It’s crucial to keep in mind three guidelines that almost every Japanese particle must abide by before we get started.<\/p>\n
1. A particle in a sentence in Japanese is always used to modify the word before it.<\/p>\n
2. Particles can be omitted, particularly in informal speech, but it’s best to do so only when it’s possible to infer the particles and the words they modify from the context.<\/p>\n
3. Particles are hardly ever used to complete a sentence.<\/p>\n
Let’s look at the main Japanese particles you’ll encounter in every sentence while keeping these rules in mind.<\/p>\n
Important Particles:<\/strong><\/p>\n Many common Japanese sentences can be formed using these particles. While some particles serve as markers for topics, things, or actions, others play more specific roles, such as indicating location or time. While some of the particles in this section resemble other particles in some ways, each Japanese particle has a specific role that they play.<\/p>\n \u306f (wa) marks the topic of the sentence, or the word that will be the focus of the following phrase or conversation. That means that wa will always follow either a noun or a personal pronoun. As personal pronoun topics can sometimes be omitted in Japanese, you might notice that wa can tend to disappear from sentences as well. But don\u2019t be alarmed\u2014leaving the topic and wa in your sentence is perfectly okay if you don\u2019t feel comfortable omitting it. In English, wa could best be translated to am, is, or are. Here are some examples of sentences using Japanese particle wa.<\/p>\n Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n \u304c (ga) is often hard to distinguish from wa for many Western studiers of Japanese. These two Japanese particles can and often do appear in similar sentences. While wa points to the topic of the conversation, ga appears when necessary to differentiate the topic from the subject.<\/p>\n For example, let\u2019s look at this sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n It means, I can\u2019t remember his name. I, or the person speaking, is the topic of the sentence. This example is about you not being able to remember his name. But the name cannot be remembered is the subject, and is therefore marked with ga. Another way ga is used in a sentence is to emphasize or narrow the focus down to the word it precedes. Using the same example, a second wa can technically be inserted in the place of ga. That would make the sentence look like this:<\/p>\n The meaning of this sentence to English is still the same: I can\u2019t remember his name. However, the use of wa changes the nuance of the sentence. It doesn\u2019t narrow the focus down to his name, and thus implies that the speaker has several other names that they cannot remember.<\/p>\n However, \u79c1\u306f\u5f7c\u306e\u540d\u524d\u304c\u899a\u3048\u3089\u308c\u306a\u3044 (Watashi wa kare no namae ga oboerarenai.) narrows the indication of this sentence down to his name only. The speaker cannot remember this man\u2019s name, but they probably remember other names just fine. This might be a little confusing, but don\u2019t worry. The differences between wa and ga will often become a natural instinct you gain with practice. Here are a few more examples to look at before we move on to the next Japanese particle.<\/p>\n Examples<\/strong>:<\/p>\n The particle \u306b (ni) has two uses. First, it directs the action of a following verb to the word it follows. For example, the sentence:<\/p>\n means I gave bread to him. Whom or what was the bread given to? Tom. This is why the English prepositions to, from, or at are mostly used as translations for ni. Ni is also used to indicate a time, place, or direction. For example, the sentence I will go to the market at 12:00 translates to:<\/p>\n Here are a few more example sentences to help you understand the particle ni.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u3078 (e) is similar to ni in that it indicates direction and destination. The biggest differences between e and ni are that e is limited to indicating destination and direction and that unlike ni, it can be combined with other Japanese particles. The most common English translation of e is towards. This might not be a literal translation, but it sums up the nuance of this particle quite well. Take this Japanese sentence, for example:<\/p>\n The English translation of this sentence is, The girl faced the sun, but it can also be As far as marking destination is concerned, e is practically interchangeable with ni. We This does sound a bit clunkier than when ni is used after \u201csupermarket,\u201d but it\u2019s still an acceptable sentence. Note that e cannot replace ni to mark the time of 12:00. E is more limited in its use than ni in this regard.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n The usage of \u3092 (o) in a sentence is pretty straightforward. This particle follows the direct object of the sentence. For example, the sentence Takashi kicked the ball is translated to:<\/p>\n What did Takashi perform the verb of kicking upon? His action was with the ball. So long as you can remember what the object of the sentence is, using o will become a breeze. The word that the Japanese particle \u3067 (de) is attached to will often be a location or situation that gives more information regarding the following action. For example, \u65e5\u672c\u3067\u53f0\u98a8\u304c\u767a\u751f\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f (Nihon de taifuu ga hassei shimashita.) means A typhoon appeared in Japan.<\/p>\n De is also used for methods of transportation. I go to school by bike in Japanese is \u79c1\u306f\u81ea\u8ee2\u8eca\u3067\u5b66\u6821\u306b\u884c\u304d\u307e\u3059\u3002(Watashi wa jitensha de gakkou ni ikimasu.) If the word you are using describes how or where and action takes place, it will most likely be followed by the particle de.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Japanese particle \u306e (no) is translated as the possessive apostrophe-s or as \u201cof.\u201d It indicates possession.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n In Japanese, the particle \u3082 (mo) is used in the same way the English words too and also are in a sentence. The easiest example would be the Japanese sentence for, \u201cMe too!\u201d It is simply \u79c1\u3082\uff01 (Watashi mo!)<\/p>\n Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n After going over the main Japanese particles, let’s move on to a few that are equally significant but frequently appear in longer sentences. These particles might not appear in your textbook as frequently if you’re just starting to learn Japanese, but it’s still a good idea to keep them in mind as you proceed with your lessons.<\/p>\n The Japanese particle \u3068 (to, pronounced \u201ct-oh\u201d) is used to connect clauses the way the word and would in English. While commas are used in Japanese, to connect several clauses to form a complete list of nouns the speaker believes is exhaustive. To is also used when directly quoting what someone else has said.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n The particle \u3084 (ya) is used in Japanese to list clauses when the speaker believes the list is non-exhaustive. It\u2019s used the way we would use or in English.<\/p>\n Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u304b (ka) is the only Japanese particle on our list that is used at the end of the sentence. It\u2019s done so to indicate a question, and often in written Japanese can replace the question mark entirely; questions can be ended with the Japanese period \u201c\u3002\u201d if ka appears at the end of the question. Ka can also be used the way we would use or in English.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n In Japanese sentences, you can rearrange the clauses without changing the meaning of the sentence they\u2019re in. So long as you keep the particles paired with their preceding words, you can almost always move things around without any trouble. \u79c1\u306f\u6628\u2f47\u306e\u591c\u306b\u30ab\u30ec\u30f3\u3068\u4f1a\u3044\u307e\u3057\u305f<\/strong> can just as easily become \u6628\u2f47\u306e\u591c\u306b\u79c1\u306f\u30ab\u30ec\u30f3\u3068<\/strong>\u4f1a\u3044\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/strong> You can also omit the subject from the sentence, so long as it can be implied by context. If the speaker omitted the subject from the previous sentence, listeners would still infer that it was the speaker who had met with Karen:<\/p>\n\u306f (wa) \u2013 Marks the Sentence Topic<\/h2>\n
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\u304c (ga) \u2013 Marks the Subject; Emphasizes Words<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u306b (ni) \u2013 Marks the Direction of an Action<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u3078 (e) \u2013 Marks Destination, and Direction<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\ntranslated as, The girl faced towards the sun. E marks the direction in which the girl is
\nfacing: sun-wards.<\/p>\n
\ncan use it in the supermarket example from the previous section:<\/p>\n\n
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\u3092 (o) \u2013 Indicates the Direct Object<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nExamples:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\u3067 (de) Indicates How or Where an Action Takes Place<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u306e (no) \u2013 Indicates Possession<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u3082 (mo) \u2013 Means Too or Also<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Lesser Japanese Particles<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\u3068 (to) \u2013 \u201cAnd\u201d, \u201cAlso\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u3084 (ya) \u2013 \u201cOr\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\u304b (ka) \u2013 Indicates a Question<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Using Japanese Particles to Build a Sentence<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nThe meaning remains the same.<\/p>\n