The で particle before です


This may be slightly multifaceted because I have a larger question regarding で
that is contextualized by a smaller one.

It is improper to put で before です or だ right. If someone asks 何で来ましたか (How did
you get here?) you could reply バスで来ました。 But you can't write バスでです... right? Is
there a way to answer without a verb?

Ok that's my contextual question... so my real question is, if it is true you
cannot place で before です in this manner, how is it possible to say 初めてです if
that is the 連用形 + で.

Or is it a completely different thing all together and just considered an
adverb?

SUMMARY: 1/ Can you place で before です per example: バス ＋ で ＋ で ＋ あります. 2/ If
not... how is it possible to say 初めてです, as to me that is 初め ＋ で ＋で + あります




First of all, 初めてです is verb+て+です, the te-form + です. The te-form has nothing to
do with the particle で. (で can be like the te-form of だ/です, but this is not
what your question is about.)

です is a copula, and so Xです means "it is X". You can substitute pretty much
everything for X. The best way to think about your sentences would be to
interpret then as 「バスで 」です and 「初めて」です. You could also say 「信用を」です or 「」、です
etc.

But when you think about it a bit more, the particle で does not apply to the
verb (action) in these sentences the same way as in バスで来る - to come and to do
this coming by bus.

However, a copula is not some action that could perform "by bus". バスでです means
"it is by bus", but "by" does not apply to "is", because then "it exists by
bus" should make sense as well. The English verb "be" is used as a copula
here, and the right way to think about it is "it is 'by bus'".

To summarize, です is a bit different from your usual verb, and it is certainly
not the same as the English verb "to be". Curiously, and what might add to
your confusion, is where the copula itself comes from: Japanese had many
copulas, but many of them are made up of particle+ある: で+ある("to exist as"),
なり=に+ある, たり=と+ある, で+御座る.




First of all, 初めてです is verb+て+です, the te-form + です. The te-form has nothing to
do with the particle で. (で can be like the te-form of だ/です, but this is not
what your question is about.)

です is a copula, and so Xです means "it is X". You can substitute pretty much
everything for X. The best way to think about your sentences would be to
interpret then as 「バスで 」です and 「初めて」です. You could also say 「信用を」です or 「」、です
etc.

But when you think about it a bit more, the particle で does not apply to the
verb (action) in these sentences the same way as in バスで来る - to come and to do
this coming by bus.

However, a copula is not some action that could perform "by bus". バスでです means
"it is by bus", but "by" does not apply to "is", because then "it exists by
bus" should make sense as well. The English verb "be" is used as a copula
here, and the right way to think about it is "it is 'by bus'".

To summarize, です is a bit different from your usual verb, and it is certainly
not the same as the English verb "to be". Curiously, and what might add to
your confusion, is where the copula itself comes from: Japanese had many
copulas, but many of them are made up of particle+ある: で+ある("to exist as"),
なり=に+ある, たり=と+ある, で+御座る.

