Grammar › Core Patterns
〜んです — explaining, or asking for an explanation
Adding background: 頭が痛いんです — (the thing is,) I have a headache
Plain form + んです (the spoken contraction of のです) frames a statement as background explanation for something the listener can already see or sense — “the situation is that…” It also softens questions, turning a blunt “why?” into a more caring “what's going on?”
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Plain form + んです | 頭が痛いんです — (the thing is,) I have a headache |
| Question: 〜んですか | どうしたんですか — what's going on (that I should know about)? |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| すみません、今日は行けないんです。 | すみません、きょうはいけないんです。 sumimasen、kyouhaikenaindesu。 | Sorry, the thing is, I can't go today. |
| 顔色が悪いですね。どうしたんですか。 | かおいろがわるいですね。どうしたんですか。 kaoirogawaruidesune。doushitandesuka。 | You look pale. What's going on? |
| 実は、来週引っ越すんです。 | じつは、らいしゅうひっこすんです。 jitsuha、raishuuhikkosundesu。 | Actually, the thing is, I'm moving next week. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
んです isn't just a fancier です — it specifically frames something as an explanation tied to context. Tacking it onto every sentence for no reason makes speech sound like a constant string of excuses.