じゃ
Japanese
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [d͡ʑa̠]
Etymology 1
Syllable
じゃ • (ja)
- The hiragana syllable じゃ (ja). Its equivalent in katakana is ジャ (ja).
Etymology 2
Contraction of では (de wa).
Alternative forms
- じゃあ (jā)
Conjunction
- (colloquial) so, then—used for connecting to a reasonable conclusion, supposition
Interjection
Etymology 3
Contraction of である (de aru, “to be, to exist”).
Verb
Usage notes
Variation on the Japanese copula だ (da) used in western Japan, such as in Chūgoku, Shikoku, or Kyūshū; particularly common in Hiroshima. The use of じゃ (ja) is also common in fictional dialogue attributed to archaic characters. In Kansai, じゃ (ja) changed to や (ya) in the late Edo period.
Conjugation
| Katsuyōkei ("stem forms") | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mizenkei ("imperfective") | じゃろ では |
jaro de wa | |
| Ren’yōkei ("continuative") | じゃっ で |
ja' de | |
| Shūshikei ("terminal") | じゃ | ja | |
| Rentaikei ("attributive") | な | na | |
| Kateikei ("hypothetical") | なら | nara | |
| Meireikei ("imperative") | - | - | |
| Key constructions | |||
| Passive | - | - | |
| Causative | - | - | |
| Potential | - | - | |
| Volitional | じゃろう | jarō | |
| Negative | ではない じゃない¹ でない |
de wa nai ja nai¹ de nai | |
| Negative continuative | ではなくて じゃなくて¹ |
de wa nakute ja nakute¹ | |
| Formal | です | desu | |
| Perfective | じゃった | jatta | |
| Conjunctive | で | de | |
| Hypothetical conditional | ならば | naraba | |
¹ Colloquial contraction
Etymology 4
Kanji reading.
Noun
じゃ • (ja)