PARTICLES

The words that hold a Japanese

sentence together
 The function of particles
• Particles in Japanese join parts of the
sentence together.

• A particle can tell us a lot about the word

before it.
 Particles – a summary
Topic
WA MO Also
marker
‘by’ / do ‘at’
NO Possessive DE
a place
Object
WO TO With / and
marker
‘at’ with
NI NI ‘to’ a place
time
は
Note: This particle is
actually written with
hiragana “ha”
Flickr photo by Davi M
 The Topic Marker は
• は [wa] tells us the topic of the sentence.

• It tells us WHAT is being discussed.

• It is hard to translate into English but it is

similar to saying ‘as for …’.
 Examples for は
• ぼく は １２さい です。
• I am 12 years old. (As for me, I’m 12).

• ひろ は せんせい です。
• Hiro is a teacher. (As for Hiro, [he’s] a
teacher.
 The
Possessive
の

Flickr photo by Spitzgogo

 The Possessive の
• の [no] can act like ‘apostrophe s’ in
English.
• It tells us who owns something.
• It also serves to join 2 nouns together when
they relate to each other. Eg. Tomorrow
morning, Tuesday next week, and so on.
 Examples for の
• ぼく の なまえ は ひろ です。
• My name is Hiro.

• せんせい の ほん です。
• It is the teacher’s book.

• にほんご の せんせい。
• Japanese Teacher (teacher of Japanese)
 The object marker を

Flickr photo by tanakawho

Flickr photo by El Negro Magnifico

 The object marker を
• を [wo] tells us the object of the verb.
• If the verb is ‘do’, it tells us what we are
doing. If the verb is ‘eat’, it tells us what
we are eating.

• ‘Eat a hamburger’ – hamburger is the object

• ‘Play tennis’ – tennis is the object.
 Examples for を
• まど を あけてください。
• Please open the door.

• ひろ は おんがく を ききます。
• Hiro listens to music.
Movement Flickr photo by B Tal

“to” a place
に

Flickr photo by an untrained eye

 The particle に
1. に [ni] tells us the place we are going to.

Example:
a. かわ に いきます。 Go to the river
 Time “at”
which
something
occurs

Flickr photo by Joe Penniston

Flickr photo by Robbert van der Steeg
 The particle に
1. It also tells us the time we do something.
It comes after the TIME or DAY of the
week.

Example:
a. ろくじ に おきます。 Wake up at 6:00
 The
“location”
of
something:
“in” / “on”

Flickr photo by John Althouse Cohen

 The particle に
1. It also indicates the location of something.
“on the table” etc.

Example:
a. いす の うえ に あります。 It is on the
chair.
 “Also”

Flickr photo by Caucas’

Flickr photo by L. Marie
 The particle も

• も means “also”

• It can replace を or は but can be used

together with に or へ
 Examples for も
• すし を たべます。さしみ も たべます。
• I eat sushi. I also eat sashimi.

• とうきょう に いきます。おおさか にも いき
ます。
• I will go to Tokyo. I will also go to Osaka.
 The particle で
• で tells us how we get somewhere. Like
“by means of”, “using”

• Tells us “where” we do something

– Listen to music in de house!!!
What you
use to do
something

Flickr photo by Destinys Agent

Where u do de activity で

Flickr photo by moriza

 で
Flickr photo by rAmmoRRison
 Examples for で
• バス で いきます。
• Go by bus.

• ぎんこう で はたらいています。
• Work at the bank.

• こうえん で あそびます。
• Play in the park.
 “with”
after a
person /
animal

Flickr photo by jm3

Flickr photo by onkel wart
 The particle と

• と is used between nouns to mean “and”

• と also indicates who or what you do

something “with”
 Examples for と
• いす と つくえ が あります。
• There is a chair and a desk.

• いぬ と あそびます。
• Play with the dog.

• あした、ともだち と テニスを します。

• Tomorrow, I will play tennis with my friend.