The は particle marks the topic of the sentence (what the sentence is about). It's also used to highlight known information or for general statements.
Think of it as:
- "As for X..."
- "Speaking of X..."
- "Regarding X..."
は is pronounced as "wa", not "ha" when used as a particle.
It does NOT mark the subject, but the main focus of the sentence.
わたし は がくせい です。
Watashi wa gakusei desu.
I am a student.
いぬ は すき です。でも ねこ は すきじゃない。
Inu wa suki desu. Demo neko wa suki janai.
I like dogs, but I don’t like cats.
The が particle marks the subject of a sentence - who or what is performing the action, especially when introducing new information. It emphasizes the subject.
Think of it as:
- "X is the one that..."
Some expressions always use が to mark the subject of the emotion or ability: suki, jōzu, wakarimasu, hoshii.
The が particle is also used to mean "but" in formal speech. In casual speech, けど or けれど are more common.
たなかさん が きました。
Tanaka-san ga kimashita.
Tanaka came.
が vs は:
犬が好きです。
Inu ga suki desu.
Dogs are what I like.
犬は好きです。
Inu wa suki desu.
Regarding dogs, I like them
The を particle marks the direct object of a verb (the object of an action).
Think of it as:
- "What is being [verb]ed?"
- "What is receiving the action?"
を is mandatory with transitive verbs (what is being acted upon).
が will be used with intransitive verbs (what happens by itself).
ご飯を食べます。
Gohan o tabemasu.
I eat (what) a meal.
> I eat what? A meal.
The に particle is used to indicate where someone or something is going, a specific time (time, date, year), a location (place of existence), a receiver (of an action).
Think of it as:
- Where to
- Where at / Where is it
- Where into / onto
- When exactly
- To whom
- In order to
に can also be used for indicating purpose. But at N5 level we will prioritize the -tai form or "no tame ni".
友達の家に泊まりました。
Tomodachi no ie ni tomarimashita.
I stayed at my friend’s house.
6時に起きます。
Roku-ji ni okimasu.
I wake up at 6 o’clock.
学校に先生がいます。
Gakkō ni sensei ga imasu.
There is a teacher at school.
先生に質問をしました。
Sensei ni shitsumon o shimashita.
I asked the teacher a question.
The で particle marks the place of action, the method and the means (extend to tools / cause / reason).
Think of it as:
- Where something happens
- How you do something
- What you use
- Because of what
Be careful not to confuse place of action (de) and destination (ni)
学校で勉強します。
Gakkō de benkyō shimasu.
I study at school.
電車で行きます。
Densha de ikimasu.
I go by train.
ペンで書きます。
Pen de kakimasu.
I write with a pen.
病気で休みました。
Byōki de yasumimashita.
I missed work because of illness.
The へ particle (pronounced "e") marks the direction or goal of movement. It's often translated as "to".
Think of it as:
- Where you're heading
- What you're approaching
- The goal or target of movement
へ and に can both mark destinations, but:
- に = Emphasizes arrival or final location
- へ = Emphasizes direction / heading toward something
東京へ行きます。
Tōkyō e ikimasu.
I’m going to Tokyo.
空港へ急ぎます。
Kūkō e isogimasu.
I’m hurrying toward the airport.
家へ帰ります。
Ie e kaerimasu.
I’m going back home.
会社へ向かっています。
Kaisha e mukatte imasu.
I'm heading to the office.
The の particle connects two nouns, indicating that the first noun modifies or belongs to the second. It works like the English possessive "'s" or "of."
Think of it as:
- "’s" as in "someone's"
- "of" as in "the door of the car"
- "from / related to" when showing origin or category
- の always connects two nouns.
- When used between two people’s names or items, the order is backward from English: e.g., "my friend's book" → ともだちの ほん.
- の can chain multiple times: わたしの ともだちの いぬ (my friend's dog).
わたしのいぬは かわいいです。
Watashi no inu wa kawaii desu.
My dog is cute.
にほんごのがくせいです。
Nihongo no gakusei desu.
I am a student of Japanese.
せんせいのくるまは あそこです。
Sensei no kuruma wa asoko desu.
The teacher’s car is over there.
The と particle has several key uses, most commonly connecting nouns, indicating companions and marking / quoting thoughts.
Think of it as:
- "And" when listing things
- "With" when doing something together
- "That..." when quoting or saying what someone thinks or says
- Common verbs that use と for "that": iu (meet), omou (think), kiku (to hear / ask), kimeru (to decide), shinpai suru (to worry), kanjiru (to feel)
パンとコーヒーを食べました。
Pan to kōhī o tabemashita.
I ate bread and coffee.
彼女と映画を見ました。
Kanojo to eiga o mimashita.
I watched a movie with my girlfriend.
明日行こうと思っています。
Ashita ikō to omotteimasu.
I'm thinking that I’ll go tomorrow.
彼は先生は来ないと聞きました。
Kare wa sensei wa konai to kikimashita.
He heard that the teacher isn’t coming.
The particle も shows inclusion, similarity, or sometimes emphasis ("even...").
Think of it as:
- "Also" / "Too" → adding to what was said before
- "As well" → showing similarity
- "Even" → emphasizing something unexpected or extreme
も is not to be mistaken with もう which means "already".
私も学生です。
Watashi mo gakusei desu.
I’m a student too.
パンを食べました。ケーキも食べました。
Pan o tabemashita. Kēki mo tabemashita.
I ate bread. I also ate cake.
英語も日本語も話せます。
Eigo mo Nihongo mo hanasemasu.
I can speak both English and Japanese.
子供も知っています。
Kodomo mo shitteimasu.
Even a child knows.
彼は「行きます」と言いました。
Kare wa "ikimasu" to iimashita.
He said, "I'm going."
The particle から marks the starting point of an action, time, place, or event.
Think of it as:
- "From" (place or time)
- "Starting at..."
- "Since..."
It can also express a cause.
10時から始まります。
Jū-ji kara hajimarimasu.
It starts from 10 o’clock.
学校から帰ります。
Gakkō kara kaerimasu.
I’ll return from school.
明日から休みです。
Ashita kara yasumi desu.
I’m off starting tomorrow.
ここから行きましょう。
Koko kara ikimashō.
Let’s go from here.
The particle まで marks the ending point of an action, time, place, or range. It can also mean “even” when used for emphasis, suggesting surprise or extremity.
Think of it as:
- "To..."
- "Until..."
- "Up to that point"
- "Even..."
Don’t confuse まで (until) with までに (by [a deadline])
5時まで働きます。
Go-ji made hatarakimasu.
I work until 5 o’clock.
駅まで歩きます。
Eki made arukimasu.
I walk to the station.
明日までに終わりますか？
Ashita made ni owarimasu ka?
Will it be finished by tomorrow?
ここまでです。
Koko made desu.
It's up to here.
バスまでおくれました。
Basu made okuremashita.
I was even late for the bus.
The particle さえ means “even”, highlighting something that’s unexpected or extreme. It shows that something surprising is included in the scope.
- Stronger than まで — emphasizes something surprising or extreme
- Usually follows a noun (or noun + particle)
- Can also be used in conditional forms (〜さえすれば = "if only...")
- Sounds a bit literary or formal in some contexts
こどもさえわかります。
Kodomo sae wakarimasu.
Even a child can understand.
テスト の ひ に、なまえ さえ かきません でした。
Tesuto no hi ni, namae sae kakimasen deshita.
I didn’t even write my name on the test.
The particle か can be used between two or more nouns, phrases, or even clauses to indicate a choice or alternative — equivalent to “or” in English.
[Option A] か [Option B] → "A or B"
Can be repeated for multiple options:
A か B か C
- Do not confuse this with sentence-ending か, which turns a sentence into a question.
- When listing choices with か, the final か can sometimes be dropped in casual speech.
- It can also appear with verbs or full clauses when offering full-sentence alternatives.
コーヒー か おちゃ、どちら が いい です か？
Kōhī ka ocha, dochira ga ii desu ka?
Would you like coffee or tea?
あした いく か、いかない か、まだ わかりません。
Ashita iku ka, ikanai ka, mada wakarimasen.
I don't know yet whether I’ll go or not tomorrow.
でんしゃ か バス で いけます。
Densha ka basu de ikemasu.
You can go by train or bus.
The particle だけ means “only” or “just”, used to limit what's being talked about. It emphasizes that nothing more than the specified thing is included.
Think of it as:
- “Just X”
- “Only X and no more”
- だけ is placed after the item being limited.
- When used with verbs, the verb should be in positive form.
パンだけたべました。
Pan dake tabemashita.
I ate only bread.
ひとつだけください。
Hitotsu dake kudasai.
Just one, please.
しか is used to express “nothing but” or “only,” but it’s always paired with a negative verb. It strongly emphasizes exclusivity.
Think of it as:
- “Nothing but X”
- “Only X (and that’s not enough)”
- Unlike だけ, it requires a negative form.
みずしかのみません。
Mizu shika nomimasen.
I drink nothing but water.
ひとりしかいません。
Hitori shika imasen.
There is only one person.
ばかり means “just”, “only”, or “nothing but.” It emphasizes that something happens a lot, excessively, or was recent.
- Implies excess, so it can carry a negative nuance: “nothing but TV…”
- When used after a past verb, it means "just did X" (recent action)
- Be careful not to confuse with だけ — ばかり feels more emotional or exaggerated
テレビばかり見ています。
Terebi bakari miteimasu.
I watch nothing but TV.
食べたばかりです。
Tabeta bakari desu.
I just ate.
こそ is used to strongly emphasize what comes before it — like saying “this very thing” or “especially this” in English.
Think of it as:
- “This is the one that…”
- “It is exactly this…”
- Used for strong emphasis — especially in contrasts or emotional statements
- Can follow nouns, time expressions, and even
今年こそ、日本に行きたいです。
Kotoshi koso, Nihon ni ikitai desu.
This year for sure, I want to go to Japan.
あなたこそ、わたしの たいせつ な ともだち です。
Anata koso, watashi no taisetsu na tomodachi desu.
You, and no one else, are my dear friend.
に ついて is a phrase that means “about”, “concerning”, or “regarding” something. It marks the topic of explanation, thought, or discussion.
Think of it as:
- "What are we talking/learning/asking about?"
[Noun] に ついて [Verb]
- Do not use it like は — it’s more specific than a general topic
- You can extend it with に ついての [noun] to modify a noun
この ほん は 日本 の れきし について です。
Kono hon wa Nihon no rekishi ni tsuite desu.
This book is about Japanese history.
先生 と しょうらい について はなしました。
Sensei to shourai ni tsuite hanashimashita.
I spoke with the teacher about my future.
かれ について なにか しっていますか？
Kare ni tsuite nanika shitteimasu ka?
Do you know anything about him?
The sentence-ending particle ね is used to seek agreement, confirm shared knowledge, or show empathy. It adds a soft, friendly tone and often invites a response like “right?” or “isn’t it?”
Think of it as:
- “Right?”
- “Isn’t it?”
- “You know?”
- Softens a statement, making it more friendly or inclusive.
- Don’t confuse with よ, which is more assertive or informative.
- Use intonation: a rising tone can make it more questioning.
- Alternatively, ねえ can be used at the start of a sentence to draw attention or express emotion.
いい天気ですね。
Ii tenki desu ne.
It’s nice weather, isn’t it?
あなたも来るね？
Anata mo kuru ne?
You’re coming too, right?
その映画、よかったね。
Sono eiga, yokatta ne.
That movie was good, wasn’t it?
これはあなたのかばんだよね？
Kore wa anata no kaban da yo ne?
This is your bag, right?
ねえ、見て！雪が降ってる！
Nee, mite! Yuki ga futteru!
Hey, look! It’s snowing!
The sentence-ending particle よ is used to emphasize information, assert a statement, or give new information the speaker believes the listener doesn’t know. It adds confidence or insistence to what you're saying.
Think of it as:
- “You know!”
- “I’m telling you.”
- “Definitely!”
- Can sound pushy if overused; tone and context matter.
- Often used to correct, encourage, or alert someone.
- Don’t confuse with ね, which seeks agreement rather than emphasizes.
これはおいしいよ！
Kore wa oishii yo!
This is delicious, you know!
明日は休みよ。
Ashita wa yasumi yo.
Tomorrow’s a holiday, just so you know.
だいじょうぶよ。
Daijoubu yo.
It’s okay, really.