If you know any Japanese or listen to the language closely, you would have come across a little thing called particles (助詞). If you are using anime or dramas etc. to boost your Japanese, you might have a vague understanding of particles (without really knowing what they are called). You probably have come across something similar to the following:
- 「俺がやる」ore ga yaru – I will do it! (Line from Naruto)
- 「私はアメリカ人です」watashi wa amerikajin desu – I am an American.
The bolded “が” (ga)” and “は” (wa) in these examples are particles and they were used to indicate the subject, 俺, and 私 (“I”). But what actually are particles?
What Are Japanese Particles (助詞)?
In short, particles indicate the role of nouns and verbs in a sentence.
In linguistic terms (for the language nerds!) Japanese is an agglutinative language, meaning that words are composed of morphemes or word parts/elements. Other agglutinating languages include Korean, Mongolian, Turkish, and Finnish.
Conversely, English belongs to the “inflecting language” family, where nouns and verbs change to express things like tense. This is why the language’s structure is quite different.
So, particles are a type of morpheme that attach to nouns to convey information about its function in the sentence. Particles by themselves do not carry any meaning, but do when attached to nouns.
Still not making sense, right? Not to worry, since particles don’t exist in English, they are very difficult concepts to grasp. So let’s take a look at some examples:
- 私がハンバーガーを食べる (わたしがはんばーがーをたべる)
Watashi ga hanbāgā o taberu – I eat a hamburger.
The particles are:
が (ga, subject marker): designates 私(watashi) as the subject
を (wo, object particle): indicates ハンバーガー as the object of the sentence or the thing being eaten by the subject.
- 私は公園で走る (わたしはこうえんではしる)
Watashi wa kōen de hashiru – I run in the park.
The grammatical particles are:
は (wa): designates 私(watashi, “I”) as the subject.
で (de): designates 公園 (kōen, “park”) as the place where the subject is running. You can think of it as saying “at”.
So far, we have just introduced four particles, but even at a beginner level, you will be exposed to about 11 common particles, including the following:
“が” (ga), “は” (wa), “を” (wo), “に” (ni), “で” (de), “へ” (e), “も” (mo), “と” (to), “から” (kara), “まで” (made), “より” (yori).
This may seem like a lot to take in at once, so feel free to save or refer to this cheat sheet which provides simple short-hands to help you understand and remember each of the particles’ functions.
Japanese Particles List: 11 Must-Know Grammar Rules
We will now explore each of these particles in a bit more detail so we can explain how they work and how they can be very useful.
1. が (Pronunciation: ga)
- 私の家族が東京に来ました (わたしのかぞくがとうきょうにきました)
Watashi no kazoku ga Tokyo ni kimashita – My family came to Tokyo.
The particle is “が” and it indicates “私の家族” (my family) as the subject of the sentence. However, there are 2 other main functions of “が” beyond being a subject marker.
- In this sentence, the function of “が” is for exclusivity:
私が日本人です (わたしがにほんじんです)
Watashi ga nihonjin desu – I am Japanese.
In this case, the sentence does not just state that the subject, “I,” is Japanese; it also gives the sentence the context that “I am the one who is Japanese, not someone else.”
It implies excluding the possibility of others being Japanese.
- The last function is as the subject in a question.
誰がアイスを食べたんですか (だれがあいすをたべたんですか)
Dare ga aisu o tabetandesuka – Who ate the ice cream?
In this example, the particle “が” follows the question word (誰, who).
2. は (Pronunciation: wa)
- 私は日本人です (わたしはにほんじんです)。
Watashi wa nihonjin desu – I am Japanese.
The particle is the essential “は” in Japanese grammar! Although written as “は” in hiragana, its pronunciation is “wa.” The function of “は” can be broadly divided into three main uses. The first is to introduce the topic (Topic marker).
For example, in the sentence “私は日本人です” (Watashi wa nihonjin desu), “私” (I) before “は” is treated as the topic of the sentence.
While the English translation is “I am Japanese,” a more literal translation, reflecting the grammatical meaning, would be “As for me, I’m Japanese.” It might be a little difficult to understand, so let’s look at another example.
- ウサギは耳が長いです。(うさぎはみみがながいです)
Usagi wa mimi ga nagai desu – As for the rabbit, its ears are long.
In Japanese, both “は” and “が” can appear in the same sentence. If both “は” and “が” are used to indicate the subject, it would seem like there are two subjects in this sentence, which would make the meaning unclear.
In this case, “は” marks the topic (“ウサギ” or rabbit), and “が” marks the subject (“耳” or ears, specifically the ears of the rabbit). Since the topic and the subject sometimes refer to the same thing, “は” and “が” might seem to serve similar functions, but there is an important difference.
- ピザは好きですが、パスタは好きじゃありません。(ぴざはすきですが、ぱすたはすきじゃありません)
Piza wa sukidesuga, pasuta wa sukija arimasen – I like pizza, but I don’t like pasta.
“は” also has a function of contrast. In the case above, “は” contrasts “ピザ” (pizza) with “パスタ” (pasta). The contrast between the two items is clear, but even when only one item is mentioned, for example:
コーラは好きじゃありません。(こーらはすきじゃありません)
Ko-ra wa sukija arimasen – I don’t like coke (but I like other sodas).
Even if you are only referring to one item, it can imply that “other things” (such as other soda) are liked. So, “は” can change the context of the sentence when used instead of “が” in the sentence above.
3.を (Pronunciation: o)
本を読みます。(ほんをよみます)
Hon o yomimasu – I read a book.
The third particle is “を.” (Note that the pronunciation of this hiragana “を” is “o,” not “wo!”)
“を” marks the direct object of the verb. To be more specific, it indicates the thing (book) is directly affected by the verb (read).
4. に (Pronunciation: ni)
- キッチンに猫がいます。(きっちんにねこがいます)
Kicchin ni neko ga imasu – There is a cat in the kitchen.
“に” has many functions, and it’s one of the particles that many learners are often confused about.
So, to put it simply, there are 3 common uses: the first use is to indicate the location of something, as shown in the sentence above. The particle lets us understand the cat is located in the kitchen.
- 毎朝7時に起きます。(まいあさ7じにおきます)
Maiasa shichiji ni okimasu – I get up at 7 o’clock.
The second use is for indicating time. Using “に” after a specific time (such as hours or dates) to express when something happens.
- 私は母に花をあげました。
Watashi wa haha ni hana o agemashita. (I gave flowers to my mother.)
The third use is for indirect objects. In the sentence above, the direct object of the verb “あげます” (give) is “花” (flowers), and the indirect object is “母” (mother).
You need to use the particle “に” to make it clear your mother is who you gave the flowers to.
5. で (Pronunciation: de)
- オフィスで会議をします。(おふぃすでかいぎをします）
Ofisu de kaigi o shimasu – We have a meeting in the office.
One of the main functions of “で” is to indicate the location of an action. As demonstrated above, “で” marks the place where the action (the meeting) is taking place. You can think of “で” as saying “at” or, in certain cases, “in.”
It’s not a perfect translation, but for now I think this will be a useful shorthand in remembering how to use this particle.
- フォークで食べます。(ふぉーくでたべます)
Fo-ku de tabemasu – I eat with a fork.
Another use of “で” is to express the means or methods of how you did something. Here, “で” indicated that eating was done with a fork.
6. へ (Pronunciation: e)
- 台風は東へ向かっています。(たいふうはひがしへむかっています）
Taihu wa higashi e mukatteimasu – The typhoon is heading toward the east.
It’s written as “へ” in hiragana, but its pronunciation is “e”. The function of “へ” is to indicate the destination or direction of movement. At first glance, it may seem similar to “に,” but “へ” expresses a meaning that is more along the lines of “toward” or “in the direction of.”
For example,
日本に行きます。(にほんにいきます)
Nihon ni ikimasu – I’m going to Japan.
日本へ行きます。(にほんへいきます)
Nihon e ikimasu – I’m going toward Japan.
In the first sentence, “日本に行きます,” the destination, Japan, is clear. However, in the second sentence, “日本へ行きます,” implies “I’m going in the direction of Japan,” which carries a more nuanced meaning. It could mean that I might pass through other countries on the way or that I’m heading toward Japan but might end up somewhere else.
That said, in most cases, people are heading directly to their destination and will actually reach it, so the meaning is usually almost the same whether you use “に” or “へ.”
7. も (Pronunciation: mo)
- 私もです。(わたしもです)
Watashi mo desu – Me too.
“も” indicates addition or, simply put, means “also” or “too”. For example, in the sentence above, you are adding “私” (I) in response to someone else’s opinion.
- ショッピングモールで、何も買いませんでした。(しょっぴんぐもーるで、なにもかいませんでした)
Shoppingu senta de nani mo kaimasendeshita – I didn’t buy anything in the shopping mall.
Adding も after “何” (nani) will actually somewhat change the meaning of 何, which you probably learnt means “what”. In the above sentence, it means “anything” and can only be used with a negative verb (e.g. not buy, not sleep, etc.).
For example, you could say something like “何もありません(nani mo arimasen)” meaning “I don’t have anything”. But in English, you can not say “I have anything” since it doesn’t make sense. It is the same in Japanese, saying “何もあります(nani mo arimasu)” is grammatically incorrect.
8. と (Pronunciation: to)
- ノートとペンを買いました。(のーととぺんをかいました)
Nooto to pen o kaimashita – I bought a notebook and a pen.
There are 2 common functions of “と,” and in the sentence above, its function is to list all relevant items, similar to “and” in English. The key point with “と” is that it refers to all the items, so in this case, it means that the only things bought were a notebook and a pen.
- 今日大学の友達と電話しました。(きょうだいがくのともだちとでんわしました)
Kyo daigaku no tomodachi to denwa shimashita – Today, I called my university friend.
The above sentence demonstrates the second function, which is to indicate doing something together. You can think of it as saying “with.” Here, “と” shows that the action (making a call) was done with a friend.
9. から (Pronunciation: kara)
- 家から会社に行きます。(いえからかいしゃにいきます)
Ie kara kaisha ni ikimasu – I go to the office from (my) house.
Basically, “から” means “from”. In the sentence above, it allows the listener to understand the place from where the subject departed. While “に” is used to communicate where the subject is going. But “から” can be used for more than just physical places.
- 私はいつも午前9時から午後5時まで働きます。(わたしはいつもごぜん9じからごご5じまではたらきます)
Watashi wa itsumo gozen 9 ji kara gogo 5 ji made hatarakimasu – I always work from 9 am to 5 pm
In this example, “から” is used to discuss from which time you work and it’s often used along with the particle “まで” to indicate a range of time you are working.
10. まで (Pronunciation: made)
飯田橋駅からCoto Japanese Academyまで、歩いてどのくらいかかりますか。(いいだばしえきからCoto Japanese Academyまで、あるいてどのくらいかかりますか)
Iidabashi eki kara Coto Japanese Academy made, aruite donokurai kakarimasuka – How long does it take to walk from Iidabashi Station to Coto Japanese Academy?
“まで” essentially means “until,” so in the example above, you are using から and まで to say “from Iidabashi station until Coto Academy”. You can think of “まで” as indicating a final limit. For example, you could say “30分まで(30 pun made)” to say “until (or up to) 30 mins”. Although often used with “から”, it can be used on its own as well.
11. より (Pronunciation: yori)
妹は私より背が高いです。(いもうとはわたしよりせがたかいです)
Imoto wa watashi yori se ga takaidesu – My little sister is taller than me.
Lastly, “より,” which means “then.” You use it for making comparisons.
The thing before “より” serves as the reference point, and it expresses how the subject (or topic) compares to it. In the example above, “私” (me) is the reference, and it shows how tall “私の妹” (my little sister) is in comparison.
Essential 11 Japanese Particles Table
Below is a table summarizing the 11 essential Japanese particles discussed above. Feel free to refer to this in conjunction with the Cheat Sheet to help you remember and use these 11 particles.
| Particle | Function | Example |
| が(ga) | Designates subject | いぬがすきです。(I like dogs) |
| は(ha) | Designates topic | いぬはたべた。(The dog ate) |
| を(wo, pronounced “o”) | Designates Object | いぬをたべた。(I ate the dog) |
| に (ni) | Designates to or at a place/time | アメリカにいった。(I went to America) |
| で (de) | Designates place of action | アメリカでステーキをたべた。(I ate steak in America) |
| へ (he, pronounced “e”) | Designates movement toward a place | アメリカへいった。(I went toward America) |
| も (mo) | Indicates addition (”also” or “too”) | にほんもいった。(I went to Japan too) |
| と (to) | Connects words together (“and”) | いぬとねこがすきです。(I like cats and dogs) |
| から (kara) | Establishes start point (“from”) | モンゴルからきた。(I came from Mongolia) |
| まで (made) | Establishes end point (“until”) | でんしゃはしぶやまでいく。(The train goes until Shibuya) |
| より (yori) | Indicates comparison (“than”) | しんじゅくはよこはまよりいそがしいです。(Shinjuku is busier than Yokohama) |
Feel ready to explore particles deeper, check out our blog: Japanese Particles Cheat Sheet: Learn the Essential Particles for JLPT N5 and N4 which provides a cheat sheet with more particles.
Common Mistakes When Using Japanese Particles
With so many particles and some that have similar uses, I’m sure you found it a bit confusing. Here are some common pitfalls people fall into when making Japanese sentences with particles.
“が(Ga)” vs “は(Ha)”
誰はパーティーに行きましたか？(だれはぱーてぃーにいきました) ❌
Dare wa pa-ti- ni ikimashita ka? – Who went to the party?
The correct usage of “が” and “は” in relation to the subject can be pretty confusing, even for advanced learners. As mentioned earlier, the particle used with question words should be “が.” So the correct sentence would be, “誰がパーティーに行きましたか?” (だれがぱーてぃーにいきました – Who went to the party?)
“Ni” vs. “De”
公園に遊びました。(こうえんにあそびました) ❌
Koen ni asobimashita – I played in the park.
This is another very common mistake. Since both “に” and “で” are used to indicate a place, many people get confused about when to use each one.
When expressing a place, “に” refers to the location of something or someone, while “で” indicates the place where an action or event happens. In the example sentence, since “遊ぶ” (to play) is an action, the correct expression should be “公園で遊びました” (I played in the park).
Time + “に”
毎日に散歩します。(まいにちにさんぽします) ❌
Mainichi ni sanpo shimasu – I go for a walk every day.
As mentioned, “に” can indicate time. However, when it come to frequency and not a specific time, you don’t need to use “に.” In the sentence above, “毎日” (every day) doesn’t require “に.” So, the correct sentence would be: “毎日散歩します.” (I walk every day.)
In English, expressions like “9 o’clock” or “March 5th” use prepositions like “on” or “in,” but we don’t use any prepositions with expressions like “every day,” right? It is exactly the same in Japanese; there are time expressions that don’t need a particle.
Key Features of Japanese Particles
In languages like English, you can form sentences without particles, so you might wonder: Do we really need particles in Japanese?
Particles make it possible for the Japanese to rearrange the order of nouns and verbs to some extent while still making sense!
In Japanese grammar, the typical word order is: subject → time/frequency → place → object → verb. However, in many cases, changing the word order still conveys the same meaning.
For example:
私がハンバーガーを食べる (Watashi ga hanbāgā o taberu)
can change to
→ ハンバーガーを私が食べる (Hanbāgā o watashi ga taberu)
→ 私が食べるハンバーガーを (Watashi ga taberu hanbāgā o)
While these rearrangements might sound unnatural, the meaning “I eat a hamburger” remains clear.
Conclusion About Understanding Japanese Particles
Starting your journey into the world of Japanese can be overwhelming, and particles are no exception. However, as you keep using and studying Japanese, you will get the hang of them. So, exposing yourself to as many Japanese sentences as possible will help you to get accustomed to how they are used in different situations and contexts. Watching anime is a great way to gain exposure in Japanese especially for particles, check out our article recommending Detective Conan.
Just like most grammar in your mother tongue, native Japanese speakers don’t consciously think about particles and just naturally use them to express what they want to. Believe it or not, you will reach this level too as you keep practicing and develop a sense of what feels right for what you want to say.
In Japan, we have the saying “習うより慣れろ” (“ならうよりなれろ” – “It’s better to learn by doing”), so immersing yourself in listening and reading Japanese to develop your own understanding might prove to be one of the most effective methods of learning this rather confusing concept.
The best way to expose yourself to as much Japanese as possible is through our Coto Academy Japanese lessons. The classes immerse you in the Japanese language and will have you practice making sentences with our native teachers. Take a look through our Coto Academy Courses to find lessons that are right for you!
FAQ
There are many different types of particles, and it’s difficult to count exactly how many there are. However, the most common ones at the beginner level include “が” (ga), “は” (wa), “を” (wo), “に” (ni), “で” (de), “へ” (e), “も” (mo), “と” (to), “から” (kara), “まで” (made), and “より” (yori).
The main differences are:
- Topic marker (“は”) vs Subject marker (“が”)
- Old information (“は”) vs New information (“が”)
- Contrast (“は”) vs Exclusivity (“が”)
More detailed explanations of these differences will be covered in future articles.
It’s essential to understand the meaning and usage of each particle. Additionally, listening to and reading lots of Japanese is a helpful way to develop an instinct for correct usage.
I recommend the book “イメージでわかる！日本語の助詞https://www.ask-books.com/jp/978-4-86639-540-1/“, which explains particles with illustrations and is available in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese for easier learning.
