Particles
Disclaimer: Note that some verbs require different particles regardless of their meaning. The
only way is to memorize. Blame the Japanese.
Lesson 1 (Pages 14-17); Lesson 3 (page 63)
は – Topic Marker
Indicates the main topic of the sentence. Can mean “And as for…” “Speaking of….”.
私は学生です。私 – The main topic of the sentence (me); And as for me, I am a student.
は is sometimes used to stress out, or to direct listener’s attention.
今日は東京に行きます。Today, I am going to Tokyo.
か – Question marker
Used as a question marker at the end of the sentence. There is no need to change the order of words in
order to form a question; just add か.
それはあなたの本です。That’s your book.
それはあなたの本ですか。Is that your book?
の – Possessive marker/Noun modification
Possessive – Think of this like the English apostrophe plus S (‘s).
山下先生のでんわばんごう. Teacher Yamashita’s phone number.
あなたの部屋はきれいです. Your room is clean.
Noun Modification – The noun before "no" modifies the noun after "no". This usage is similar to the
possessive, but it is seen more with compound nouns or noun phrases. Aka, no is used to describe a
noun:
日本語のクラスは楽しいです。The Japanese class is fun.
"No" can be used many times in one sentence. In this usage the order of nouns in Japanese is the
reverse of the English structure. The normal Japanese order is from large to small, or general to specific:
おおさか大学の日本語の先生。A teacher of Japanese at Osaka university.
Lesson 2 (Pages 34-38); Lesson 4 (page 81)
も – Including/Excluding
Means also or too. Depending on which word it follows in a sentence も can replace は, が and
を.When used with a negative verb, the meaning is (not) either, or neither….nor.
御飯も好きです。I also like rice.
ようこさんは、にくも魚も食べません. Yoko eats neither meat nor fish.
たけしさんは日本人です。みちこさんも日本人です。Takeshi is Japanese. Michiko is also Japanese.
私は本を買いました。雑誌も買いました。I bought a book. I also bought a magazine.
Lesson 3 (Pages 58-64)
で – Place of action
This use of で means in, at, on, and so forth. It is used with action verbs, and indicates where the action
takes place.
図書館で本を読みました。I read books in the library.
デパートで買い物をしました。I shopped at the department store.
を – Direct Object
"を" is placed after a noun, and indicates that the noun is the direct object.
魚を食べました。I ate fish (what did I eat).
今日その本を読みました。Today I will read that book (What will I read).
ひろしさんは映画を見ました。Hiroshi watched a movie (What did he watch).
へ – Direction; Goal of movement.
へ is used with verbs of motion to indicate to or toward. May replace the particle に only in the goal-ofmovement sense.
図書館へ行きますか。Are you going to the library?
に – Goal of movement/Specific Time
Goal of movement – Like へ, に is used to indicate the goal toward which things move.
私は今日大学に行きません。I will not go to university today.
家に帰ります。I will return home.
Specific Time – Used with expressions of specific time, に means at (clock time), in (month, year) or on
(day).
十一時に寝ます。I’m going to sleep at 11.
土曜日に東京に行きます。I will go to Tokyo on Saturday.
私は,1991 ねんに日本に行きました。I went to Japan in 1991.
Note: に is not used with time expressions defined relative to the present moment, such as “today” and
“tomorrow”; expressions describing regular intervals, such as “every day”; the word for “when”.
あした来ます。I will come tomorrow.
毎日食べます。I eat everyday.
いつ行きますか。When will you go?
Lesson 4 (Pages 77-82)
と – Listing/Involvement
Listing – Connects two nouns A and B (Nouns only).
日本語とえいごを話しませ。I speak Japanese and English.
かさと本と雑誌を買いました。I bought an umbrella, a book and a magazine.
Involvement – in this case, と means together with. It describes with whom you do something.
たけしさんはともだちとおおさかに行きます。Takeshi will go to Osaka with a friend.
さとうさんと本屋へ行きました。I went to the bookstore with Sato.