Particles are small words attached after nouns, verbs, and adjectives. They show how each word relates to the rest of the sentence. Getting particles right is the single biggest grammar step in Japanese.

Click any Japanese sentence to hear it.

は — Topic Marker

Function: Marks what the sentence is about — the topic. Does not always mark who does the action.

Japanese Reading English
私は学生です。 watashi wa gakusei desu I am a student.
今日は暑いですね。 kyou wa atsui desu ne It’s hot today, isn’t it.
これは本ですか？ kore wa hon desu ka Is this a book?

は vs が: は marks the topic; が marks the subject (who actually does the action). 「私が食べた」 = I was the one who ate. 「私は食べた」 = As for me, I ate.

が — Subject Marker

Function: Marks the grammatical subject — who does the action or who/what is being described. Also used for ability, desire, and preference.

Japanese Reading English
猫が寝ています。 neko ga nete imasu The cat is sleeping.
日本語が好きです。 nihongo ga suki desu I like Japanese.
日本語が話せます。 nihongo ga hanasemasu I can speak Japanese.
どこが痛いですか？ doko ga itai desu ka Where does it hurt?

が for likes, abilities, and desires: Japanese uses が (not を) for the object of 好き (like), 嫌い (dislike), できる (can do), ほしい (want), わかる (understand).

を — Object Marker

Function: Marks the direct object — what the verb acts on. Also marks the route you move through.

Japanese Reading English
寿司を食べます。 sushi wo tabemasu I eat sushi.
本を読んでいます。 hon wo yonde imasu I’m reading a book.
音楽を聞きます。 ongaku wo kikimasu I listen to music.
公園を散歩します。 kouen wo sanpo shimasu I take a walk through the park.

に — Direction / Time / Location of Existence

Function: Covers several related uses — destination of movement, point in time, indirect object (recipient), and location where something exists.

Use Japanese Reading English
Destination 日本に行きます。 nihon ni ikimasu I’m going to Japan.
Time 三時に起きます。 sanji ni okimasu I wake up at 3 o’clock.
Recipient 友達にプレゼントをあげます。 tomodachi ni purezento wo agemasu I give a present to my friend.
Existence 駅の前に銀行があります。 eki no mae ni ginkou ga arimasu There’s a bank in front of the station.
Purpose 買い物に行きます。 kaimono ni ikimasu I’m going (to do some) shopping.

に vs で (location): に marks where something exists (います / あります). で marks where an action happens. 「図書館に本があります」= The book is at the library. 「図書館で勉強します」= I study at the library.

で — Location of Action / Means / Reason

Function: Where an action takes place, the means/tool used, or the reason/cause.

Use Japanese Reading English
Location of action 学校で日本語を勉強します。 gakkou de nihongo wo benkyou shimasu I study Japanese at school.
Means / tool 電車で行きます。 densha de ikimasu I go by train.
Language / means 日本語で話してください。 nihongo de hanashite kudasai Please speak in Japanese.
Reason 病気で学校を休みました。 byouki de gakkou wo yasumimashita I was absent from school due to illness.

へ — Direction (Toward)

Function: Indicates direction of movement — similar to に for destinations but emphasises the journey rather than arrival. Often interchangeable with に.

Japanese Reading English
東京へ行きます。 toukyou e ikimasu I’m going to / toward Tokyo.
こちらへどうぞ。 kochira e douzo This way, please.

と — With / And (exhaustive)

Function: Lists things together (exhaustively — “A and B and nothing else”), or marks who you do something with.

Use Japanese Reading English
Together with 友達と映画を見ました。 tomodachi to eiga wo mimashita I watched a film with a friend.
List (and) コーヒーと紅茶があります。 koohii to koucha ga arimasu There is coffee and tea.
Quoting 「大丈夫」と言いました。 “daijoubu” to iimashita They said “it’s fine.”

と vs や: と lists things exhaustively (only those items). や lists things partially (among others): 「コーヒーや紅茶」= coffee and tea (and other things).

も — Also / Even / Too

Function: Replaces は or が/を to mean “also” or “too”. With numbers it means “as many/much as” (emphasises unexpectedly large amount).

Japanese Reading English
私も行きます。 watashi mo ikimasu I’m going too.
日本語も中国語も話せます。 nihongo mo chuugokugo mo hanasemasu I can speak both Japanese and Chinese.
百人も来ました。 hyakunin mo kimashita As many as a hundred people came!
何もありません。 nani mo arimasen There is nothing at all.

の — Possession / Connection / Nominalisation

Function: Connects nouns (like ’s in English), links descriptions to nouns, and turns verbs/adjectives into noun phrases.

Use Japanese Reading English
Possession 私の本です。 watashi no hon desu It’s my book.
Connection 日本語の先生です。 nihongo no sensei desu A Japanese-language teacher.
Nominaliser 日本語を話すのは難しいです。 nihongo wo hanasu no wa muzukashii desu Speaking Japanese is difficult.
Explanatory どうしたんですか？ doushita n desu ka What happened? (seeking explanation)

か — Question Marker

Function: Added to the end of any sentence to make it a question. No question mark needed in formal writing.

Japanese Reading English
これは何ですか？ kore wa nan desu ka What is this?
日本語が話せますか？ nihongo ga hanasemasu ka Can you speak Japanese?
コーヒーか紅茶はいかがですか？ koohii ka koucha wa ikaga desu ka Would you like coffee or tea?

か also means “or” when placed between options: 「コーヒーか紅茶」= coffee or tea.

から / まで — From / Until

Function: から marks starting point in time or space (“from”). まで marks the end point (“until”, “as far as”).

Japanese Reading English
九時から始まります。 kuji kara hajimarimasu It starts from 9 o’clock.
駅から歩いて五分です。 eki kara aruite gofun desu It’s a 5-minute walk from the station.
五時まで働きます。 goji made hatarakimasu I work until 5 o’clock.
月曜日から金曜日まで学校があります。 getsuyoubi kara kin’youbi made gakkou ga arimasu School is Monday through Friday.

から also means “because” at the end of a clause: 「疲れたから、寝ます」= I’m going to sleep because I’m tired.

より — Than (Comparison)

Function: Marks the standard of comparison — what you’re comparing against.

Japanese Reading English
東京より大阪の方が好きです。 toukyou yori oosaka no hou ga suki desu I like Osaka more than Tokyo.
昨日より今日の方が寒いです。 kinou yori kyou no hou ga samui desu Today is colder than yesterday.

Full comparison structure: A は B より [adjective] です。= A is [adj] than B.

だけ — Only / Just

Function: Limits to one thing — “only” or “just”. Similar to しか but positive.

Japanese Reading English
少しだけ分かります。 sukoshi dake wakarimasu I understand just a little.
一つだけください。 hitotsu dake kudasai Just one, please.

しか〜ない — Only (with negative)

Function: “Nothing but / only” — always used with a negative verb. Stronger and more restrictive than だけ.

Japanese Reading English
百円しかありません。 hyakuen shika arimasen I only have 100 yen. (lit. I have nothing but 100 yen)
日本語しか話せません。 nihongo shika hanasemasen I can only speak Japanese.

だけ vs しか〜ない: 「百円だけあります」= I have only 100 yen (neutral). 「百円しかありません」= I have only 100 yen (implies it’s not enough).

ね — Seeking Agreement

Function: Added at the end to seek the listener’s agreement or share a feeling — like “isn’t it?” or “right?”. Softens statements.

Japanese Reading English
今日は寒いですね。 kyou wa samui desu ne It’s cold today, isn’t it.
そうですね。 sou desu ne That’s right. / I agree.

よ — Assertion / New Information

Function: Added at the end to assert something the listener may not know, or to emphasise a point. Stronger than ね — you’re telling the listener something.

Japanese Reading English
これはおいしいですよ。 kore wa oishii desu yo This is delicious, I’m telling you.
大丈夫ですよ。 daijoubu desu yo It’s fine, don’t worry.

ね vs よ: ね shares a feeling with the listener (you expect agreement). よ tells the listener something new (you have information they don’t).