Take a look at the following question and answer. They are written using what we have already learned.
A : Doushite Jugyou ni Kimasen deshitaka. (Why did you not come to the class?)
B : Atama ga Itakatta desu kara. (Because my head was aching.)
Both the question A and the answer B do not express much feeling of speakers. Simply asks, simply answers. If the person A really wants to know the reason with a feeling of suspicion, and if the person B answers with a feeling of speaking out the truth, the conversation would be the following;
A : Doushite Jugyou ni Konakatta ndesuka. (Why on earth did you not come to the class?)
B : Atama ga Itakatta ndesu. (Actually, my head was aching.)
Not only “-ndesuka.” and “-ndesu”, but there are many ways to express speaker’s feelings, recognition, judgements and so on. And it is important to know that such “Modality expressions” are usually placed at the end of a sentence in Japanese. The second book of Minna no Nihongo introduces many of them.
As for today’s “-ndesuka.” and “-ndesu”, think that the following feelings are added.
-ndesuka. => Is it true? it is a bit surprise to me, I really want to know. Is that something good or bad happening?
-ndesu. => Let me tell you the truth. Actually, something happened to me.
The followings are examples of conversations using “-ndesuka.” and “-ndesu”,
A : Dou Shita ndesuka. (What’s wrong?)
B : Saifu o Otoshita ndesu. (I lost my wallet.)
A : Doushite Gohan o Tabenai ndesuka. (Why do you not eat your meal?)
B : Onaka ga Itai ndesu. (My stomach is aching.)
A : Doushite Doa ga Shimatte iru ndesuka. (Why the door is closing?)
B : Kyou wa Yasumi nandesu. (Today is the (store’s) day-off.)
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This post was written with reference to the exercise A3 on Section26 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
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