koko ha tosyokan desu.

It is read としょかん (toshokan).

• 図 = diagram / figure
• 書 = writing / book
• 館 = building / hall

As a whole, 図書館 means library.

ここ means here, meaning this place near the speaker.

It is part of the ko-so-a-do set:

• ここ = here
• そこ = there near the listener
• あそこ = over there, away from both
• どこ = where

So in this sentence, ここ is the place being talked about.

は marks the topic of the sentence.

So ここは means something like:

• as for here
• speaking of this place

This is one of the most important differences from English. Japanese often organizes sentences around a topic, not necessarily a grammatical subject.

So the sentence structure is roughly:

• ここは = as for here
• 図書館です = it is a library / the library

When は is used as a particle, it is pronounced わ (wa), not ha.

So:

• written: ここは図書館です
• pronounced: ここ わ としょかん です

This is a special pronunciation rule for the particle は.

No. は does not mean is.

• は marks the topic
• です is the part that acts more like the sentence ending that makes it a polite statement

A very literal breakdown would be:

• ここは = as for here
• 図書館です = is a library / is the library

So if you try to match each Japanese word to one English word, it will feel awkward. It is better to understand the sentence by function, not word-for-word.

です is the polite sentence ending often taught as is / am / are, but it is not exactly the same as English to be in every situation.

In this sentence, です makes the statement polite and complete:

• ここは図書館です。 = This place is a library. / Here is the library.

Important points:

• It is polite.
• It is very common in beginner Japanese.
• In casual speech, it may be dropped in some situations.

Japanese usually does not use articles like English a, an, and the.

So 図書館 can mean:

• a library
• the library

The exact meaning depends on context.

That means ここは図書館です could be understood as:

• This is a library
• Here is the library
• This place is the library

In real conversation, the situation tells you which one is most natural.

Japanese word order is often different from English.

English:

• This is a library.
• Here is the library.

Japanese:

• ここ は 図書館 です
• literally: As for here, library it is

Japanese often puts:

1. the topic first
2. the main information next
3. the polite ending or verb at the end

So yes, the order is different, and that is completely normal.

Not exactly, though the English translation may look similar.

ここ means here / this place, so the sentence is specifically about a location.

That gives it a meaning closer to:

• This place is a library
• Here is the library
• This is the library if you are indicating a place

If you wanted to say This is a library about an object or place being identified more generally, Japanese might use a different expression depending on context.

Yes, in casual speech, you may hear:

• ここは図書館。

This sounds less formal and more conversational. But for beginners, です is the standard polite form and the safest one to use.

So:

• ここは図書館です。 = polite
• ここは図書館。 = casual

Normally, Japanese is written without spaces:

• ここは図書館です。

Spaces are often added in beginner materials to make it easier to see the parts of the sentence:

• ここ / は / 図書館 / です

So the spaced version is for learning, not standard writing.

You add か at the end:

• ここは図書館ですか。

This means:

• Is this a library?
• Is this the library?
• Is this place the library?

So か is a common question marker in polite Japanese.

A very literal gloss would be:

• ここ = here
• は = as for
• 図書館 = library
• です = is / polite statement ending

So the sentence can be understood as:

• As for here, it is a library.

That sounds unnatural in English, but it is a helpful way to see how the Japanese sentence is built.