Japanese Particles One

In Japanese Particles One, of our Learn Japanese series, we'll learn how to use the particles "wa," "ga" and "wo."

Let's start off with "wa." In hiragana, this is は.

It is pronounced wa and not ha.

It is the standard subject marker. It indicates the overall topic of the sentence.

For example:

          Watashi wa Kana desu.               I am Kana.

In the above sentence "I" is the subject or topic of the sentence, whereas in the below sentence "Kana" is the topic.

          Kana wa kirei desu.                       Kana is pretty.

                  

After the word list are a few examples:

This = これ pencil = 鉛筆 = えんぴつ This (polite form) = こちら

abroad = 海外 = かいがい from = から belonging to = の 

customer = お客様  = おきゃくさま

This is a pencil. 

    これは鉛筆です

This is a customer from abroad.

    こちらは海外からのお客様です。

 My name is Kana. 

    私はカナです。


 Ga indicates "active" subjects,  or emphasized subjects and subjects within a larger topic.

 After the below word list are a few examples:

Recently = 最近 = さいきん tornado= 竜巻 = たまき to happen = 起こる = おこる 

so as to = ように to become = なる  London = ロンドン Oxford = オックスフォード 

than = より population = 人口 = じんこう big = 多い = おおい  today = 今日 = きょう 

letter = 手紙 = てがみ 

Recently, tornados have happened (there have been). 

    最近は竜巻が起こるようになりました。

London has a bigger population than Oxford. 

    ロンドンはオックスフォードより人口が多いです。

A letter came today. 

    今日は手紙が来ました。


Wo indicates the object or target of a verb

After the below word list are a few examples:

Zoo = 動物園  = どうぶつえん elephant(s) = 象 = ぞう leaf (ves) = 葉っぱ = はっぱ 

bird(s) = 鳥 = とり egg(s) = 卵 = たまご to lay = 生む = うむ English = イギリス 

person(s)= 人 = じん voice = 声 = こえ to enjoy = 楽しむ = たのしむ

taxi = タクシー   to get out of = 降りる = おりる mother = 母 = はは 

teacher = 教師 = きょうし 

The elephants in the zoo are eating leaves.

    動物園の象は葉っぱを食べています。

Birds lay eggs. 

     は卵を生みます。

The English enjoy the songs of the birds.

    イギリス人は鳥の声を楽しみます。

It can also indicate the loacation left or gone into, as well as occupations:

I got out of the taxi. 

     タクシーを降りました。

My mother is a teacher. 

     母は教師をしています。


More on ga

After the below word list are a few examples:

A job that is done = する仕事 = するしごと easy = 優しい = やさしい 

now = 今 = いま what = 何 = なに wanted to eat = 食べたかった 

 = たべたかった stomach = お腹 = おなか full = いっぱい 

 Ga points to "active" subjects,  emphasized subjects and subjects within a larger topic.

     Jill's job is easy. ジルがする仕事は優しいです。           

You can also use it to point to the fact that someone is doing it.

      He is doing it now. 今彼がしています。

It's often used with simple question subjects:

      What do you want to drink? 何が飲みたいですか。

As well as to emphasize the answers to these questions.

     I'd like a beer.                             ビールが飲みたいです

It also means "but…"

 I wanted to have sushi, but I was too full. 

     すしが食べたかったですがお腹がいっぱいです。


Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then kanji and finally hiragana:

He = 彼 = かれ belonging to = の name = 名前 = なまえ

Bill = ビル that = それ  pencil = 鏡 = えんぴつ 

that(far away)person = あの人 = あのひと 

French person = フランス人 = フランスじん Peter = ピーター 

to buy = 買う = かう car = 車 = くるま 

expensive = 高い = たかい now = 今 = いま what = 何 = なに

baseball = 野球 = やきゅう wanted to do = したかった 

to be tired = 疲れる = つかれる

from = から house = 家 = いえ in = に to return = 帰る 

baby = 赤ちゃん = あかちゃん can crawl = はいはいができる 

that kind of thing = そんなこと she = 彼女 = かのじょ 

to become beautiful = 美しくなる = うつくしくなる 

hair = 髪 = かみ to make long = 長くする = ながくする 

to make sad = 悲しくさせせる = かなしくさせる please = ください


Try to translate English to Japanese for the below sentences, using the above list of words.

1. His name is Bill. 

2. This is a pencil. 

3. That person is French. 

4. Peter bought an expensive car. 

5. He is eating now. 

6. What do you want to eat? 

7. I wanted to play baseball, but because I was tired I went home.

8. Peter’s baby can crawl.

9. That’s not true. 

10. She became beautiful.

11. He grew his hair long. 

12.  Please don’t make her sad.


Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

The only way to remember all this in Japanese Particles One is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

  1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 12 Japanese phrases.
  2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
  3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.

Back to the Japanese words page