I understand that である is the "written" form of だ/です. Because it's a "written" form, doesn't that already imply a certain level of formality? So when would one use であります as opposed to just である? If you can, please give examples.
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である is formal, but not polite
であります is formal and polite, but not humble
でございます is formal and polite and humble
だ is informal, but not polite
- です is informal-* and polite
*- compared to である
A politician giving a speech on TV:
我々は日本国民である - We are Japanese citizens
A lawyer speaking to a judge: (I think this usage is rare though...)
この通りであります - It (happended) this way
A waiter speaking to a customer:
ざるそばでございます - (This) is zarusoba
One friend to another:
ケチなやつだね - That guys is really stingy, huh?
One coworker to another:
すみません今ちょっと忙しいです - I'm sorry, I'm busy just now
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Thank you, but could you explain the difference between formal and polite? – charlieshades Jun 30 '16 at 6:01
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2"Formal" is like for when you are in a public setting (like a speech or writing in a book or newspaper), "polite" is when you specifically want to show deference to the person you're addressing. – sazarando Jun 30 '16 at 6:08
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Wow, that is such a Japanese distinction. Thank you for the explanation, though I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around it. I suppose that's just something I'll get used to over time, haha. – charlieshades Jun 30 '16 at 6:25
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There is also a practical, not-necessarily-formal use of である, unless I'm mistaken and everyone thought it would be rude to correct me when I use it (always a struggle). When I want to say I didn't know that something was something, I'll say something like this: トンカツは豚肉であることを知らなかった（I didn't know tonkatsu was pork). If that's not a valid use, here's a good chance to correct me :p – Nick Overacker Jun 30 '16 at 10:59
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4@Nick Overacker Using である when talking about the meaning of a word like that sounds natural to me because dictionary definitions and other written explanations often use である as well. I might suggest 「トンカツは豚肉のことであるとは知らなかった」(sounds a bit formal) or「トンカツって豚肉のことだったって知らなかった」(sounds very informal) as perhaps another natural-sounding way to say it. – sazarando Jun 30 '16 at 12:32
