でございます
でございます
expression, auxiliary
is; am; are (very polite copula)
1.
is; am; are (polite formal copula)
The most polite form of the copula です, used in highly formal speech, customer service, ceremonies, and other contexts requiring maximum politeness.
こちらでございます。
It is this way. / Here it is.
お待たせしまして申し訳ございません。田中でございます。
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. This is Tanaka.
お会計は三千円でございます。
Your total comes to 3,000 yen.
The most formal copula in modern Japanese. It is the polite form of である and is significantly more formal than です. Originally ございます is the polite form of ある/ござる.
POLITENESS HIERARCHY:
- だ — plain
- です — polite
- でございます — very polite/formal
COMMON USAGE CONTEXTS:
- Customer service: いらっしゃいませ。こちらが商品でございます。
- Phone answering: はい、山田でございます。
- Business: お時間は何時でございますか。
- Ceremonies and announcements
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- ございません — negative form (there is not)
- でございましょうか — polite question form
- さようでございます — that is correct (very polite)
- おはようございます — good morning (contains ございます)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- です — polite copula; standard politeness level
- であります — formal copula; military/bureaucratic tone
- でいらっしゃる — honorific copula; used for others, not oneself