Japanese Particles for Beginners
This will be a long lesson (as I'm sure you can see), and I do not intend to romanize particles. Because of that, I've given you all a key to the particles I use. This is, in no way, a complete list of particles. Just the stuff I use all the time.
Key -
は = wa (original character usually read ha)
が = ga
の = no
か = ka
と = to
を = o (original character usually read wo)
に = ni
へ = e/eh (original character usually read he)
で = de
や = ya
よ = yo
I added the above list for referencing, since it's easiest for me to explain particles using the Japanese characters (this gives you the opportunity to distinguish between particles and the English I'm using to explain them). The above list of particles is merely the more common list that I see and use everyday in class, and the uses for them that I'm going to explain are pretty much the common uses, though by no means is my explanation the end of it! Particles are something that even the second year Japanese students mess up alot, so don't worry too much about it. But this should give you a basis for creating basic sentences in Japanese beyond "(noun) is (verb)." Also, for the sake of the lesson, I won't be using kanji, only hiragana and katakana (also because I'm currently using a computer without the ability to write kanji).
One more thing I'd like to talk about before I go into the use of individual particles is the order things go in. My teacher always said during the first few weeks of class that particles are like bricks on a wall. It doesn't matter which order you put them in, as long as they're there. It doesn't matter if you say "わたしはほんをよんだ (watashi は hon を yonda) or ほんをわたしはよんだ(yon を watashi は yonda), since both sentences mean "I read a book," as long as the particles are attached to the proper verb. Drop one, and the wall comes tumbling down. Of course, I'm sure you guys have all noticed this isn't always the case, since sometimes particles are left out. However, when particles are left out, you're using very informal speech. If you're talking to a superior (like a teacher or a senpai) or someone you don't know, it's considered very rude to drop the particles. Also, although there isn't a required order, there's a typical pattern in Japanese that the language tends to follow - time, subject, adjective, object acted upon, action (or desu). Also, for time and numbers, Japanese tends to go from largest to smallest - for the date, they say year, month, day. A meeting time would be week, day, morning or afternoon, hour, minutes.
Finally, onto the particles! I'm sure I've bored you guys enough by now, or at least confused some of you. But I'll be explaining each particle one by one, telling you guys their common uses and an example of the use for each! Particles are quite confusing to understand, so if you don't understand it fully, I can try to answer any questions you have.
は = wa (original character usually read ha)
は is the subject marker. It is always used to mark the subject in a sentence. For example, "かなたはにほんじんです(Kanata は nihonjin desu)" This simply means "Kanata is Japanese." However, in some sentences where the subject is obvious, both the word describing the subject and the particle may be dropped. For example, かなたがすきです (Kanata が suki desu) says "I like Kanata". Because of the way Japanese works, you can omit the "watashi wa" from the sentence and it is still understood that you, as the speaker, like Kanata.
が = ga
The particle が marks a subject that is either being talked about. This particle most often marks the direct object. To use the same example from before, "かなたがすきです (Kanata が suki desu)". Because you are describing what you like, Kanata takes the particle が.
が may also be used for several other things, such as combining two contradictory sentences. For example, "かなたはにほんじんですが,すきです(Kanata は nihonjin desu が, suki desu)". This means "Kanata is Japanese, but I like him." This isn't to say that the two objects are contradictory - Kanata being Japanese and liking him are just two separate sentences. が is used to combine the two sentences into one, even though the topics aren't technically related.
の = no
の is usually used to combine two nouns to show possession. For example, "かなたのかお (Kanata の kao)" is "Kanata's face."
の is also a sentence ender for informal questions. It goes at the end of a question only, and I mean only, when the question is in informal (plain) speech. "かなたがすきだの (Kanata が suki da の)" is asking very informally "Do you like Kanata?" Because the subject "you" is understood, it may be dropped. Also, "da" is the dictionary (plain) form of the verb desu, "to be."
か = ka
か is the sentence ender for formal questions. It, like の, always goes at the end of a sentence, but is used for neutral polite and polite speech. "かなたがすきですか (Kanata が suki desu か)" is asking in polite (or basic) speech "Do you like Kanata?" Once again, it is understood that the person you are asking the question is the subject, thus it may be dropped from the sentence.
と = to
と means "with." と follows the noun that the subject is completing the action with, never the subject. For example, "わたしはかなたとほんをよみます (watashi は Kanata と hon を yomimasu)." This states "I am going to read a book with Kanata." Often you will hear "(noun) と (subject) は (action)" - the opposite of what I have here. Don't be fooled! と always marks who the subject is doing an action with.
を = o (original character usually read wo)
を is another one of those that's a bit difficult to understand. を also marks the direct object, but is used most often when the action is happening to the direct object. For example, "かなたはすしをたべた (Kanata は sushi を tabeta)." This means "Kanata ate sushi." Because the action (eating) was acting upon the direct object (the sushi), sushi takes を.
に = ni
に is used to mark a target. This is easiest explained with an example, and often the easiest to mix up with を and が. Let's say "Kanata rode the bus." Kanata is the subject, so this part is easy to translate. However, the next bit gets complicated. Because the action is not happening to the direct object, nor is it describing it, neither を or が can be used. Instead, the subject must use the direct object (the target) to complete the action. The sentence is thus translated as "かなたはバスにのります (Kanata は basu に norimasu)." Bus is written in katakana because it has foreign origins.
へ = e/eh (original character usually read he)
へ marks a location. When someone is heading to or away from a location, it is marked with へ. "かなたはしごとへいきます (Kanata は shigoto へ ikimasu)." This means "Kanata is going to work." へ is never used to describe a location where the action is taking place (if the action is started and completed within the same location).
で = de
As I said, へ is never used to describe a location where the action is taking place (if the action is started and completed within the same location). Instead, the correct particle is で. "かなたはしごとでたべます (Kanata は shigoto で tabemasu)." This is saying that Kanata ate at work, and he finished eating there.
や = ya
や is much like と - it's used in the same way to mean the same thing. However, the only difference is that while と is used to list only who or what you did the action with, use of や implies that although you did the action with someone or something, there were other people or other things which you also did the action with. For example, "わたしはかなたとほんをよみます (watashi は Kanata と hon を yomimasu)" states that "I am going to read a book with Kanata." "わたしはかなたやほんをよみます (watashi は Kanata や hon を yomimasu)" states that "I am going to read a book with Kanata and other people."
よ = yo
Finally, the last particle for this lesson, よ! よ is a sentence ender used to mark new information or information you are certain is true. for example, "かなたはにほんじんですよ (Kanata は nihonjin desu よ)" means that either you are telling someone that Kanata is Japanese and that you are certain that he is Japanese. This sentence would be used if you were talking to either someone who did not know where Kanata was from, or someone who thought Kanata was not Japanese.
Let me know any questions and I'll answer them, or if there's any other particles you've run into that you want to know about. Ask about any usage of particles that seems unclear, or anything unusual that you've encountered. I'll try to explain it all!
Key -
は = wa (original character usually read ha)
が = ga
の = no
か = ka
と = to
を = o (original character usually read wo)
に = ni
へ = e/eh (original character usually read he)
で = de
や = ya
よ = yo
I added the above list for referencing, since it's easiest for me to explain particles using the Japanese characters (this gives you the opportunity to distinguish between particles and the English I'm using to explain them). The above list of particles is merely the more common list that I see and use everyday in class, and the uses for them that I'm going to explain are pretty much the common uses, though by no means is my explanation the end of it! Particles are something that even the second year Japanese students mess up alot, so don't worry too much about it. But this should give you a basis for creating basic sentences in Japanese beyond "(noun) is (verb)." Also, for the sake of the lesson, I won't be using kanji, only hiragana and katakana (also because I'm currently using a computer without the ability to write kanji).
One more thing I'd like to talk about before I go into the use of individual particles is the order things go in. My teacher always said during the first few weeks of class that particles are like bricks on a wall. It doesn't matter which order you put them in, as long as they're there. It doesn't matter if you say "わたしはほんをよんだ (watashi は hon を yonda) or ほんをわたしはよんだ(yon を watashi は yonda), since both sentences mean "I read a book," as long as the particles are attached to the proper verb. Drop one, and the wall comes tumbling down. Of course, I'm sure you guys have all noticed this isn't always the case, since sometimes particles are left out. However, when particles are left out, you're using very informal speech. If you're talking to a superior (like a teacher or a senpai) or someone you don't know, it's considered very rude to drop the particles. Also, although there isn't a required order, there's a typical pattern in Japanese that the language tends to follow - time, subject, adjective, object acted upon, action (or desu). Also, for time and numbers, Japanese tends to go from largest to smallest - for the date, they say year, month, day. A meeting time would be week, day, morning or afternoon, hour, minutes.
Finally, onto the particles! I'm sure I've bored you guys enough by now, or at least confused some of you. But I'll be explaining each particle one by one, telling you guys their common uses and an example of the use for each! Particles are quite confusing to understand, so if you don't understand it fully, I can try to answer any questions you have.
は = wa (original character usually read ha)
は is the subject marker. It is always used to mark the subject in a sentence. For example, "かなたはにほんじんです(Kanata は nihonjin desu)" This simply means "Kanata is Japanese." However, in some sentences where the subject is obvious, both the word describing the subject and the particle may be dropped. For example, かなたがすきです (Kanata が suki desu) says "I like Kanata". Because of the way Japanese works, you can omit the "watashi wa" from the sentence and it is still understood that you, as the speaker, like Kanata.
が = ga
The particle が marks a subject that is either being talked about. This particle most often marks the direct object. To use the same example from before, "かなたがすきです (Kanata が suki desu)". Because you are describing what you like, Kanata takes the particle が.
が may also be used for several other things, such as combining two contradictory sentences. For example, "かなたはにほんじんですが,すきです(Kanata は nihonjin desu が, suki desu)". This means "Kanata is Japanese, but I like him." This isn't to say that the two objects are contradictory - Kanata being Japanese and liking him are just two separate sentences. が is used to combine the two sentences into one, even though the topics aren't technically related.
の = no
の is usually used to combine two nouns to show possession. For example, "かなたのかお (Kanata の kao)" is "Kanata's face."
の is also a sentence ender for informal questions. It goes at the end of a question only, and I mean only, when the question is in informal (plain) speech. "かなたがすきだの (Kanata が suki da の)" is asking very informally "Do you like Kanata?" Because the subject "you" is understood, it may be dropped. Also, "da" is the dictionary (plain) form of the verb desu, "to be."
か = ka
か is the sentence ender for formal questions. It, like の, always goes at the end of a sentence, but is used for neutral polite and polite speech. "かなたがすきですか (Kanata が suki desu か)" is asking in polite (or basic) speech "Do you like Kanata?" Once again, it is understood that the person you are asking the question is the subject, thus it may be dropped from the sentence.
と = to
と means "with." と follows the noun that the subject is completing the action with, never the subject. For example, "わたしはかなたとほんをよみます (watashi は Kanata と hon を yomimasu)." This states "I am going to read a book with Kanata." Often you will hear "(noun) と (subject) は (action)" - the opposite of what I have here. Don't be fooled! と always marks who the subject is doing an action with.
を = o (original character usually read wo)
を is another one of those that's a bit difficult to understand. を also marks the direct object, but is used most often when the action is happening to the direct object. For example, "かなたはすしをたべた (Kanata は sushi を tabeta)." This means "Kanata ate sushi." Because the action (eating) was acting upon the direct object (the sushi), sushi takes を.
に = ni
に is used to mark a target. This is easiest explained with an example, and often the easiest to mix up with を and が. Let's say "Kanata rode the bus." Kanata is the subject, so this part is easy to translate. However, the next bit gets complicated. Because the action is not happening to the direct object, nor is it describing it, neither を or が can be used. Instead, the subject must use the direct object (the target) to complete the action. The sentence is thus translated as "かなたはバスにのります (Kanata は basu に norimasu)." Bus is written in katakana because it has foreign origins.
へ = e/eh (original character usually read he)
へ marks a location. When someone is heading to or away from a location, it is marked with へ. "かなたはしごとへいきます (Kanata は shigoto へ ikimasu)." This means "Kanata is going to work." へ is never used to describe a location where the action is taking place (if the action is started and completed within the same location).
で = de
As I said, へ is never used to describe a location where the action is taking place (if the action is started and completed within the same location). Instead, the correct particle is で. "かなたはしごとでたべます (Kanata は shigoto で tabemasu)." This is saying that Kanata ate at work, and he finished eating there.
や = ya
や is much like と - it's used in the same way to mean the same thing. However, the only difference is that while と is used to list only who or what you did the action with, use of や implies that although you did the action with someone or something, there were other people or other things which you also did the action with. For example, "わたしはかなたとほんをよみます (watashi は Kanata と hon を yomimasu)" states that "I am going to read a book with Kanata." "わたしはかなたやほんをよみます (watashi は Kanata や hon を yomimasu)" states that "I am going to read a book with Kanata and other people."
よ = yo
Finally, the last particle for this lesson, よ! よ is a sentence ender used to mark new information or information you are certain is true. for example, "かなたはにほんじんですよ (Kanata は nihonjin desu よ)" means that either you are telling someone that Kanata is Japanese and that you are certain that he is Japanese. This sentence would be used if you were talking to either someone who did not know where Kanata was from, or someone who thought Kanata was not Japanese.
Let me know any questions and I'll answer them, or if there's any other particles you've run into that you want to know about. Ask about any usage of particles that seems unclear, or anything unusual that you've encountered. I'll try to explain it all!