Stop Saying "Chigau Desu": A Simple Rule to Remember

In English, “like” is a verb, but in Japanese, “suki” is a “na-adjective.”

This is why we say,

“Watashi no sukina tabemono wa sushi desu” (Literally: My like food is sushi).

Just like any other adjective, “sukina” modifies the noun “tabemono.” Remember to include “na,” as “sukina” functions as a single unit in this context.

When you say “I like sushi” in Japanese (“Watashi wa sushi ga suki desu”), it ends with “desu” because “suki” is an adjective. If it were a verb, it would end in “masu.”

Now, let’s look at “chigaimasu.” Although it corresponds to the English adjective “different,” in Japanese, it is a verb.

Kono eiga wa tsumaranai. Chigau eiga o miyou. (This movie is boring. Let’s watch a different one.)

Here, “chigau” (the dictionary form) modifies the noun “eiga,” just as a verb can modify a noun in Japanese. A common mistake is saying “chigau desu.” Since “chigau” is a verb, you should simply say “chigau” or “chigaimasu.”

Another example is “yaku ni tachimasu.” You can tell by its ending that it is a verb, yet it is equivalent to the English adjectives “useful” or “helpful.”

Kore wa yaku ni tachimasu. (This is useful.)

Yaku ni tatsu phrase o naratta. (I learned a useful phrase.)

Again, a frequent error is saying “yaku ni tatsu desu.” Remember: “desu” never follows a verb!