatives also use "be," as in "Are you ready?" and "He is not at home."
"am"、"is"、"are" は、人が誰か、何かがどんなものか、どこにあるかを言うときに使います。
"She is my friend." では、"She" が主語、"is" が現在形の "be"、"my friend" が彼女の身分や関係を表しています。英語ではここに動詞が必要ですが、日本語では「彼女は私の友達です」や、くだけた場面では「彼女、私の友達」のように動詞なしでも言えます。"I" には "am"、he/she/it には "is"、you/we/they には "are" を使います。
疑問文や否定文も "be" を使い、"Are you ready?" や "He is not at home." のように言います。
Examples
- I am tired. 私は疲れています。
- She is my friend. 彼女は私の友達です。
- They are at the station. 彼らは駅にいます。
- Are you busy? 忙しいですか。
- He is not at work today. 彼は今日は仕事中ではありません。
- We are in the same class. 私たちは同じクラスです。
Common Mistakes
Japanese learners often leave out "be" because Japanese can omit it.
Wrong: "She my friend."
Right: "She is my friend."
In English, you need "am," "is," or "are" in these sentences.
日本語では動詞を省けるので、"be" を抜いてしまうミスがよくあります。
誤り: "She my friend."
正しくは: "She is my friend."
英語では、このタイプの文に必ず "am / is / are" が必要です。