Nihongo
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助詞

joshi — particles: the little tags that say what each word is doing

Review 34 →
a particle comes after its word and tags its jobtopicas for meplace of actionat the stationpartnerwith a friendtargetonto the trainverbgot onI got on the train with a friend at the station.the tagged chunks can shuffle — 友達と駅で… still works — but the verb stays last

who · what

wa

topic — "as for …"

私わたしは学生がくせいです。

I'm a student. (as for me …)

ga

subject · new information

あ、猫ねこがいる！

Oh, there's a cat!

o

direct object — what the verb acts on

水みずを飲のみます。

I drink water.

mo

too · also — replaces は / が / を

私わたしも行いきます。

I'll go too.

where · when

ni

to (goal) · at (a time) · where something is

七時に起おきます。

I get up at seven.

de

where an action happens · by means of

図書館としょかんで勉強べんきょうします。

I study at the library.

e

toward — the direction of movement

日本にほんへ行いきます。

I'm going to Japan.

kara

from — a starting point in space or time

東京とうきょうから来きました。

I came from Tokyo.

made

until · as far as — the end point

駅えきまで歩あるきます。

I walk to the station.

joining nouns

to

with · and (the complete list)

友達ともだちと映画えいがを見みます。

I watch a movie with a friend.

no

of · 's — links noun to noun

私わたしの本ほんです。

It's my book.

ya

and … among others

パンや牛乳ぎゅうにゅうを買かいます。

I buy bread, milk and so on.

yori

than — the thing compared against

犬いぬより猫ねこが好すきです。

I like cats more than dogs.

Spelling vs sound: as particles, is read wa, is read e, is read o.

easily confused

— topic — something already on the table

猫ねこはどこ？

Where's the cat? (the one we both know)

— subject — the spotlight, the new part

誰だれが来きましたか。

Who came?

Question words as the subject (誰が・何が) always take が, never は — and so does the answer: 田中さんが来ました。

— where something is, or ends up

部屋へやに猫ねこがいます。

There's a cat in the room.

— where something happens

部屋へやで寝ねます。

I sleep in my room.

いる・ある・住む take に (東京に住んでいます); most action verbs take で.

— the goal — the arrival point

学校がっこうに行いきます。

I go to school.

— the direction — heading toward

学校がっこうへ行いきます。

I head to school.

With movement verbs they are interchangeable. Only に marks a time (七時に); only へ can take の: 母への手紙 — a letter to Mom.

— the whole list — that is all

パンと牛乳ぎゅうにゅうを買かいました。

I bought bread and milk.

— a few examples — there was more

パンや牛乳ぎゅうにゅうを買かいました。

I bought bread, milk and other things.

や often ends with など: パンや牛乳などを買いました。