jp_particles.pdf

Japanese Particles

http://www.timwerx.net/language/jp_particles.pdf

Japanese Particles

Particles in Japanese act like the “cement” of a structure, holding the major components

together and serving as indicators for the words they follow or are stuck between. There are

even times when they have their own meaning, usually as prepositions. They can be friendly

at times and pesky at others, and some can even be omitted in familiar conversation.

This is a general guide for using the particles. I trust that it will serve nicely for daily

conversation and writing, but I really must emphasize general here because of the many

exceptions and surprises that do exist. In fact, there are some exceptions that defy all reason.

While some particles more or less follow certain rules regarding use, others do not and must

be learned “case by case” and remembered as such. I have spent hours with native speakers

trying to get straight, logical answers concerning the strange behavior of some of the particles,

but I often just get blank stares and the “case by case” answer. I will do my best to point these

out, but it will be impossible to cover everything here.

One thing that is nice about Japanese is that it's not as “grammatically fussy” as English: If

you happen to omit or make a mistake concerning particles, you won't sound as ridiculous or

illiterate speaking this “broken Japanese” as you would if you did the same thing in English.

(That's not meant to be an excuse; it's just to assure you that it's okay to make mistakes along

the way.)

Contents

Subject indicators wa and ga

Direct object indicator o

Indirect object indicator ni

Destination indicator e

Action indicator de

Possession indicator no

Connectors to and ya

Includer mo

Question maker ka

Empasizer yo

Terribly overused ne

Quasi-adjective indicator na

Japanese Particles

http://www.timwerx.net/language/jp_particles.pdf

Subject indicators wa and ga

Wa and ga indicate subjects by coming after them. You could say that wa is the “standard”

subject indicator. It indicates the general topic and, if anything, emphasizes what comes after

it:

日曓の夏は晳いです。

( Nihon no natsu wa atsui desu. )

Summers in Japan are hot.

In this example, wa tells us that the topic of conversation is summers in Japan , and that the

important thing about them is the fact that they are hot .

紀美子は毎日英語を勉強しています。

( Kimiko wa mainichi eigo o benkyou shite imasu. )

Kimiko studies English every day.

Here we are talking about Kimiko, and want her diligence concerning English studies to be

made known.

Ga points to “active” subjects, emphasized subjects, and subjects within a larger topic:

ジョンがする仕事は難しいです。

( John ga suru shigoto wa muzukashii desu. )

The job that John does is difficult.

In this one, wa tells us that we're talking about a job, and that it's a difficult one, and ga tells

us that it's not just any job we're talking about, but the job that John does.

今聖子がしています。

( Ima Seiko ga shite imasu. )

Seiko is doing it now.

This one, which is a reply to someone's question, needs to point to Seiko as the person doing

whatever, so ga is used. The thing she is doing is already known, so it needs no emphasis.

Ga is used with simple question subjects in many cases:

だれがこの牛乳を零した？

( Dare ga kono gyuunyuu o koboshita? )

Who spilled this milk?

何が食べたいの？

( Nani ga tabetai no? )

What do you want to eat?

いつがいい？

( Itsu ga ii? )

When is a good time?

Japanese Particles

http://www.timwerx.net/language/jp_particles.pdf

And ga is used to emphasize the answers to those questions:

トミーがやった。

( Tommy ga yatta. )

Tommy did it.

餃子が食べたい。

( Gyouza ga tabetai. )

I want to eat gyouza .

３昷がいい。

( Sanji ga ii. )

Three o'clock's good.

...unless there's something still indefinite about it:

餃子を食べましょうか。

( Gyouza o tabemashou ka. )

Shall we have gyouza ?

餃子はどうですか。

( Gyouza wa dou desu ka. )

How about some gyouza ?

６昷はどう？

( Rokuji wa dou? )

How about six o'clock?

As you can see, it can really get confusing. More than trying to remember set rules, I've found

that memorizing “set phrases” is the safest way to go, even though it does take some time.

Here's where learning “case by case” becomes necessary, because the particle used will

sometimes change depending on what is being emphasized, as well as the verb tense and

conjugation used.

Ga sometimes indicates “but”:

私達はピックニックを楽しみにしていたが、雨が降った。

( Watashitachi wa pikuniku o tanoshimi ni shite ita ga , ame ga futta. )

We looked forward to the picnic, but it rained.

Notice how the three ga 's are used here:

ケーキが食べたかったが、お腹がいっぱいだった。

( Keeki ga tabetakatta ga , onaka ga ippai datta. )

I wanted to have some cake, but I was too full.

Wa could replace the third ga here.

As a strange particle quirk, subject indicator wa is always written using the hiragana for ha

( は ). For more about hiragana , see my A Bit of the Language .

Japanese Particles

http://www.timwerx.net/language/jp_particles.pdf

Direct object indicator o

You could call o a “limited use” particle. Its only job is to show us what the direct object is:

辞暯を貸してくれる？

( Jisho o kashite kureru? )

Would you please loan me your dictionary?

新しいカメラを買った。

( Atarashii kamera o katta. )

I bought a new camera.

ピザを食べましょうか。

( Pizza o tabemashou ka. )

Shall we get a pizza?

However, ga is usually preferred when using the -tai ending:

ラーメンが食べたい。

( Ramen ga tabetai. )

I want to eat ramen .

Also, use ga , not o , before the verbs iru (to be present; to exist), iru (to need), aru, wakaru,

dekiru , and the weird quasi-verb/adjectives suki, kirai and hoshii :

ボブの部屋にトカゲがいる。

( Bob no heya ni tokage ga iru. )

There's a lizard in Bob's room.

僕は新しい傘が要らない。

( Boku wa atarashii kasa ga iranai. )

I don't need a new umbrella.

しずは自転車がありますか。

( Shizu wa jitensha ga arimasu ka. )

Does Shizu have a bicycle?

賢治の言っていることが分からない。

( Kenji no itte iru koto ga wakaranai. )

I don't understand what Kenji's saying.

絵美子は料理ができる？

( Emiko wa ryouri ga dekiru? )

Can Emiko cook?

中華料理が好きですか。

( Chuuka ryouri ga suki desu ka. )

Do you like Chinese food?

Japanese Particles

http://www.timwerx.net/language/jp_particles.pdf

トムは飛行機が嫌い。

( Tom wa hikouki ga kirai. )

Tom hates airplanes.

あのぬいぐるみが欲しい！

( Ano nuigurumi ga hoshii! )

I want that stuffed animal!

It is sometimes easy to confuse the particle o with the o- prefix which is used as an honorific

indicator for some selected nouns, so be careful. Some of these are:

· お天気

( o-tenki )

the weather

· お茶

( o-cha )

tea

· お水

( o-mizu )

water

お肉

( o-niku )

meat

· お腹

( o-naka )

stomach

お車

( o-kuruma ) car

These can be very interesting. Some use the o- prefix only in some instances and not others.

For example, when talking about your own car or cars in general, you would never use the o-

prefix. You will probably only hear it when salespeople or servicepeople are talking about the

car you are going to buy or have bought from them. Some, like o-tenki and o-cha , are almost

always used with the honorific prefix.

I might as well mention here that there is a verb conjugation that uses this honorific prefix. It's

o- + Base 2, and has several endings. Here are examples of two:

どうぞ、お茶をお飲みください。

( Douzo, o-cha o o-nomi kudasai. )

Please, have some tea.

お肉はお食べになりましたか。

( O-niku wa o-tabe ni narimashita ka. )

Did you have some meat?

These are very polite constructions. Can you sense the honor and respect oozing from them?

Although this particle is usually written o in romaji these days, in older documents it may be

seen written wo . It's the same particle with the same role, but with an alternate spelling in

romaji . You may also hear some Japanese pronounce it more like wo than o .

Indirect object indicator ni

Ni shows us what the indirect object is — who or what an action is directed to:

ジョンに辞暯を貸してくれる？

( John ni jisho o kashite kureru? )

Would you please loan John your dictionary?

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