Particles
Introduction
Particles are grammatical elements that have many unique and important functions in the Japanese language. They are similar to prepositions (i.e. to, from, by, at, etc.) in the English language and go after the word they are modifying.
In total, there are an estimated 188 particles in the Japanese language. Let’s briefly learn about and explore the most common particles
The Topic Particle は (wa)
The topic particle, は (wa), identifies the topic of a sentence, which is something that is being discussed in conversation, such as 1) when stating information, 2) asking questions and making comparisons
The hiragana character は is normally read as ‘ha’, however when being used as the topic particle the reading is changed to ‘wa.’
The Subject Particle が (ga)
The subject particle, が (ga), identifies the subject of a sentence, which is a noun, pronoun or noun phrase that is 1) being emphasized, 2) performing an action, or 3) being linked to a verb
Other Essential Particles
を (o) – identifies an object that is being acted upon by a verb
に (ni)/へ (e) – indicates movement or transfer of something
で (de) – indicates a location where something takes place
か (ka) – spoken question mark
の (no) – indicates possesion or ownership of something; links nouns to form a complex noun
と (to) – links nouns together in a list
*The hiragana character へ is normally read as ‘he’, however when being used as a particle the reading changes to ‘e’
Double Particles
Some particles can be used in conjunction to perform specific functions. Double particles are more rare than single particles, but very useful for particular situations. Below are some examples of double particles
Essential Double Particles
のは (no wa) – converts a verb into a topic
のが (no ga) – converts a verb into a subject
Summary
Topic and Subject Particle
は (wa) (topic particles) – identifies the topic of a sentence that is being discussed in conversation when 1) stating information, 2) asking questions, or 3) making comparisons
が (ga) (subject particle) – identifies the subject of a sentence that is 1) being emphasized, 2) performing an action, or 3) being linked to a verb
Essential Particles
に (ni)/へ (e) – indicates movement or transfer of something
を (o) – identifies an object that is being acted on by a verb
か (ka) – spoken question mark
で (de) – indicates a location where something takes place
Double Particles
no wa – converts a verb into a topic
no ga – converts a verb into a subject
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